Untitled treatise on Revelation (Section 1.8)

The first king therefore is to be interpreted of orour Saviour a single person: but as he is equivalent to a series of many so yethe other three Kings must be applyed each to a series of many; for this yethe great number of Emperors to be distributed among them requires.

The second Seal opened.

The second king is introduced by yethe second beast wchwhich is an Ox situate to yethe west: & this whilst in yethe vision it bids StSaint Iohn look toward it, informs us that this Seal must begin wthwith Trajan yethe Spaniard an Emperour out of yethe west Trajanus, inquit Dion, homo Hispanus nec Italus erat nec Italicus: Ante eum nemo alterius nationis Imperium Romanum obtinuerat. In yethe former Seal it was in yethe family of Cæsar, & to yethe end of this it continued in Trajan's.

To this Horsman it was given to take peace from yethe earth (i.e. from his neighbours by invading them,) & that they (he & his neighbours, or his own subjects by civil wars) should kill one another. This killing one another you have expressed by yethe Ox wchwhich is a beast appointed to yethe slaughter, & represents his armies & other people of his kingdom; but yet yethe great sword wchwhich was given is an emblem of his victoriousnes, as yethe Bow was of yethe first Rider's.

Now for yethe victoriousnes of this Rider I need only tilltell you that after yethe Empire was almost dissolved by seditions & defections in Nero's reign, & something repaired by Vespasian, & again made to totter by Domitian: Trajan not only setled it but enlarged it exceedingly, conquering wherever he went, & heaping victories upon victories more then ever did any other Emperor since orour Saviours days: insomuch that historians reccon yethe ἀκμὴ of yethe Empire to have been in his reign. Trajanus saith Sextus Rufus, qui post Augustum Romanæ Reip. movit lacertos, Armeniam recepit a Parthis: sublato Diademate Regi Armeniæ majoris regnum ademit: Albanis regem dedit: Iberos, Bosphorianos, Colchos in fidem Romanæ ditionis accepit: Saracenorum loca, & Arabum occupa -vit 2vit: Corduenos & Marcomedos obtinuit: Anthemusiam optimam Persidis regionem, Seluciamqꝫque & Ctesiphontem ac Babyloniam accepit & tenuit: usqꝫque ad Indiæ fines post Alexandrum accessit: Provincias fecit Armeniam Mesopotamiam & Assyriam, & quæ inter Tigridem et Euphratem sita irriguis ammibus instar Ægypti fæcundantur. So Eutropius: Romani Imperij quod post Augustum defensum magis fuerat quam nobiliter ampliatum, Trajanus fines longè latéqꝫque diffudit: urbes trans Rhenum in Germania reparavit: Daciam Decibalo victo subegit, Provincia trans Danubium facta in his agris quos nunc Thaiphali tenent & Victophali & Theruingi. Ea Provincia decies centena millia in circuitu tenuit. Armeniam quam occupaverant Parthi recepit, Sarmato Rege occiso qui eam tenebat. Albanis regem dedit. Iberorum regem & Sauromatarum & Bosphoranorum & Arabum & Osdroenorum & Colchorum in fidem accepit. Adiabenos, Marchomedes, occupavit; & Anthemusium magnam Persidis regionem, Seleuciam & Ctesiphontem, Babylonem et Edessios vicit ac tenuit: Vsqꝫque ad Inde fines & mare rubrum accessit, atqꝫque ibi tres Provincias fecit Armeniam Assyriam & Mesopotamiam cum his Gentibus quæ Madenam attingunt. Arabiam postea in Provinciæ formam redegit. In mari ** sc. Persico rubro classem instituit ut per eam Indiæ fines vastaret. De Indis enim, saith Dion, cogitare cœpit ac de rebus ejus gentis curiosè quærere, tum Alexandrum beatum dicere, nonnunquam tamen asserere se longius progressurum esse: idqꝫque scripsit ad Senatum: cùm tamen ea quæ cœperat tueri non posset. Cujus rei causa Senatus præter alia multa decrevit ut triumphos quotquot vellet ageret. Nam cum Trajanus tot gentes a se superatas esse scriberet, Senatus eas neqꝫque cognoscere neqꝫque nominare satis poterat. Itaqꝫque cum alia multa tum arcum triumphalem in foro ipsius ædificari jussit. Parabant cives redeunti longius obviam procedere sed is nunquam in Vrbem reversus est, neqꝫque ut extrema principijs responderent efficere potuit 3potuit, ea enim quæ subjugarat amisit. Dum enim navigat Oceanum atqꝫque inde revelitur, ea quæ cœperat omnia tumultu defecerunt, præsidijs quæ apud eas gentes reliquerat dejectis cæsisqꝫque. Atqꝫque hæc ad Trajanum dum esset in navi præferuntur. — Igitur cognita defectione Lucium & MaxmumMaximum contra rebelles mittit. Maximus prælio superatus obijt. Lucius præclarè se gessit, recuperavitqꝫque Nisibide, Edessam expugnavit dereptamqꝫque incendit. Seleucia ab Euricio Claro & Iulio Alexandro capta et incensa est. Trajanus metuens ne Parthi quoqꝫque aliquid molirentur, - ijs regem Parthamaspatem designat, eiqꝫque diadema imponit. Inde profectus in Arabiam adoritur Agarenos qui et ipsi defecerant. &c. His wars wthwith Decibalus you have at large described in yethe same Dion: the greatnes of wchwhich you may learn from this passage in Eutropius: Hadrianum Daciam relinquere conatum amici deterruerunt ne multi cives Romani Barbaris traderentur, propterea quod Trajanus, victa Dacia, ex toto orbe Romano infinitas eo copias transtulerat ad agros et urbes colendas. Dacia enim diuturno bello Decibali fuerat exhausta. Eutrop. l 8.

Thus did this Emperor weild yethe great sword & take peace from yethe earth: & at yethe revolting of yethe conquered nations they also killed one another. But yet this killing one another was perhaps more notable in broiles between yethe Iews & his other subjects. Incredibili motu, (saith Orosius,) sub uno tempore Iudæi quasi rabie ~~efferti~~ efferati per universas terrarum partes exarserunt. Nam et per totam Libyam adversas incolas atrocissima bella gesserunt: quæ & adeò tunc interfectis cultoribus desolata est, ut nisi postea Hadrianus Imperator collectas illuc aliunde colonias deduxisset vacua penitus abraso habitatore mansisset Ægyptum vero totam et Cyrenem & Thebaida crucutis seditionibus turbaverunt. (Hac ex Oros.) Salaminem urbem Cypri interfectis omnibus accolis deleverunt. (Oros (Euseb.) In Alexandria autem commisso prælio victi et attriti sunt. In Mesopotamia quoqꝫque rebellantibus jussi Imperatoris bellû illatum est. Itaqꝫque multa millia. Qui circa Cyrenem habitabant, (saith Dion,) Andrea quodam duce, Romanos pariter atqꝫque græcosGræcos concîluent, vescuntur eorum carnibus eduntqꝫque viscera; tum oblinuntur eorum sanguine, pellibus induuntur. Multos a vertice serris discidere medios, multos objicere Bestijs, multos etiam certare inter se coegerunt; ita ut interierint hominum ducenta viginti millia. Præterea in 4 in Ægypto consimilis cædes, facta est.) & ~~in Cypro~~ Nec minore clade Cypris affecti fuere: siquidem in ea Insula, Artemione Duce;, conspirantes Iudæi circiter ducenta quadraginto ~~millia~~ capitum millia trucidarunt. Ex quo fit quod Iudæo in Cyprum venire non liceat: etiam si forte vi tempestatis in Insulam appulerit interficitur. Sed in ultra cædes non mansit nam Trajanus misso cum exercitu Lucio, tum accedentibus alijs ducibus, Iudæos qui per universum ferè terrarum Orbem tantum cædis ediderant, profligavit. (Ziphilin & Alexandrinus ex Dione) ~~In Alexandria autēem, commisso prælio victi et attriti sunt (Oros )~~ Iudeis etiam Mesopotamiæ rebellantibus: præcepit Imp: Trajanus Lysiæ Quieto ut & eos provincia exterminaret. Adversum quos Quietus aciem instruens infinita millia eorūum interfecit (Euseb). ~~Salaminem urbem Cyri interfectis omnibus accolis deleverunt.~~ [Oros. Euseb.] In Alexandria autem commisso prælio victi et attriti sunt. [Oros.] Tandem et ab alijs & maximè a Lysio quem Trajanus miserat, subacti sunt. In Mesopotamia quoqꝫque rebellantibus, jussu Imperatoris bellum illatum est. [Oros. Euseb.] Atqꝫque ita multa millia eorum vastâ cæde delecta sunt.

