1r

These things being understood it will not be difficult to describe the Heads of yethe Dragon. The four first are the four horsmen wchwhich the four Beasts – – Dynasties of Emperors. There was Nam one dynasty of the family of Iulius Cæsar the wester wchwhich lasted till the death of Nero that is till the time but we are to consider those Dynasties wchwhich followed the writing of this Prophesy. And the first was of Vespatian & his family wchwhich lasted till the death of Domitian the last of the twelve Cæsars.

The first Emperors were Italians called the twelve Cæsars. Of these there were two dynasties the first of the family of Iulius Cæsar wchwhich lasted till the death of Nero, the next of the family of Vespasian wchwhich lasted till the death of Domitian the last of yethe twelve Cæsars. The Apocalyps was written in yethe end of the first & therefore we are to begin wthwith the last. Of this Dynasty there were only three Emperors Vespatian Titus & & his two sons Titus & grandson Domitian. Vespasian was created Emperor of in the East, [in the time of yethe Iewish war. And there being at that time then a rumor of a Prophesy that an expectation of a great Monarch should arise about that time in Iudæa: [the Romans interpreted it of Vespatian] in the time of Iewish war & thence the the him Romans took him to be the Messiah whom the Iews were then ex expecting

The second Dynasty was of Trajan a Spaniard & his a family of Spaniards from the Trajan Hadrian Antoninus Marcus & Commodus

2r

Now the Dynasties of the Roman Emperors were these. First Italians from Iulius Cæsar down to Trajan. In this Dynasty reigned first Iulius Cæsar & 2 Spa his family till to yethe writing of the Prophesy & death of Nero & then Vespasian & his family to yethe death of Domitian.

2 Spaniards, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus, Marcus & Commodus. Trajanus homo Hispanus Trajanus homo Hispanus nec Italus erat nec Italicus; ante eum 3 Africans Severus Caracalla Macrinus Heligabalus Alexander the three Gordians & Philip nemo alterius nationis Imperium Romanum obtinuerat (Dion) Natus Italicæ in Hispania (Victor de Cæsar.) Hadriani origo posterior ab Hispaniensibus manat, ejus pater Ælius Hadrianus consobrinus Trajani Imperatoris, mater Gadibus ora (Spartian in Hadriano) Ipse Trajani municeps & nepos (Spartian in Severo) etiam natus Italicæ in Hispani (Victor de Cæsar) & Euseb. Chron) ἦν μὲν γὰρ πολίτης ἀυτοῦ [Τραιάνου] καὶ ἐτραπεύθη ὑπ᾽ ἀυτοῦ, γένους θ᾽ οἰ ἐκοινώνει καὶ ἀδελφίδην ἀυτοῦ ἐγεγαμήκει τό τε σύμπαν συνῆν ἀυτῷ καὶ συνδιητᾶτο (Dion.) Hispania principum mater est; hæc Trajanum, hæc deinceps Hadrianum misit Imperio (Pacatus Panegyr ad Theodos.) Antoninus Pius paternum genus e Gallia transalpina, naumasense scilicet (Capitolinus) ab Adriano in filium adoptatus ge cujus gener fuerat (S. Aur. Victor Epitome) ea tamen lege ut is Marcum fratris uxoris suæ filium similiter adoptaret (Capitolin) Marcus Antonium Hadriani consanguineus (Dion. in Hadriano) & Antonium gener (Eutrop) filiusque per adoptionem (Dion. Capitolin. Euseb Hist l 4. c 14) Ipse Adrianum vocat avuum suum & Trajanum proavum (apud Spartian in Piscen. Nigro) Ejus amita Galeria Faustino Antonini uxor, proavus paternus Annius Verus ex sub Succ Succubitano Mancipio ex Hispania factus Senator (Capitolin) Vnde aa Orat 5 ad Theodos. Themistius Theodosium ex Hispania Imperatorem alloquens vocat Trajanum et Marcum et Antoninum πολίτας καὶ ἀρχηγέτας ἀυτοῦ populares & majores ejus. Commodus Marci filius (Capitolinus alijque) ultimus Trajanidum.