This was in Trajan's time: but that wchwhich followed under Hadrian by yethe rebellion of Barchocheb was more notable. Cum Hadrianus, saith Dion, in urbem Hierosolymam coloniam deduxisset, ac quo loco Dei Templum fuerat, alterum Iovi Capitolino ædificari curavisset; magnum et diuturnum bellum inde moveri cæptum, totam Iudæam commoveri, Iudæos omnes ubiqꝫque gentiūum tumultuari, multa damna occultè aperteqꝫqué Romanis inferre, cumqꝫque ijs complures alias gentes lucri cupiditate conjungi, atqꝫque ea de re omnem ferè orbem terrarum commotum esse. - Hos Hadrianus optimis quibusqꝫque ducibus adversus eos missis, sed (multitudine eorum & desperatione cognita) non nisi singulatim eos adoriri ausis, serò tandem oppressit fregitqꝫque; cæsis in excursionibus prælijsqꝫque non minùs quingentis et octoginta millibus. Eorum autem qui fame morbo & igne interiêre tanta fuit multitudo ut numerus indagari non potuit. Tot ex Romanis quoqꝫque in eo bello periêre, ut Hadrianus, cùm scriberet ad Senatum, non est usus illo exordio quo uti Imperatores consueverant, Si vos liberiqꝫque vestri valetis bene est, ego quidem et exercitus valemus.

The estimation wchwhich yethe Iews give of their own loss is no less then this; for one saith Lib. Iuchasin. that Hadrian slew twice as 5as many Iews in this war as came out of Egypt; & another Lib. פ חמיthat Hadrian afflicted them more then either Nebuchadnezzar or Titus. And this falling upon God's own people, & being yethe accomplishment of their so much threatned dispersion into all nations, could deserve no less then to be taken notice of in this Prophesy.

Next after Hadrian reigned Antoninus Pius & Marcus Antoninus, yethe most illustrious potent & victorious Emperors of all those that followed till yethe reign of ~~Dioclesian &~~ ~~Dioclesian &~~ Constantine. The Emperor Marcus, together wthwith Iulius Cæsar, Octavius, Trajan, & Constantine were by yethe Empeor Iulian chosen out as yethe five gallantest among yethe Roman Emperors to compare wthwith Alexander yethe great in a Dialogue intitled Cæsares, where all these are introduced pleading wthwith one another the greatnes of their actions. Iulius Octavius, & Trajan he calls πολεμικωτέρους bellicosiores, but yet accounts Marcus, considering all things, the completest Hero. And therefore Marcus may deservedly be recconed wthwith Trajan for a wielder of yethe great sword. Nor does Antoninus Pius fall much short of Marcus, excepting in this, ytthat he performed his wars by Delegates.

Antoninus Pius, saith Iulius Capitolinus, per Legatos suos plurima bella gessit. Nam et Britannos per Lollium Vrbicum Legatum vicit, alio muro cespititio submolis Barbaris ducto: & Mauros ad pacem postulandam coegit: et Germanos et Dacos et multas Gentes, atqꝫque Iudæos rebellantes contudit per Præsides et Legatos. In Achaia etiam et Ægypto rebelliones repressit. Alanos molientes sæpe refrenavit.   refrenavit. - Provinciæ sub eo cunctæ floruerunt. - Pharasmanes Rex ad eum Romam venit, plusqꝫque illi quam Hadriano detulit. Pacorum regem Ladijs dedit. Parthorum regem ab Armeniorum expugnatione solis literis repulit. Abgarum regem ex Orientis partibus sola autoritate deduxit. Causas regales terminavit. Sellam regiam Parthorum regi repetenti, quam Trajanus cœperat pernegavit. Rimethalcen in regnum Bosphoranum, audito inter ipsum et Curatorem negotio, remisit. Olbiopolitis contra Tauroschythas in Pontum auxilia misit: & Tauroschythas usqꝫque ad dandos Olbiopolitis obsides vicit. Tantum sane autoritatis apud exteras gentes nemo habuit. — Tantum sane autoritatis apud exteras gentes nemo habuit.

Imperator Marcus Antoninus multis adversum se nascentibus bellis sæpe ipse intererat, sæpe Duces nobilissimos destinabat [Euseb. Chron.] Contra Germanos (Cattos scil. 6in Germania et Rhætia) res feliciter gessit. Speciale ipse bellum Marcomannicum, sed quantum nulla unquam memoria fuit, tum virtute tum etiam felicitate transegit. — Marcomannos in ipso transitu Danubij delevit & prædam provincialibus reddidit. Gentes omnes ab Illyrici limite usqꝫque Galliam conspiraverant, ut Marcomanni, Narisci, Hermunduri, & Quadi, Suevi, ~~Bastarnæ, Alani, Peucini, Co~~ Sarmatæ, Latringes, & Buri: hi alijqꝫque cum Victovalis Sosibes, Sicobotes, Rhoxolani, Bastarnæ, Alani, Peucini, Costoboci. Imminebat et Parthicum bellum & Britannicum. Magno igitur labore etiam suo gentes asperrimas vicit. — Voluit Marcomanniam Provinciam, voluit etiam Sarmatiam facere et fecisset nisi Avidius Cassius rebellasset in Oriente. — Relicto ergo Sarmatico Marcomanni eoqꝫque bello, contra Casssium profectus est. — Deinde ad conficiendum bellum conversus est. — Triennio bellum postea cum Marcomannis Hermunduris Sarmatis Quadis etiam egit: et si anno uno superasset Provincias ex his fecisset. — Duces autem confecerunt Parthicum bellum Statius Priscus & Avidius Cassius & Martius Verus per quadrennium ita ut Babylonem et Mediam pervenirent & Armeniam vendicarent. Iul. Capitolinus in vitis Marci et Veri. The remainder of yethe Marcomannic war was prosecuted & successfully finished by yethe delegates of yethe next Emperor Commodus who ends this seal, being yethe last of Trajan's family

The third Seal opened.

The third king is introduced by yethe third Beast wchwhich is like a Man & situate to yethe South. And this directing us to look that way points out Septimius Severus an Emperor from yeytthat ~~South~~ quarter, of whom Eutropius saith: a Zosimus lib. 1 dicit Alexandrum ex familia Severi pregnatum. ~~a Zos~~Oriundus ex Africâ, provinciâ Tripolitanâ, oppido Lepti, solus omni memoria et antea et post ex Africa Imperator. Yet the Empire continued in his family during this seale, yethe year's reign of Macrinus excepted. For his successsors were ~~Caracalli~~ Antoninus Caracalla his son, Heliogabalus his Son's son & Alexander his near Kinsman.