3 Africans & southern Emperors, Severus, Antonius Caracalla, Macrinus, Heliogabalus, Alexander, the three Gordians & Philip. \

Severus oriundus ex Africa, Provincia Tripolitana, oppido Lepti solus omni memoria et ante et post ex Africa Imperator fuit (Eutrop) nativitate scilicet & genere proximo. Ipse cano capite et crispo Afrum quiddam ad usque ad senectutem sonans (Spartian) Caracalla Severi filius (Spartian) Macrinus natione Maurus e Cæsarea Sitifensi obscuris natus est parentibus; habuit enim, præter cætera, alteram aurem perforatāam ut est Maurorum consuetudo (Dion) sub Commodo relagatus in Africam ut infamiam damnationis tegeret fertur lectioni operam dedisse, eqisse causulas, declamasse, jus postremo dixisse, deinceps advocatum fuisse fisci ex quo officio ad amplissima quæque pervenit (Capitolinus) Heliogabalus Caracalla filius (S. Aur. Victor. Euseb. Chron) et Alexander consobrinus ejus quem ex familia Severi etiam prognatum dicit Zosimus lib. 1. Nempe Iulia Severi conjux sororem habuit Mæsam cui duæ erant filiæ Soæmis et Mammæa. Hæc Alexandrum illa a Caracalla compressa Heliogabalūum edidit. – – – – – in hac australi serie.

4 A confused race of northern short lifed lived Emperors together wthwith many Tyrants in very troublesome & calamitous times in wchwhich the Empire was in great danger of falling, vizt Decius, Gallus wthwith his son Volusian, Valerian wthwith his son Gallienus, Claudius, Aurelian, Probus & Carus wthwith his sons Numerian & Carinus. These reigned till the division of the Empire.

Decius e Pannonia inferiore Bubulæ natus (Aurel. Vitor alijque) – – – sed Illyricanis parentibus natus (Oresimus apud Vopiscum.

5 Dioclesian & his Collegues who by many wars by consent parted the Empire falling Empire & by many wars restored the falling Empire to it to its former vigor & lustre its &3r & then persecuted the Church.

6 Constantine the Great & his family till the who who united the Empire who reunited the Empire & whose whi whose family which reigned till the death of Iulian yethe Apostate, & Constantine yethe grea iIn their days the Empire became Christian,

7 Valentinian & his family & Colleagues who reigned till the til after the Western Empire became divided into ten kingdoms.

5 The four Dynasties above mentioned lasted till the division of yethe Empire & this division was made by Dioclesian & his Collegues who parted the Empire in the beginning of their reign parted the Empire between them by mutual consent & therefore I reccon them the fift Dynasty. By many warrs they restored the falling Empire to its former vigour & lustre & then persecuted the Church.

6 Constantine the great reunited the Empire & him & his family who reigned till the death of Iulian yethe Apostate & left the Empire united I reccon to be yethe sixt Dynasty. In their day the Empire became Christian.

7 The seventh Dynasty was Valenti

7 Valentinian divided the Empire between himself & his brother Valens & from that time the Empire continued divided excepting the last three months of yethe reign of Theodosius wchwhich is too short a time to be worth considering. Valenti Valentinian & his family & their colleagues reigned till after the division of the Western Empire into ten kingdom & therefore I reccon them the seventh Dynasty. And considering that yethe Greek & Latine Empires were no more affected by any common symptomes I reccon that the seventh Dynasty lasted as long as those Empires.

In the time of yethe sixt head the Empire became divided at the death of Constantine yethe great & reunited by yethe victory of Constantius over Magnentius & this is exprest by saying of the heads or Dynasties five are fallen & one is & another is that yethe Beast was wounded on one of his heads that yethe Beast (or western Empire) was wounded to death in on one of his heads & that he was & is not & shall ascend out of yethe abyss & go into perdition, & that & five hea kings are fallen & one is & another is not come & when he cometh he must continue a short space & the Beast that was & is not he is yethe eighth & is of yethe seven & goeth into perdition. All wchwhich is as much as to say that in the time of yethe sixt Dynasty king or Dynasty (wchwhich is looked upon as present in yethe vision) the Beast by yethe victory of Constantius over Magnentius shall is wounded to death & ceases to be. This is his He is then mortally wounded in the sixt head by that victory but sh in the time of the seventh by a new division of yethe Empire he shall ascends out of the abyss or sea & so be is the eighth king or Dynasty & yet of the seven because a collateral part of yethe seventh, & by ascending his deadly wound is is healed, & after this ascent he shall continue a shall continue a short space & go into perdition as the Dra with the Dragon as the Dragon also doth who was is wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time (Apoc. 12.12) & then he shall go into perdition in yethe lake of fire Apoc. 19.20. If it be objected that five heads were fallen before the days of the Prophet I answer that the Prophesy is not of things past. Nothing is more usual in prophesy then to speak of times future as present in yethe visions, & The phrases five are fallen & one is & the Beast wchwhich was & is not have only relation to one another & signify nothing more then that in yethe time of yethe sixt head the Beast ceases to be for a time being wounded to death in that head. Iohn in taking a view of the great Whore & her Beast descends to yethe time next preceding their being in the wilderness, in that time he is carried in yethe spirit into yethe Wilderness to see them & wthwith respect to that time as present in the Vision saith five are fallen & one is, & the Beast was & is not. The seven Dynasties of yethe Empire described above were seven successive Kings or Heads of the Empire & these heads being found there is no need to looke for others.