Now this King is described rigourously just. ffor yethe Ballance signifies Iustice by Fig & yethe blacknes of his hors may 7may denote yethe severity thereof: wchwhich agrees well wthwith yethe humane shape of yethe Beast, as being yethe fountain & chief of moral virtues wherein humanity consists. And how this was fulfilled by Severus & Alexander another Emperor soon after succeeding him, you may perceive by yethe following sentences gathered out of Aurelius & Lampridius & here joyned together.

Severo, saith Aurelius, præclarior in republica fuit nemo, legum conditore longè æquibilium. Implacabilis delictis, strenuum quemqꝫque præmijs extollebat. Nulli in dominatu suo permisit honores venundari. Ne parva quidem latrocinia impunita patiebatur, in suos animadvertens magis, quod vitio ducum aut etiam Præfectorem fieri vix experiens intelligeret. So Spartian calls him implacabilem delictis & latronum ubiqꝫque hostem. And by all this you may perceive he was a Prince every way suitable to his Standart: but yet as to Iustice he is outdone by Alexander, who from his wonderfull stricktness therein acquired also yethe name of Severus. Id, saith Lanpridius, leges de jure ~~fisci et~~ populi et fisci moderatas et infinitas sanxit, neqꝫque ullam constitutionem sacravit sine viginti Iurisperitis. Severissimus Iudex contra fures, appellans eosdem quotidianorum scelerum reos, et damnans acerrimè; ac solos hostes inimicosqꝫque Reipublicæ vocans, jussit (de judicibus furibus, ni fallor, loquitur) in civitatibus nunquam videri & si essent visi deportari per Rectores Provinciarum. Referebat Eucolpius, pergit, (quo ille familiarissimè usus est, illum si unquam furem judicem vidisset, paratum habuisse digitum ut illi oculum erueret. Addit Septimius qui vitam ejus non mediocriter executus est, tanti stomachi fuisse Alexandrum in eos Iudices qui furorum fama laborassent, etiamsi dam nati 8 nati non essent, ut si eos casu aliquo videret commotione animi stomachi choleram evomeret, toto vultu exerdescente, ut nihil possit loqui. Iussit imò per Præcanem edici ut nemo salutaret Principem qui se furem esse nosset, ne aliquando detectus capitali supplicio subderetur. Siquis militum de via in alicujus possessionem deflexisset, pro qualitate loci aut fustibus subjiciebatur in conspectu ejus, aut virgis, aut condemnationi; aut, si hæc omnia transiret dignitas hominis, gravissimis contumelijs; cùm diceret: Visne in agro tuo fiere quod alteri facis? Clamabatqꝫque sæpius, quod a quibusdam sive Iudæis sive Christianis audierat et tenebat, idqꝫque per Præconem, cum aliquem emendaret, dici jubebat: Quod tibi fieri non vis alteri ne feceris. Quam sententiam usqꝫque adeo dilexit ut et in Palatio et in publicis operibus præscribi jubevat. Hæc mandata, saith Carion Tribunis militum dedit: Si vis Tribunus esse, imò si vivere vis, manus militum contine: Nemo segetes afferat, nemo salem Oleum, ligna auferat: nemo ovem alterius rapiat: annona sua miles contentus sit, ex præda hostium non ex lachrymis provincialibus habeat. Such an unparalleld instance of Iustice as this is, & that in a Heathen, ~~tis~~ it's no wonder yethe Holy Ghost in this Seal should have respect unto.

But besides their justice the ffrugality of these two Emperors joyned wthwith bounty was very remarkable. Frumenti summam, saith Herodian of Severus, primus adauxit. Rei frumentariæ, saith Spartian, quam minimam repererat, ita consuluit ut excedens ~~ipse~~ vitâ septem annorum Canonem populo Romano relinqueret, ita ut quotidiana septuagena quinqꝫque millia modiorum expendi possent. Populo Romano diurnum oleum gratuitum primus donavit: ejus vero tantum reliquit ut per quinquennium non solum urbis usibus, sed et totius Italiæ, quæ 9quæ oleo egeret; suficerit. And of Alexander Lampridius saith: Commeatum populi Romani sic adjuvit, ut cùm frumenta Heliogabalus evertisset, vicem de prpria pecunia loco suo reponeret. — Oleum quoqꝫque quod Severus populo dederat, quodqꝫque Heliogabalus imminuerat integrum restituit, addidit et Oleum luminibus Thermarum. And this affords a further & perhaps a more perfect exposition of yethe voice saying: A measure of wheat for a peny & three measures of barley for a peny; & see thou hurt not yethe oyle & yethe wine: the first part of wchwhich expresses yethe selling of corn to yethe people out of yethe Emperor's store-houses, & yethe last part an injunction not to misspend what he gave them freely.

Some have thought that this Seal is to be interpreted of a famin: but besides what was said of yethe signification of a Ballance in Fig I see not what agreement there can be between a famin & yethe human shape of yethe third Beast wchwhich is yethe ensign of this King: nor how it ~~suits wthwith~~ expresses a famin either to rate corn by the peny, or to measure it out for that price by yethe Chænix; a measure wchwhich may be large enough, aa Vide Caspar. Waserum de Antiqu. mensur. l. 2. c. 3. the ~~least~~ ordinary ChænixChænixes conteining yethe sustenence of a man for a day, & a military Chænix being put by yethe 70 for yethe Bath, a very large measure of yethe Hebrews. Nor lastly is it so likely that one of yethe qualities of yethe fourth Seale should be made yethe principal subject of this, seing yethe designe of these seales is to describe & distinguish successive times by incommunicable characters.

The fourth Seale opened.

The Præco to yethe fourth seale is yethe fourth Beast situate to yethe north: & this directs us now the family of Severus is run out to look that way & begin this Seale wthwith ~~Maximinus~~ Alexander's successor Maximinus an Emperor from that quarter. Of him Iulius Capitolinus saith: Maximinus de vico Thraciæ, vicino Barbaris, Barbaro etiam patre et matre genitus.

Now 10

Now this king is accompanied wthwith a fourfold desolation: yethe sword, hunger, death, & wild beasts; that is slaughter, famin, pestilence, & invasion. For yethe Greeks use δάνατος death for yethe pestilence; & yethe rapine of wild beasts is an emblem of invasion & captivity, as you may see in Fig. in yethe notes upon Ier. 15.2, 3, where yethe very same quaternary of calamities is threatned to yethe Iews. Compare yethe places for they plainly illustrate one another. This is therefore yethe combination of calamities: & they are further represented by yethe eagle a bird of prey feeding upon carcasses; & notably aggravated by yethe name of this King, Death; & by yethe colour of his hors, a pale one; & by his ghastly attendant, Hell. Nor is yethe event inferior to yethe Prophesy.

Of yethe sword.