THE SAEALES OPENED.

By the opening of the seven seales yethe Roman Empire is distinguished into seven successive rReigns Dynasties or kings the four first of wchwhich are represented by – four horsmen, & these are the seven heads, of yethe Dragon & Beast. The At the opening of the first seale the first Beast wchwhich was like a Lion & stood eastward called Iohn to come & see, & he saw & behold a looked eastward saw & behold a white horse & he that sat on him had a bow & a crown was given unto him & he went forth conquering & to conquer. By the crown he is a king the horsmen are kings & by the bow this king is a conqueror & by the white horse he is a very good man, & by the situation of yethe first Beast he was an eastern Emperor. All wchwhich is true of Vespasian the first Emperor of the first dynasty of kings who reigned next after the writing of the Prophesy. He was created Emperor in Iudea wchwhich was eastward from Rome, at that & was an excellent Emperor & at that time there was a rumour in all the east occasioned by yethe prophesy of Daniels' weeks that there should arise a great king in the east Iudea, & this the heathens recconed accomplished in Vespasian. He went forth conquering the Iewish nation & dissolved their polity & burnt Ierusalem & the Temple: things of ytthat consequence in religion that they deserved to be taken notice of in this prophesy. In destroying Christs enemies the Iews, he may be recconed yethe mMinister or Deputy of Christ.

At the opening of yethe second seale, the second Beast wchwhich was had the face on an Ox yethe type of slaughter & stood westward from yethe throne called Iohn to look come & look westward & behold then went forth a red horse & power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from yethe earth & that they should kill one another & there was given him a great sword. All wchwhich agrees to Trajan the first Emperor of the second Dynasty. This Dynasty was of Spaniards a people westward from Rome & Trajan was the greatest conqueror of all the Roman Emperors since the writing of this prophesy. He conquered Dacia & was the first Emperor that enlarged the Empire beyond the Danube since the writing of the prophesy. The Empire was almost dissolved by the seditions & defections in Nero's reign & something repaired by Vespasian & again made to totter by Domitian. Trajan not only setled it but enlarged it by foreign conquests more then ever did any other Emperor; insomuch that Historians reccon the ἀκμὴ of yethe Empire to have been in his reign, & the Emperor Iulian in his Cæsars singling out Iulius Cæsar, Octavius, Trajan, Marcus & Constantine as the five glallantest of all the Roman Emperors to compare wthwith Alexander yethe great, calls Iulius Octavius & Trajan yethe worst warlike & in conclusion singles out allots Trajan to keep company wthwith Alexander. He was yethe first ytthat propagated the Empire beyond yethe Danube & having conquered & almost depopulated Dacia by war he repeopled it with great numbers from several parts of yethe empire. He recovered Armenia from the Parthians & conquered Mesopotamia & Assyria reducing them into the form of Provinces & was the first that extended the Empire beyond Eufrates. He gave a king to yethe Albani, & received theose In of Iberia & Colchos & yethe Cimmeneian Bosphori & Sauromata into yethe Empire. He seized yethe regions of yethe Saracens & Arabians & reduced Arabia into yethe form of a Province. He recovered Armenia from yethe Parthians & was yethe conquered Mesopotamia & Assyria reducing them into the form of Provinces & was yethe first that extended the Empire beyond the Euphrates. He3v He subdued the Cordueni & Mardomedi & Arthemesia a large region of Persia & Seleucia & Ctesiphon & Babylonia & went as far as India made the king of Parthia give him hostages & went as far as India & built a navy in the Persian gulph to invade the Indians. H In his letters to yethe senate he gave them account of so many conquered nations that they neither knew them all nor could number them & therefore besides other honours they erected to him a triumphal arch in yethe market place of Rome & decried that he might triumph of as many nations as he pleased. But when he was upon yethe sea the conquered nations in Mesopo revolted & slew the garrisons upon wchwhich followed great confusion & slaughters on both sides. The Iews also in Libya & all Libya Cyrene & Egypt & Cyprus & Thebais & Cyprus & Mesopotamia revolted & slew great multitudes of yethe Romans & Greeks putting them to various deaths & eating their flesh. Dion reccons 200000 slain by th about Cyrene & 240000 in Cyprus & the like slaughter in Egypt. Whereupon Trajan sendting captains against them commanded that who slew vast multitudes of them & because they were very numerous in Mesopotamia he commanded that they should be all slain & rooted out of that Province & accordingly vast numbers of them were slain there. From all wchwhich slaughters his his horse is represented of a red colour the embleme of bloodshed.