Of yethe first of these calamities you may make estimation by yethe civil wars & slaughter of yethe great ones, for betwen Maximinus & Dioclesian (that is wthwithin yethe compas of 48 years) of about aa See yethe Catalogue of Emperors in Onuphrius, lib. 1 Romanorum Principum.thirty legitimate Emperors & Cæsars (beside ~~about~~ eight or nine tyrannical ones who perished all by yethe sword) there died only Licinian & Claudius by yethe pestilence, & Marcus either by yethe pestilence or some other distemper, & Carus by lightning, & three more were slain by yethe public enemy, & all yethe rest fell by yethe sword of their own soldiers or of one another or by their own hands out of desperation. And besides all these wthwithin yethe reign of Gallienus alone, who was one of yethe 30, there were no less then 29 or 30 others proclaimed Emperors by yethe soldiers in divers parts of yethe Empire; all wchwhich fell by yethe sword, excepting 3 or 4 who had their lives given them by yethe mercy of their conquerors. These were yethe principal Tyrants some of wchwhich might vie wthwith yethe Emperor himself for greatness, but you shall presently hear their number made up to six hundred. And to make these times yet more bloody, yethe Emperor himself Gallienus was one of yethe most cruel beasts that ever lived. Pollio in lib. de 30 Tyrannis 11Tyrannis, saith of him: Occiso Ingenuo qui a Mœsiacis Legionibus Imperator est dictus, in omnes Mœsiacos tam milites quàm cives asperrimè sævijt, nec quenquam suæ crudelitatis exortem reliquit: usqꝫque adeo asper et truculentus ut plerasqꝫque civitates vacuas a virili sexu relinqueret. Extat sanè epistola Gallieni, pergit, quam ad Celerem Verianum scripsit, qua ejus nimietas crudelitatis ostenditur. Gallienus Veriano: Non mihi satisfacies si tantùm armatos occideris quos et fors belli interimere potuisset. Perimendus est omnis sexus virilis, si et senes atqꝫque impuberes sine reprehensione nostra occîdi possint. Occidendus est quicunqꝫque malè voluit. Occidendus est quicunqꝫque malè dixit. contra me, contra Valeriani filium, contra tot Principum patempatrem et fratrem Ingenuus factus est Imperator. Lacera, occîde, concîde: animum meum intelligere potes, mea mente irascere qui hæc manu mea scripsi. Also in yethe life of Gallienus he says: Scythi in Cappadociam pervadentibus, milites iterum de novo Imperatore faciendo cogitaverant, quos omnes Gallienus ~~suo~~ more suo occîdit. And at yethe end he adds: ffuit nimiæ crudelitatis in milites: nam et terna millia & quaterna militum singulis diebus occîdit. And in another place: Ne quid mali deesset Gallieni temporibus, Byzantinorum civitas, clara navalibus bellis, & claustrum Ponticum per Gallieni milites ita omnis vastata est ut prorsus nemo superesset. Quorum cladi ulciscendæ, Gallienus vicissim Byzantio receptus, omnes milites inermes armatorum corona circundatos, interemit, fracto fœdere quod promiserat. This was yethe cruelty of this Emperor & his soldiers, & yet he seems to fall short of Maximinus yethe Emperor wchwhich began this seal, who was such a Butcher, ut illum, saith Iulius Capitolinus, alij Cyclopem, alij Busiridem, alij Scyronem, nonnulli Phalarim, multi Typhonem vel Gygem nominarent. Senatus eum tantum timuit ut vota in Templis publicè prvatimqꝫque, mulieres etiam cum suis liberis, facerent, ne ille unquam 12unquam urbem Romam videret. Audiebant enim alios in crucem sublatos, alios animalibus nuper occisis inclusos, alios feris objectos, alios fustibus elisos; atqꝫque omnia hæc sine delictu dignitatis. - Ignobilitatis tegendæ causa omnes conscios generis sui interemit; nonnullos etiam amicos qui ei sæpe misericordiæ et pietatis ~~ergo~~ causa pleraqꝫque donaverant; neqꝫque enim fuit crudelius animal in terris, &c.

By yethe cruelty of these Emperors, & of some others perhaps not much inferior to these; but chiefly by the unparallel'd raging of yethe civil wars wchwhich must necessarily have been between so many Tyrants & Emperors, & those almost all slaughtered; you may now guess what havock yethe sword made ~~of yethe people~~ among the soldiers & people.

Of yethe wild Beasts.

Hitherto you have heard only of intestine slaughters wchwhich I suppose was yethe meaning of yethe first calamity. But yethe invasion & tearing of yethe Empire by wild Beasts, that is by forreign armies, is a calamity still more notable. ~~This action began~~ The first memorable attempt of yethe Northern Barbarous nations ~~was in~~ on yethe Empire was in Marcus's reign, of wchwhich you heard above. Being then stoutly repulsed they rested pretty quiet till now, but now made a second attempt & overran all: yethe Scythians breaking in first in yethe reign of Philip yethe successor of Maximinus, & others soon imitating them; whereby yethe Empire for 30 years together was torn wthwith unexpressible violence. The greatest heat of these invasions was in yethe reign of Gallienus. Gallieno, saith Eusebius, Euseb. Chron. & Eutrop. lib. 9. in omnem lasciviam dissoluto, Germani Ravennam usqꝫque venerunt; Alemanni vastatis Gallijs in Italiam transierenttransiêre; Græcia, Macedonia, Pontus, Asiæ depopulatæ per Gothos; Quadi & Sarmatæ Pannonias occupaverunt; Germanis bb Hispania duodecim annis ferè sub Barbaris laboravit regnante Gallieno. Oros. l. 7. c. 41. Hispanias obtinentibus Tarracon expugnata est; Parthi Mesopotamiam ~~incursantes~~ tenentes Syriam incursaverunt.

tans were Barchiaruc (or Belchiaroc,) Muhammed, Mahmud, David, Masud, Melechsah, Muhammed, & Solyman Shah in whome yethe race of yethe Salghucides at Bagdad ended about yethe year 1160: & from thence foreward unto yethe taking of Bagdad by yethe Tartars, yethe Chalifa recovered & maintained yethe supreme temporal power wthwithin this Sultany, wchwhich hd been interrupted for about 224 years.

2 The Sultany of Mausela or Mosul a city of Mesopotamia of seated also upon Tigris ~~northwest of Mausela~~ about 6 or 7 days journey westward from Bagdad & one or two days journey from one of yethe streams of Euphrates. Its Sultans were 1 Iagarmish. 2 Zengius fil: who began his reign A.C. 1107. 3 Maudud 1109. 4 Oksenkar (or Assangur) 1121. 5 Ezzodin fil: 1126. 6 Zengius (or Sanguin) frat. 1127. 7 Gaza fil: 1145. 8 Cotboddin frat: 1149. 9 Gazi fil: 1170. 10 Ezzodin frat: 1180. 11 Nuroddin fil: 1193. 12 Ezzoddin fil: 1211. 13 Nuroddin fil: 1218. 13 Nuroddin fil: 1218. 14 Naseroddin frat: 1218. 15 Badroddin 1234 who reigned to yethe end of yethe fift Trumpet. 16 Saleh fil: wthwith his brothers 1259.

3. The Sultany of Maredin Mirdin or Marde another city of Mesopotamia seated also upon Tigris Northwest of Mosul. Its Sultans were 1 Ortoc who was contemporary to Olub-Arslan, Melechsah & Barkiaruc. 2 Gazi fil. 3 Tamartash fil: who began his reign A.C. 1122. 4 Nojmoddin fil: 1152. 5 Gazi fil. 6 Cotboddin fil. 7 Hosamoddin fil: who began 1184. 8 Kotboddin frat: 12601200. * 9 Pater Modhafferi anonymus. 10 Modhaffer who began A.C. 1260.