At the opening of the third seal the third Beast wchwhich had a humane face & stood southward from yethe throne called Iohn to come & look that way southward. And lo a black horse & he that sat on him had a pair of Ballances in his hand & Iohn heard a voice in the midst of yethe four Beasts say, aA measure Chænix of wheat for a penny & four measures four Chænixes of Barley for a penny & see thou hurt not the oyle & yethe wine. All wchwhich is the exact character of Severus the first Emperor founder of the of the southern Dynasty. T of Emperors. The red colour of the last horse was a type of much bloodshed, the black colour of this horse is a type of funeral solemnities & so denotes the death of great men

A pair of ballances denotes a Iudge, just or injust accordingly as the ballances are is true or false entire sincere or bruised; & such was Severus. the fo In his childhood he used no other play amongst the boys then of walking wthwith yethe fasces axes before him & of sitting wthwith yethe boys about him & acting the Iudge. At yethe age of 32 years he was designed Prætor by the Emperor Marcus. When he came to be Emperor he heard causes all the morning till noon was severely just & inexorable against criminals, made excellent laws, left his deputy judge when war required him to lead yethe army, & instituted his sons in the law, & from him that study took such encouragement that I know not any other age of yethe Empire where a greater number of famous Lawyers are recorded then that which followed his reign most of wchwhich were the auditors of Papinian his special favorite. The voice in the midst of yethe four Beasts respects Rome the center of yethe Empire T& there the measure by wchwhich the corn in the publick granaries was dispensed was a Chænix for the sustenance of yethe people was a Chænix The proclamation A Chænix for a penny denotes plenty & Severus was the first who increased the corn in the publick storehouses of Rome & so far as I can find he was the first that gave them oyle, & gave it gratis. Whence Casaubon Casaubon out of Spartian (in Severo) who assigns 75000 Roman Bushels to be daily distributed , collects by recconing eight Chenixes to a bushel that in the reign of Severus There were 600000 persons in yethe turba frumentaria of that city in th In w When Severus had newly conquered Albinus in writing an angry letter to the Senate he thus commemorates his benefactions & upbraids them for their ingratitude. Ego frumenta reip. detuli; ego multa bella pro rep. gessi, Ego populo Romano tantum olei detuli puantum rerum natura vix habuit. Ego interfecto P. Nigro vos a malis tyrannis liberavi. Magnam sana mihi reddidistis vicem magnam consulvit ut excedens vita septem annorum Canonem populo Romana relinquerat ita ut quotidiana septuagena quina millia modiorum expendi possent: olei verò tantum ut per quinquennium non solem Vrbis usibus sed et totius Italiæ, quæ oleo egeret, sufficeret. He gave also a very fertile field to yethe City wchwhich I suppose was for vines. Whence Casaubon by recconing eight Chænixes to a bushel collects that there were 600000 persons in the turba frumentaria of that city. Severus gave also a very fertile field to the city wchwhich I suppose was for vines. The black colour of his horse is the a type of funerals of great men such whose funerals then used & still use to be solemnized in this mourning colour. And for the slaughter of such his reign was so infamous as much to transcend the reigns of yethe worst tyrants Nero Domitian & Commodus. When he overcame Piscenius Niger in Syria he shewed much cruelty by wchwhich & the austerity of his manners (for he was against hehis enemies very cruel & inexorable) the senate & Citizens of Rome became so disaffected to him as in his third war (wchwhich was wthwith Albinus) to favour his enemy Whereupon4r Whereupon he put to death great multitudes of men & weomen of the best quality in Spain & Gallia where Albinus reigned & was conquered & afterwards in Italy at his return thither & & confiscating their estates gave more to the soldiers & left more to his sons then any other Emperor aAmongst the rest he slew very many of yethe Senators (of whom 41 are named by Spartian) the letters wchwhich he found with Albinus betraying them. Spartian names 41 of those Senators whom he put to death without hearing them, & then adds Horum igitur tantorum ac tam illustrium virorum (nam multi in his Consulares, multi prætorij, omnes certe summi viri fuere) interfector, ab Afris et Deus habetur. – Damnabantur autem plerique cur jocati essent, alij cur tacuissent, alij cur pleraque figuratè dixissent ut quod esset Imperator vere sui nominis verè Pertinax verè Severus.– Multos insuper quasi Chaldæos aut vates de sua salute consuluissent interemit, præcipuè suspectans unumquemque idoneum imperio – Infinita multorum cæde crudelior habitus. Spartian in Severo. Innumeros Senatores interemit et ab alijs Scyllæ Punici ab alijs Marij nomen accepit. Spartian. in Piscen. Nigro. Omnes senatus Principes & singularum Provinciarum nobilissimos & ditissimos quosque interfecit. Auri enim avidissimus fuit ut fortitudinem vinceret avaritia. Suidas in Severo. Innumeros Senatores interemit et ab alijs Scyllæ Punici ab alijs Marij nomen accepit. Spartiāan. in Piscen. Nigro. Cædibus illustrium virorum adeo infamis ut Punicas clades in toga cæsorum civium Romanorum sanguine rependerit. Egnatius in Severo.