4 The Sultany of Miyapharekin (Magaerkin or Martyropolis) a city of yethe greater Armenia upon yethe borders of Mesopotamia seated about two days journey north or northwest of Ameda on yethe other side Tigris. What Sultans it had before yethe year 1121 I find not, but then it came into the hands of Gazi Sultan 14Sultan of Maredin, & the next year he dying, his sons Solyman & Tamartash inherited yethe one Miyapharekin yethe other Maredin. Afterwards Maredin & Miyapharekin were united again under one Sultan, & I know not whither they continued so till Saladin A.C 1182 invaded Mesopotamia, who amongst his other victories took Miyapharekin wthwith yethe adjacent regions, & ~~left it to~~ after his death it had sultans of his kindred 1 Adel frat 1193 ~~& sub eo Nojmoddin fil. 2 Modhaffer alius Adeli filius 1218, & 3 Ashraph Modhafferi fil: who reigned to yethe end of yethe fift Trumpet~~ who soon after extended his dominion into yethe territories first of Damascus & then of Egypt & set his son Nojmoddin over Miyapharekin, presiding himself at Damascus. After Nojmoddin succeeded ~~his brother~~ Modhaffer his brother A.C. 1218 & then Ashraph yethe son of Modhaffer who reigned to yethe end of yethe fift Trumpet.

5 The Sultany of Syria seated at Damascus & Aleppo. Its first absolute Sultan was Tajuddaulas Tatash yethe son of Olub-Arslan who first obteined Damascus A.C. 1079 & then Aleppo wthwith all Syria A.C. 1085. After his death A.C. 1095 Syria became divided between his sons Decac & RoduanSuccessores Decaci, et Roduani & Adsli vide apud Pharagium, ~~helmum~~ Guilielmūum Tyrium, & Sanutūum. yethe first residing at Damascus yethe other at Aleppo & in this divided state it continued till yethe year 1154 when Nuroddin united it again under himself, inlarging his dominion into Egypt also. After his death Saladin out of Egypt obteined it & A.C. 1193 left it again divided between his sons Aphdal (or Saphadin) at Damascus & Dhaher Gazi at Aleppo. But wthwithin three years his Brother ~~D Adll~~ Adel out of Mesopotamia as was said took Damascus from Aphdal, & soon after Egypt also. And in his posterity Ægypt wthwith yethe Sultany of Damascus continued, sometimes united under one Sultan, sometimes divided till yethe Mamalukes dd. Pharajius pag 325. Vincentius in Speculo Historiale lib 31 cap A.C. 1250 & 15& continued Sultan of that & Aleppo together till yethe beginning of yethe sixt seal.

6 The Sultany of Asia seated ~~usually~~ at Iconium. Its Sultans were 1 Cutlumish of yethe race of Saljuk. 2 Solyman fil. 3 Kelui-Arslan (or Tanisman) fil: who began his reign A.C. 1100. 4 Masud fil. 1106. 5 Kelij-Arslan (or Clisasthan) fil: wthwith his brothers 1152 6 Cai-Chosroes fil: wthwith his brothers 1192. 7 Ezzoddin fil. 8 Aladin frat: 1219. 9 Giyathoddin (or Iathatin) fil 1237. 10 Ezzoddin fil: 1244, together wthwith his brothers Rocnoddin & Aladin who reigned till yethe beginning of yethe sixt trumpet.

Besides these & yethe Sultanies of Egypt & Chorasan (wchwhich I reccon not here as well by reason of their distance from Euphrates as because they ceased in yethe time of yethe fift Trumpet) there were sometimes other sultanies split out of these; But those were but of small extent, bearing perhaps ytthat proportion to these wchwhich yethe European Dukedomes & Principalities do to kingdoms. And if any of them were at any time greater yet they were but of short continuance & extinct before yethe end of yethe fift Trumpet, & therefore deserve not to be here remembred unless wthwith reference to yethe forementioned cardinall sultanies out of wchwhich they were derived & into wchwhich they returned again.

Yea & of yethe Sultanies here described, two make nothing to orour purpose; the Sultany of Bagdad becaus it ceased long before yethe end of yethe fift Trumpet & while it lasted was ~~contemporary~~ coincident wthwith yethe Chalifate; & yethe Sultany of Maredin becaus of its distance from EufEuphrates, for when Saladin invaded Mesopotamia (viz A.C. 1182) he took Roha, Harran, Nisibis, Senjar, Ameda & Miyapharekin wthwith their ditions, that is almost all yethe regions round Maredin on that side towards 16towards Euphrates, proceeding to besiege even Maredin it self, as did also after him his brother Adel oftner then once: And these regions his & his brother's ~~ofspring~~ posterity inherited to the end of yethe fift Trumpet, except ytthat yethe Sultan of Mausel towards yethe end obteined Senjar wthwith yethe neighbouring regions wthwithin wchwhich I suppose was Nisibis also.

These two Sultanies therefore ~~are~~ being rejected, there remaine for yethe four angels yethe Sultanies of Asia, Syria, Mosul & Miyapharekin.

The Sultany of Asia was watered by Melec a large arm of Euphrates passing through yethe middle of it & not only so but bordered upon the main channel especially towards yethe end of yethe fift seal, for then & for ~~yethe last~~ 60 years before it comprehended yethe dd. PharagijPharagius pag: 314, 317, 321, 332, & 333.ProvincesProvince of Malatia ~~& Chartaberta~~ wchwhich lay upon that river, & at yethe very time of loosing A.C. 1260 ee pag: 347. Pharagius expresses ytthat it extended to yethe confines of Armenia major. ~~You~~

The Sultany of Syria was not only always adjacent to yethe river but at yethe time of loosing extended a good way into Mesopotamia

The Sultany of Mosul was watered by yethe river Alchabur (or Harnas) ana large arm of Euphrates & bordered also upon Euphrates it self: for Mosul though seated upon Tigris, yet was distant not above one or ~~at most~~ two days journey from ~~one of yethe streams of yethe other river.~~ the other river.   other river: or rather it iswas seated upon yethe common channel of Tigrim & Euphrates after their concours. ffor yethe river Naharomalca or Basilius wthwith its two branches wchwhich run through Babylonia into Tigris, yethe higher at Seleucia, the lower at Aræ Herculis aa Ammianus lib 24. Plin. Nat. hist. l 6, c 26. Greg. Nazianzen. Orat. 2 in Iulian.were but artificial channels of Euphrates cut by yethe Persian & Roman Emperors', & therefore yethe main channel must run into Tigris higher. The division of Tigris into yethe two streames wchwhich run yethe one by Susa the other by Seleucia & aræ Herculis into yethe Persian Sea Pliny (Hist. l 6, c 27) puts at Apamia a town of Moesene 125 miles above Seleucia & Geogr. Nub (part 6, clim 4) at Tacrit a town two little days journey (that is about 40. miles) below Mosul: & Philostorgius (l 3, c 7, 8) informs us that it receives Eufrates before this division & ~~from yethe rapidness caused~~ then becoming very rapid by yethe access of so much water, is thence called Tigris fera.  So Procopius (lib. 1 de Bel. Pers.) Tigris urbem Amidam; - Eufrates Samosata, Hierapolim omniaqꝫque circa loca præterfluit usqꝫque ad Assyrios ubi ambo simul confusi in unum Tigridis nomen exeunt. Herodotus (in Clio n. 193) &c Herodotus (in Clio n 193) further informs us that a streame of Euphrates went into Tigris there where Nineve was seated or rather above it, Ἐσέχει δὲ ἐς ἄλλον ποταμὸν ἐκ του Ἐυφρήτεω ἐς τὸν Τίγριν, περτ ὃκ Νινος πόλις ὀικέαται. Exit autem ex Euphrate in Tigrim alterum flumen, ad quod urbs Ninus sita erat. And Diodorus Siculus (Antiqu. l 2) c saith ytthat Nineve was built upon Euphrates, meaning I suppose yethis concours of both rivers, & adds (I guess out of Ctesias) that when yethe Medes besieged Sardanapalus in Nineve, Euphrates swelling overflowed a part of yethe City & threw down ~~a part of~~ yethe wall for yethe space of 20 furlongs; whereupon Sardanapalus fell into desperation becaus of an old prophesy that Nineve should not be taken till yethe river became its enemy: wchwhich history is much confirmed by yethe qualities of Euphrates; for ~~Ammianus~~ Dion (in Trajano ) saith that it lay higher then Tigris, Strabo (lib 16. Geogr) that it was much more apt to overflow then Tigris & Arrianus (Expedit. Alexandri l 7) that in winter it keeps wthwithin its banks but in spring & sommer swells & overflows yethe fields of Assyria Ⓧ Ⓧ & Herodotus in Clio ) ytthat Assyria having but little rain was made fruitful by yethe overflow of Euphrates as Egypt by Nilus & that this river anciently running in a streight line through yethe city (I think he means Nineve,) Nitocris yethe mother of Labyritus or Darius Medus, to mitigate its rapidness turned it into a crooked channel so as to make it flow thrice through Arderica a certain town of Assyria. Mosul therefore wthwith Assyria is seated &c Mosul therefore is seated as well upon EufratesEuphrates as Tigris b b Benjamin in Itinerario pag 62 edit. Elzevir. & Geogr. Nub. part 6, clim 4. for it is seated opposite to yethe ruins of Nineve, a bridge only intercepting them. ~~It augmented ff. Benjamin in Itinerario pag 62. Edit. Elzevir & Geogr. Nub. part. 6, clim 4. opposite to Nineve, a bridge only interceding them: & Herodotus in Clio, n. 193 ~~(if we may believe him)~~~~ ~~tells us that one streame of Euphrates went into Tigris there where ~~abouts~~ Nineve was seated. Εσέχει δὲ ἐς ἀλλον ποταμὸν εκ του Ευφρήτεω~~ ἐς τὸν Τίγριν, περ ὁν Νίνος πόλις οικέαται. And hence perhaps it was that Diodorus Siculus in Antiqu. l. 3. c. 1, saith that Nineve was built upon Euphrates.

🅇 🅇 ~~The Sultany of~~ Miyapharekin was indeed something further from Euphrates, namely 126 I Italian miles from that streame of it wchwhich divides yethe two Armenias, & is by Strabo & Pliny called Pixirates. But there is another streame of this river ~~(sometimes called~~ wchwhich take its rise from yethe a same fountains wthwith Tigris or b others very neare them c wchwhich soon meet & runsrun together ~~wthwith it~~ first through yethe Lake Arethusa, Arsissa or Arsacis, & then d under yethe Mountain Taurus, & afterwards through meadows & yethe lake Thospites & then parting e they flow so neare one another for some space that upon swelling they mingle waters for about 4 miles yet so that those of Euphrates flote above those of Tigris. After this they divide & flow contrary ways & encompas Mesopotamia parting it from Armenia. This ~~chann~~ streame of Euphrates is in Geogr. Nub. clim 5. part 5. said to be a great river & to meet wthwith yethe other ~~one~~ streame Pixirates at Somasat. ~~& though~~ sometimesSometimes its calld by other names, ~~yet by~~ (as Arsanias, Arsamotes, Annes, Araxes ~~yet~~ but b Procopius ~~de Bel. Pers. l. 1.~~ a Salustus ~~Hic~~ (apud Isidorum Hispalensem) ~~Orig. l 13. c 21~~. d e Lucan ~~Pharsal. l. 3.~~ a Boetius ~~De cons. Philos. l 5. carm 1~~ d & Cl. Marius Victor ~~Genes. l 1.~~ call it Euphrates, & the learned & judicious author of yethe book intitled A discours of yethe Terrestrial Paradise proves it be ytthat very Euphrates of Moses wchwhich flowed out of Paradise. Now to this ~~part~~ channel of Euphrates Miyapharekin was very neare being seated upon yethe river Nymphæus wchwhich flows into Tigris at a place where Tigris having coursed under ground for some way breaks out again wchwhich place is about 25 miles from yethe Lake Thospites (Plin l 6. c 27) & two days journey or a degree southward or southeast from this city, for yethe city Almeda is seated by yethe ~~opposite bank~~ eruption of Tigris ~~neare~~ opposite to yethe mouth of nymphius (Ammian l 18) & two days journey from Miyapharekin in yethe way from Miyafarekin to Mosul. (Geogr. Nub. part 6 .) Whence Miyapharekin could not be above a days journey from the common stream of Tigris & Euphrates. ffor it was seated between that stream & yethe river Nymphæus at a little distance from Nymphæus as is to be learnt out of Procopius De Bello Persico lib 1.

Nor was this Sultany seated only upon this part of Euphrates, but (so far as I can learn) extended also to that other stream wchwhich parts yethe two Armenias. ffor it was founded -

Hæc in margine. b Mons non valde præruptus ~~est~~ in Armenijs est a Theodosia civitate 42 stadia distans, ad boream pertinens, unde duo exeunt fontes totidem flumina constituentes, Euphratem dextrorsus TrigrimTigrim verò sinistrorsus Procop de Bello Pers. l 1. a Salustius autem author ~~est~~ certissimus asserit Tigrim et Euphratem uno fonte manare in Armenia qui per diversa euntes longius dividuntur spatio medio derelicto multorum millium, quæ tamen terra quæ ab ipsis ambitur Mesopotamia dicitur. Isidorus Hispalensis Orig l 13. c 21.

a Tigris et Euphrates uno se fonte resolvunt Et mox abjunctis dissociantur aquis Boetius De cons. Philos l 5.

c Tam vicinum Arsaniæ (i.e. Euphrati) fluere eum (sc. Tigrim) in regione. Arrhene Claudius Cæsar Author est, ut cum intumuere confluant nec tamen misceantur, leviorqꝫque Arseniæs innatat 4 Mill. ferè spatio, mox divisus in Eufratem mergitur. Plin l 6. c 27. Whence Lucan

c d Quaqꝫque caput rapido tollit cum Tigride magnus Euphrates Euphrates, quos non diversis fontibus edit ** Sic vocabant totum regnūum Persicum seu Parthicum, sub quo tunc continebatur Armenia.Persis; et incertum tellus si misceat amnes Quòd potiùs sit nomen aquis. Lucan Pharsal. l 3.

c Tigris fluvius est Armeniæ defluens in Araxem simul et Arsacidem paludem. Plutarch lib. De fluvijs.

d Tertius hinc rapido percurrens gurgite Tigris. It comes EufEuphrati, juncta quos mole ruentes Tellus victa cavo sorbet patefacta barathro Donec in Armenia slatus ac ~~Medica~~ Medica Tempe Quos non sustinuit, nec jam capit, evomit amnes. Cl. Marius Victor Genes. lib. 1.