And at yethe opening of yethe fourth seal Iohn heard yethe voice of yethe fourth beast wchwhich stood northward from yethe throne called Iohn to come & see looke in northernward quarter & Iohn looked & behold a pale horse & his name that sat on him was death & the grave followed with him & power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth to kill wthwith yethe sword & with hunger & wthwith death & with yethe Beasts of yethe earth.. This charectercharacter agrees fully to Decius the first Emperor of yethe northern Dynasty. He rode on a pale horse & his name was death. Dec & this was thus fulfilled; The Scythians from Tanais invading Thrace, Decius beat them at first, but pursuing through a lake them to yethe banks of Tanais & there endeavouring to attack them through a lake, he stuck fast & perished wthwith his son & his whole army. He was followed by death & yethe grave who had power over the fourth part of the earth [or habitable world that is over the Roman Empire wchwhich was anciently recconed about yethe 4th part] (or fourth dynasty of yethe Empire) (that is above the Roman Empire wchwhich was about a fourth part of the habitable world then known) to kill with yethe sword & with hunger & with death & wthwith yethe Beasts of yethe earth, that is willth civil wars with famin with pestilence & with forreign kingdoms invadin kingdoms or nations invading the Empire.

2 Of yethe sword.

Vpon yethe death of Decius & his army the Empire soon fell into very great disorders as well by civil wars as by forreign invasions. so that between Decius & Dioclesian that is within yethe space of 33 years, of about 21 legitimate Emperors & Cesars (besides seven tyrannical ones who perished all by yethe sword) there died only Licinian & Claudius by yethe pestilence & Carus by lightening & three more were slain by yethe publick enemy & all yethe rest fell by yethe sword of one another or of their own soldiers. And besides all these, within the fifteen years reign of Gallienus who was one of yethe one & twenty, there arose no less then 29 or 30 other Tyrannical Emperors some of wchwhich were as powerfull as Gallienus himself & all these also fell by the sword except three or four who had their lives given them by their conquerors. What slaughters followed upon yethe civil wars between so many Emperors & Tyrants may easily by imagined. I shall content my self with one instance. Vpon conquering Ingenuus who was saluted Emperor5rror by the Legions of Mœsia Gallienus was so cruel towards both soldiers & inhabitants of Mœsia as to leave many cities void of males. His cruelty may be understood by this his Epistle to Verianus. wchwhich was as follows. Gallienus Veriano: Non mihi satis facies si tantum armatos occideris quos et fors belli interimere potuissent: perimendus est omnis sexus virilis, si et senes atque impuberes sine reprehensione nostra occidi possint. Occidendus est quicunque male voluit. Occidendus est quicunque male dixit contra me, contra Valeriani filium, contra tot principum fratrem & patrem & fratrem Ingenuus factus est Imperator. Lacera, occide, concîde: animum meum intelligere potes, mea mente irascere qui hæc manu mea scripsi.

Of the famine & pestilence 3 Of the Famine & Pestilence

In the first year of Gallus a plague the successor of Decius a vehement plague began from Ethiopia & went through all the Roman Provinces exhausting them wonderfully for above till after yethe death of Claudius that is for above 15 years together. Vbique maximam partem incolentium exhausit, pleraque loca inhhabitata reliquit: Lætus. Per omnia Romani regni ab oriente in occidentem spacia cùm omne propemodum genus hominum & pecudum neci dedit, tum etiam corripuit lacus & infecit papbula tabo: Oros. l. 7. c. 27. Nec alia unquam major lues mihi lecta spacio temporum sive terrarum: Lipsius de Constant. 2. 23. At the same time with this plague a famin also began also in the Empire occas wchwhich lasted longer then the plague being the wars hindering agriculture & wasting the old stores. In Gallu'sGallus's reign Dionysius Alexandrinus thus mentions it in his Epistle to the brethren. Post hæc (that is after yethe persecution of Decius) et bellum & fames secuta sunt quæ una cum ethnicis pertulimus – At ubi cum nos tum ipsi respiraveramus invasit lues ista, res illis quovis terrore terribilior & calamitate quacunque lamentabilior, nobis verò exercitatio et exploratio nullis reliquis inferior. In Valerians reign Cyprian thus mentions both: Cum dicas plurimos conqueri quod bella crebrius surgant quod Lues quod Fames sæviant, quodque imbres & pluviæ serena longa suspendant. In Claudius's reign Zosimus tells us that a body of Barbarians in Macedonia perished by famin with their cattel: & Pollio that another a multitude of barbarians in Thrace laboured so much under famin & pestilence that Claudius sleighted them. And in Aurelians reign Zosimus mentions how a body of Scythians in Pannonia were prest wthwith famin.