Miyapharekin was indeed something further from Euphrates, namely about 5 days journey gg Geogr. Nubiensis clim: 5, Part: 5.or 126 Italian miles [but yet it was nearer to it then Maredin by two days journey or more, & in all probability it extended its jurisdiction to Euphrates] ffor it was founded by the conquests of Saladin wchwhich extended from Euphrates to this City. On yethe north it was guirded ~~on yethe North~~ by yethe kingdōom of Armenia wchwhich towards yethe end of yethe 5t Trumpet kk. Heroldi continuatio belli sacri. was pretty potent, & on yethe South East by yethe Sultany of Maredin, & therefore it 17it must have been of large extent towards yethe other quarters becaus a powerful Sultany as may be collected from the defiance wchwhich its Sultan (as Pharagius informs us) bad to yethe Tartars even when they had newly sacked Bagdad. ~~But more particularly~~ It lay partly between Maredin & ~~Eufrates for~~ the lesser Asia, for it comprehended yethe a a Pharagius p 333 territories of Ameda ~~& & lay~~ & ~~partly between Maredin & Euphrates. It~~ bordered also ~~upon yethe Syrian Sultany, for~~ as in yethe reign of Saladin & his successor Adel, ~~it was united to Syria under one supreme sultan, & still at yethe~~ so now upon yethe Syrian Sultany, as may appear from hence that its b b Pharag. pag 345 Sultan Ashraph after yethe sacking of Bagdad went in person into Syria to consult wthwith Naser yethe Sultan thereof about their common safety & mutuall aid whereby they might keep yethe Tattars out of Syria, that is out of Syria Osroene a Province on yethe east of Euphrates comprehending among other cities Edessa Carrhæ & Nicephorium: some part of wchwhich therefore belonged to Ashraf. And if it extended to yethe Syrian Sultany, much more should it extend to that of Asia wchwhich lay over against it on yethe other side yethe river, for I read not of any other Sultany between them. IThere was indeed once a Principality at Chelatum or Seltia in Armenia wchwhich might take up some part of yethe river, but this c c Pharagius pag 279 & 283. Nojmoddin yethe Sultan of Miyapharekin took from yethe Armenians, & though ~~yethe~~ it c fell afterward into yethe hands of yethe Sultan of Asia for a little while yet it's most probable that when they lost it, they lost it again to yethe Sultan of Miyapharekin. I may further add ytthat some part of yethe Sultany of Miyapharekin was dd Geogr. Nub. Clim 5. part 5. watered by a large river wchwhich flows out of yethe mountains of Armenia & joyns wthwith yethe main channel of Euphrates a little below Samoset.

These four Sultanies therefore were all seated upon Euphrates, & so fitly answer to yethe 4 angels bound in that river. But there is another character of them wchwhich notably confirms this interpretation for f by yethe fourth condition of this Trumpet their seat or head cities were to resemble yethe square position of yethe four horns of yethe Altar. And how nearly they resemble it you may see in this map delineated out of Ptolome, & yethe Nubian Geography & yethe Geographical collections in yethe ~~afforesaid~~ above mentioned Discourse of yethe Terrestrial Paradise: where note that I reccon Damascus rather then Aleppo yethe head city of Syria becaus it had 18had been so in former ages, & the Sultan at yethe time of loosing yethe angels, resided there.

Ex Plotonæo.Long.LatIconium64,30.38,45.Damascus69,0.33.0Vet. Babylon79,0.35.0Singara velSenjar76,0.37,0.Nisibis75,10.37,30.Maredin76,0.38,15.Roha vel Edessa72,30.37,30.Malatia71,0.39,30.

Ex Geogr. Nubiensi.

A Mosul ad Senjar 57 mil. pass.

~~Inde ad Nisibin~~

A Mosul ad Nisibin 105 m. p.

Inde ad Amedam 78. m. p.

Inde ad Miyapharekin 2 stati ones vel 1 grad circiter.

Ab Ameda ad Samosat 3 st magni scil. vel 2 grad circiter.

A Malatia ad Alhamam bore eam versus 12 mil pass

Ab Alhama ad Miyapharikēen 126 mp.

Ab Amed ad Raccam 212 mp.

A Roka ad Roccan 54 mp.

A Bagdad ad Raccam iri po test per Mosul.

5. Supposing therefore that these Tetrarchies are yethe four Angels & that by their being bound in Eufrates is meant their residence upon that river; the loosing of them since it stands in opposition to binding must beebe interpreted their loosing from those seats. And this happened at yethe invasion of yethe Tattars, yethe history of wchwhich is as follows.

In yethe year 1203 the supreme Empire of yethe Tattars (a name not heard of before this time) was founded by Jingiz Chan, by whome among other eastern & northern regions Chorasan was subdued, & by his successors yethe Kingdom of Armenia much afflicted, & yethe sultany of Iconium also (A.C. 1243) but not ruined. At length Mangaca Chan yethe 4th Emperor of yethe Tattars being converted to Christianity by means of Ayton King of Armenia, sent his brother Hulacu (or Halaon) wthwith a great army to invade yethe Turks & root out their religion. Hulacu therefore advancing from yethe east, after he had stayed some time in Persia & subdued it, came to Bagdad Ian 22, 1258 & in a day & a night compassed yethe city wthwith a wall 19a wall & a ditch & took it yethe 10th of February following & his soldiers continuing to spoile kill & make captives for seven days together, at yethe end of wchwhich time yethe Chalifa was also put to death & so yethe Chalifate dissolved. This according to what we explained above must be referred to the fift Trumpet as yethe end thereof; & now begins yethe sixt Trumpet wthwith yethe loosing of yethe four angels, as follows

~~After this Asclan~~ In the same yeare Ashraf yethe Sultan of MiyapharekinMiyafarekin went ~~yethe same year~~ into Syria to Naser Sultan thereof to desire aid of him whereby yethe Tattars might be kept out of Syria, but Naser not hearkning to him he returned in anger, & when he came again to MiyapharekinMiyafarekin ejected yethe Prefects of yethe Tattars, & crucified a certain Priest sent to him wthwith commands from yethe great Chan. Whereupon Hulacu sent his son Yashmut wthwith part of his army to besiege Miyafarekin, who in a day & a night compassed it wthwith a wall & deep ditch, & began to assault it, but after some sharp conflicts finding they could not take it by force, they determined to keep it shut up till it should be worn out by famin.

The next year A.C. 1259 Hulacu cited yethe Sultans of Syria & Asia to come to him & submit themselves, wchwhich Ezzodin yethe Sultan of Asia wthwith his brother Rucnoddin did but Naser yethe sultan of Syria refused. Wherefore he sent back yethe Asian Sultans honourably & confirmed them in their dominions but invaded Syria A.C. 1260 wthwith an Army of four hundred thousand, taking first aa. Carrhæ. Harran & cc. ~~Rok~~ Edessa.Roha wthwith yethe adjacent regions on yethe east of Eufrates wchwhich belonged to yethe Syrian Sultany, & then passing yethe River, whilst his Captains invaded yethe other cities of this Sultany (Emessa, Hama, ~~Calamele~~ Moarra &c) he himself besieged Aleppo & ~~took it~~ wthwithin bb Aython Armenus cap 28. Pharagius dicit intra paucos dies nine days took it by storm, a greatgreater number of people being slain there then at Bagdad. In yethe mean while, Naser who wthwith his Court resided at Damascus, hearing of yethe progress of yethe Tattars, fled wthwith his family into yethe desertDesert Carac & ~~Chau~~ Shaubac 20Shaubac, & the Nobles of Damascus so soon as yethe Tattars approached yethe City delivered it to them.

Not long after Hulacu being about to return into yethe eastern regions, yethe other army came to him from yethe siege of Miyapharekin, bringing wthwith them Ashraf yethe Sultan thereof & relating how they had slain all ytthat were in yethe city, there being but few of them whom yethe famin had not destroyed before, becaus otherwise yethe army of yethe Tattars would not have sufficed to take yethe city. Ashraf was then also slain by yethe command of Hulacu.

About yethe same time Hulacu so soon as he came neare Maredin cited yethe Sultan thereof to appear before him, andbut he refusing, yethe Tattars besieged that city also. But the Sultan dying suddenly his son Modhaffer presently yeilded yethe city to Hulacu: wherupon Hulacu treated him honourably & restored yethe city to him wthwith yethe rest of his fathers dominions.