1 Of f Invasions yethe wild Beasts

Vpon the death of Decius wthwith & his army, the Barbarous nations began to invatde yethe empire on all sides The Scythians invaded both Europe & Asia, the Goths, Borani, Goths Carpi & Vrugundi invaded all Illyricū & Italy & some of them past into Asia Europe, the Persians invaded Asi Mesopotamia & Syria & took Antioch. This was in the two years reign of Gallus the successor of Decius. In Valerians reign the Scythians invaded Greece Illryicūum Italy – & Asia, the Marcomans & others invaded other places, the Goths Borani Carpi & Vrugundi inv overran all Italy & Illyricum & some of them passed into Asia the Germans infested Gallia & were opposed by Gallienus & the Persians overran the east & took Valerian captive. And the Germans infested Gallia And after all the a this the state of yethe Empire grew still worse. Gallieno in omnem lasciviam dissoluto Germani Ravennam usque venerunt Alemanni vastatis Gallijs in Italiam transiere Græcia Macedonia Pontus Asia depopulatæ per Gothos, Quadi et Sarmatæ Pannonias occupaverunt; Germanis Hispanias obtinentibus Tarracon expugnata est. Parthi Mesopotamiam tenentes Syriam incursaverunt. Eused. Chron. et Eutrop. l. 9.5v Eutrop. l. 9. Francorum gentes direpta Gallia Hispaniam possiderunt, vastato ac pene direpto Tarraconensium oppido; nactisque in tempore navigijs pars in usque Africam permeavit: Victor de Cæsar. Hispania duodecim annis fere sub barbaris laboravit regnante Gallieno: Oros. l. 7. c 41. The greatness of these invasions will be best understood Claudius Gothos jam per quindecim annos Illyricum Macedoniamque vastantes bello adortus incredibili strage delevit: Iornand. l. 1 de Regn. succes. Delevimus trecenta & viginti millia Gothorum duo millia navium mersimus: Claudius apu ips Imp. apud Pollionem. ② The Emperor Probus having beaten the Franks & Alemans wrote thus to yethe Senate Supplicationes vestro more decernite. nNam et quadringenta millia hostium cæsa sunt et sedecim millia armatorum nobis oblata & septuaginta urbes nobilissimæ captivitate hostium liberatæ vindicatæ & omnes penitus Galliæ liberatæ. Probus This letter is recorded by Vospicus who adds that Probus after this supprest yethe Sarmatæ & other nations in Illyricum the Goths Vandas & Gepidæ in Thrace & yethe Parthians & others in the east. ① Aurelian who in reigned between Claudius & Probus the reign of Probus Claudius slew 30000 Franks at Ments, & in his own reign vanquished the Marcomans & Sueves a terrible enemy in Italy wthwith a gr & his successor Probus having beaten yethe Franks & Allemans in Gallia wrote thus to yethe Senate – – – – – – in yethe east.Aurelian in the reign of Claudius slew 30000 Franks at Ments, & in his own reign vanquished the Marcomans & Sueves a terrible enemy in Italy & his successor Probus having beaten yethe Franks & Allemans in Gallia wrote thus to yethe Senate – – – – – – in yethe east. The Emperor Probus having beaten the Franks & Alemans wrote thus to yethe Senate Supplicationes vestro more decernite. Nam et quadringenta millia hostium cæsa sunt et sedecim millia armatorum nobis oblata & septuaginta urbes nobilissimæ captivitate hostium vindicatæ & omnes penitus Galliæ liberatæ. This letter is recorded by Vospicus who adds that Probus after this supprest yethe Sarmatæ & other nations in Illyricum the Goths Vandas & Gepidæ in Thrace & yethe Parthians & others in the east. And after this Dioclesian & his Collegues had long wars great & lasting great wars wthwith yethe barbarous nations before they could quiet the Empire.

2 Of yethe sword

Vpon the death of Decius the Empire fell into disorder as well by civil wars as f by barbarian invasions; so that between Decius & Dioclesian – – – – prest with famin

So terrible were these plagues of wars pestilence & famin in that age that Cyprian who lived in that age concluded from them that yethe end of yethe world was at hand, as you may understand by his Tract de Mortalitate & yet he was martyred before the reign of Gallienus wchwhich they arrived were at the height when they were at the height.

Th You have now the interpretation of these the four horsmen & as there is nothing in the Prophesy wchwhich has not to a tittle been fulfilled so the prophesy has omitted nothing remarkable enough to be a convenient character of the dthings designed to be characterised. For what was there in Trajans reign very singular besides his victories & the ensuing killing one another? What in Severus's besides his acting yethe Iudge killing yethe Senators & great men & augmenting the city provisions? What in Decius's but his perishing wthwith his whole army? And what in the times immediately following him worth being taken notice of in comparison of yethe four plagues? I say what was there singular? For as for Trajan's humanity, Severus's wars, & yethe like they were things common to them wthwith divers other Emperors: whereas the Prophesy only (as was fit) takes notice of nothing but what was most remarkable in the kind. You may find other conquerors besides Trajan, other killing one another besides that in the Iewish war, other Iudges & killers of great men & heapers up of provisions besides Severus & others perishing fatally besides Decius, but all the Roman History will not affords others so eminent in the kind as these, nor wchwhich are combined with one another after this manner & as for the quaternary of plagues I know nothing like it. So that the Phrrophesy & history do not only fit but are not otherwise to be fitted.

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– represented by the Woman & her seed. For upon this division of the Empire the woman & Dragon part from one another. She flies from the Dragon into the western Empire called a wilderness for its spiritual barrenness & desolation, & in flying separates from th & departs from the remnant of her seed wchwhich keep the commandments of God & have the testimony of Iesus, And this remnant h & leav & the Dragon & leaves this remnant behind her in the Dragons kingdom. And the Drago as soon as the Dragon woman is escaped from the Woman the Dragon goes from her to make war upon this remnant. And as the ten horned Beast rises out of the sea to succeed the wom Dragon in the western Empire so a two horned beast rises out of the earth to succeed yethe Dragon Woman in the eastern Empire. & extirpate the remna And then the Dragon makes war upon this the remnant of the womans seed & oppresses them & sets up the religion of the two horned Beast in all his kingdom: for the Dragon & this Beast in matters of religion speak one & the same language.

– But when the Empire becomes divided into two Empires that represented by the Dragon & Beast, that each Empire may have its Temple the Woman flyes from the first Temple into the wilderness & the ten-horned Beast follows her thither For there Iohn saw the Woman sitting upon this Beast. And now the Dragon the woman & ten horned Beast being are going from this Temple & two horned Beasr being are being left alone in in the first Temple this Temple, it is hence forward restrained to the people in the Dragons to be considered as the Temple of their kingdom, & a new temple is bui & a new Temple is built for the people in the kingdom of the Beast & Woman.

When the Dragon was cast out of heaven by Michael it is to be conceived that he was cast down from yethe house of the Temple into yethe Priests court & from thence into the outward court where wchwhich was the court of the people called the inhabitants of the earth & sea, & there persecuting the woman made her fly from this Temple thro the wilderness of Arabia to the great city Babylon & that she left a remnant of her seed in this Temple who were there persecuted by the Dragon. It is to be conceived also that the two Beasts rose Manchild was caught up to yethe throne of God above yethe Ark in this Temple & that the two Beasts rose out of the earth & sea in this Temple [& the first Beast being risen from the dead was decified by the second in this in this temple & his Image there set up & worshipped.] in this Temple And that the Dragon retur And that & that the Dragon returning from pursuing the woman made war upon the remnant of her seed in this temple & there caused all to receive the mark or killed all by the dictate of the speaking image or Oracl killed all that would not worship the Image, & prohibited buying & selling to all that suffered none to buy or sell but those who had the m that all rec in this Temple received the mark or name or number of the Beast except the 144000 who being excommunicated retired from yethe multitude in the outward court of this temple into the inward court thereof & there & sung a new song before the in the midst of the four Beasts & Elders on mount Sion & by consequence in the inner court of this Temple. And that the ten horned Beast being risen from yethe dead & deified & his image & worship being set up in this temple he went from hence by a into the wildernes by a final division of the Empire. & reigned there with the woman And hence forward the 144000 worsh remained in the inward court & the Dragon & two horned Beast in the outward court thereof.