Whilst Hulacu besieged Maredin, Naser wthwith his family was taken & slain ~~Ashraf being slain before~~, & yethe next year A.C. 1261 Saleh yethe Sultan of ~~Mausel~~ Mosul combining wthwith yethe Egyptians against yethe Tattars, was invaded also by them under yethe leading of Samdago one of Hulacu's Captains, & Mosul besieged & taken, yethe soldiers continuing for eight days together to spoile kill & captivate. And amongst yethe rest Saleh was taken & by Hulacu commanded to be slain.

The same yeare yethe Tattars, I know not upon what occasion, invaded Asia also & easily subdued itNiceph: lib 4. cap 5. Sanuti secreta crucis lib 3. part 13. cap 7. Sanutus ~~in secreta crucis lib 3, part 13. cap 7~~ refert hanc Asiæ invasionem ad an 1259, sed Nicephorus meliùs ad annūum post invasionem Syriæ. ~~forc~~ taking yethe Imperial cities Iconium & Cæsarea & forceing Ezzthe sultan Ezzoddin (or Azatines) wthwith one of his brothers to fly to Michael Palæologus yethe Greek Emperour, where being confined they were set at liberty by an incursianincursion of yethe Scythians from beyond yethe Danube: Ezzoddin died soon after he had passed beyond the Danube wthwith them, but his brother escaped into Asia & was received for a while by yethe Satrapæ of yethe Turkish reliques as their Sultan.

Thus 21

Thus were yethe Sultanies of Miyapharekin, Mosul, Syria & Asia, all at once in yethe yeares 1260 & 1261, as it were at a watch ~~watch~~ word given, dissolved: & from that time yethe Turks out of these Sultanies flying every where from yethe violence of yethe Tattars flocked into yethe more western parts of Asia: the reliques of them also wthwithin 30 years after, (viz A.C. 1289) being universally ejected hither out of yethe new Tattarian Empire. In yethe mean while ~~the r~~ to obtein new seats their severall Princes or heads of families under whose conduct they fled hither made war upon yethe Romans, every one gaining what he could for himself. Turci autem, saith Nicephorus,Niceph. lib 7. Satrapis illis variè divisi cùm a Scythis pellerentur Romanos pellebant: & quàm infirmi erant adversus Scythas tam fortes contra Romanos extiterunt: ut Scytharum incursio non calamitatis causa sed summa felicitatis occasio illis esset. Nam et e Paphlagonia & e Pamphylia irruebant Romanasqꝫque Provincias populabantur. Tandem etiam ad bella & assiduas dimicationes ventum: e quibus unum prælium Romanos in omnia mala conjecit. This fight was ~~in yethe days~~ before the reign of Pope Iohn 20 & Bzovius in his annals refers it to the year 1276.

Vntill yethe afforesaid dissolution of yethe four Turkish Euphratean Sultanies,Ducæ Hist. Byzantin.the Greeks had constantly possessed Asia strictly so called, Paphlagonia, Bythinia, Phrygia magna, Phrygia Pacatiana Caria & part of Cilicia. And yethe rest of yethe Asian Provinces to Euphrates namely Lycaonia, Galatia, Pamphylia, Armenia, Hellenopontus, Pisidia & Lycia belonged to yethe Sultany of Iconium. But from that time, & chiefly after yethe battel newly mentioned (wchwhich happened about yethe year ) yethe yethe Turkish Princes spreading by degrees into yethe greekGreek Provinces, Mantachia subdued yethe city of Ephesus & yethe Province Caria; Atin conquered Lydia as far as Smyrna: Sarchan all Magnesia to Pergamus together wthwith yethe Province of yethe Magedi: Carmian all Phrygia: Carasses the other 22other Phrygia between Hellespont & the city Asso; & Othman all Bythinia wthwith part of Paphlagonia: the last of wchwhich growing more powerfull then the rest, at lengty (A.C. 1299) took upon ~~yethe~~ him the dignity & title of Sultan, & by degrees became yethe universal Monarch of yethe Turks yethe rest of their Princes uniting under him: whereby being rendred more powerful they prevailed still more upon yethe Greeks & soon after invaded Europe, not ceasing to propagate their victories till at length they overthrew yethe Constantinopolitan Empire & on its ruins founded a greater of their own.

Thus you see yethe four Angels were all at once in yethe very beginning of yethe sixt Trumpet loosed from their Euphratean seats & forced upon yethe Christians to make war upon them & thereby erect that great Empire wchwhich reigns at present & is yethe plague of Apostate Christendome ~~threatne~~ prefigured in this Trumpet.

Analogous to the loosing of these Angels is yethe drying up of yethe waters of Euphrates in yethe sixt Vial. For these two actions must correspond because yethe beginnings of this Trumpet & ViallVial wchwhich are contemporary. Now by the waters of this river we are to understand yethe people situate upon it by Def that is, yethe Turkish Sultanies. And by yethe pouring a Vial upon this River the inflicting of some great calamity upon ytthat people: such as was yethe Tattarian invasion. And by yethe consequent drying up the waters thereof yethe wasting of yethe power & dominion of that people by Def that is, yethe dissolution of yethe Turkish Sultanies by that invasion. And consequently by the aNB. Βασιλεις Reges, apud Græcos tantum pro Monarchis præpotentibus quales nos jam reges dicimus: usurpabatur, sed inferioris etiam generis Principes significabat ut apud Homsmum uno loco ridere et sic et בילך significationis vox Hebræa, in Sacris literis pro Principibus, Ducibus & singularum ferè urbium Dominis usurpatur, ut e regibus triginta et uno quos Ioshua in exiguo illo terræ sanctæ circuitu superavit, (Iosh 12,) & quinqꝫque Regibus Midian a Mose cæsis Num. 31.8, qui in Iosh: 13.21 Principes Midian & Duces Sehon vocantur, manifestum est.Kings or Princes from yethe East whose way was prepared by the drying up these waters we must understand the chief leaders of the great army of horsmen wchwhich upon yethe loosing of the four angels came from Euphrates to execute the plague of 23of this Trumpet that is yethe Princes under whose conduct the Turks fled from yethe Tattars into Asia to invade the Christians. ffor these were yethe Princes or Kings from yethe East whose way was prepared by yethe dissolution of the Euphratean Sultanies. And of these there are recconned by historians seven eminent ones a little before they united under Othoman, besides others of inferior note wchwhich first united under those. Thus much concerning the originall of this great Empire. Proceed we now to yethe rest of its circumstances.

7. And yethe next is yethe numerousness of yethe Turkish Armies. But how great this hath been since their loosing & still is, is better known then ytthat I need stay to compute it. I shall rather observe that since these horsmen as well as yethe Locusts were to be so exceeding numerous, we may thence collect that they were to be yethe Armies of two very great empires & consequently of none other then yethe Saracenical & Turkish yethe only two great ones by wchwhich yethe christian world has been hitherto afflicted.

In both these armies there is mention made only of horsmen, but we are not to conclude thence that yethe armies should consist of horsmen only, but rather ytthat yethe description is taken from yethe nobler part & that part wherein they should notably excell. Yea yethe foot are included in yethe horsHors, being represented by their tailes. For yethe taile of a Hors according to ancient InterpretersApomasar cap 152. signifies yethe train of his rider, & the train of an Army is yethe Foot. Hence it is that in this Trumpet the tailes are said to have heads, & to do hurt, that is to fight as well as yethe riders of yethe Horses: wchwhich is a plain intimation that they signify men as well as yethe riders.

8 The description of yethe armour of these horsmen (that they had breastplates of fire & jacinth & brimstone &c) is very singular, there being no where els in yethe whole scriptures such a description of armour to be met with. What therefore can be here intended 24intended but yethe new way of fighting not known in yethe world before the beginning of this Trumpet? I mean Trumpet?