A synopsis of the Synchronisms of the Apolocalyps

The

Folio 7r is blank. Folio 7v is written upside down. 7v

When therefore the Temple of God was opened in heaven & the Ark was seen in it & after lightnings & voices & thundrings & hail there appeared a woman & other visions in heaven, were it is to be conceived that this was the first Temple there being no ark in yethe second, & that it was opened for Iohn to see the visions in it, & particularly that the Woman & Dragon appeared in it, & that the Manchild was caught up to the throne above the Ark & yethe Dragon cast down by Michael from the upper cCourt thereof & into yethe outward court thereof & there persecuted the woman, & that she fled from this Temple into yethe wilderness & left in it a remnant of her seed wthwith wchwhich the Dragon there made war & that the two Beasts rose out of the sea & earth of this Temple & the worship of the first Beast & his Image was set up in the outward court of this Temple & there they received his mark or name except the 144000 who being excommunicated retired from the multitude in worshippers of yethe Beast in the outward court & sang a new song in the midst of the four Beasts & Elders on mount Sion that & by consequence in the inner court of this Temple. And that the ten horned Beast being risen from the dead & deified in this Temple, went from it into the wilderness after the woman where Iohn found ther woman sitting upon his back: And that when the Woman & first Beast were gone from this Temple the Dragon & other Beast remained alone in the outward court of this Temple & the 144000 on yethe inner court thereof

And since the second Beast & the woman are two Churches & the Dragon & first Beast are the laity of those Churches, & every ChurchesChurch haveth its Temples: you may conceive ytthat as the Dragon & second Beast compose yethe outward court of one Temple also that the Woman & ten hor first Beast have their Temple in the Wilderness in the outward court of wchwhich they perfor worship their fals Gods For they are the Gentiles in the outward c to who in the wilderness. For they are the Gentiles to whom yethe outward court of yethe Temple wthwith two candlesticks was given.

And because it was improper to split one Tem

For the vision of the Woman great Whore & her Beast are in the Wilderness is a commentary on the prophesy of the concerning the of the Angel concerning the temple & two witnesses [& the same who are killed by this & Beast who kills them who kills them in the street of the great city [& their prophesying & being killed by the Beast Babylon there they prophesied] where they prophesied Babylon.] And in this prophesy the building of a new Temple is described represented by giving a reed to Iohn & bidding him rise & measure the Temple & Altar. that is Fr For the measuring of a city or building is being a type of building it The new Temple wthwith two C. was built for [the people of God in] Christ professors of Christianity in all the western Empire including the northern nations & so comprehendisng two of the three parts & therefore has in it two Candlesticks & two Olive-trees to represent the true Churches of those two parts one Church within the bounds of the old Roman western Empire, an & the other Church amongst the northern nations & the other within the bounds of diffused through the German Empire of Germany. & in like manner the two candlesticks may be applied to the imperial But it is not

The synagogues of the Iews.

The first Christian Churches were originally synagogues & of the Christian Iews, & in every synagogue there was a Minister & board of Presbyters called Rulers of the Synagogue, & a muni

The Gospel was first preached in synagogues & the first Churches Pres converted Iews ordeined Presbyters & Deacons & by consequence had of such of synagogues before before yethe gospel was pr calling of the Gentiles, were officers of Christian Synagogues &

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Now these Locusts were a lasting plague to all parts of the old Roman Empire conquering some countries as Syria Egypt Libya Libya Mauritania several islands in the Mediterranean & almost all Spain & mat frequently invading the rest as Armenia Asia Greece Thrace Illyricum Italy Gallia & they continued to plague them not only during the temporal reign of the Califs but under lon afterwards under the several saracen Kings who shared their Empire. For About yethe year & For I reccon that the times of this Trumpet we I reccon that the times of this Trumpet began A.C. 609 when Mahomet set up for a P the Angel of the bottomless pit fell from heaven like a star & received the Key of the bottomless pit that is A.C. 609 when Mahomet set up for a Prophet, & that it lasted all the time of the Califs his successors the Califs, that is till the year 1258. For Togulbeck having conquered Chorasan & Persia added Bagdad to his Empire A.C. 1055 & made that city the Impe seat thereof. His successor Olub' Arslan (called also Asan, Axan, Olbarsalan Alpasalem & Aspasalem.) conquered Mesopotamia added also began his reign A.C. 1063 & added Mesopotamia to his Empire & took the Greek Emperor Diogenes Romanus prisoner. The third Sultan Melech, Malechsah or Melecla who began his reign A.C. 1071 invaded Syria & Asia minor & took Damascus Aleppo & Cæsarea & winning many battels extended his domain from yethe utmost borders of the Turks to Ierusalem & Iemana Arabia felix. And now this Empire of the Turks being brake arrived to its ἀκμὴ, & after the death of Malechseh A.C. 1092, being left to a child who was but six years old brake into several smaller kingdoms or Sultanies of the Turks, the governors revol of Provinces revolting. On, one of wchwhich continued at Bagdad in the family of Togrulbec till about the year 1160, & then cease ceased ceased the Calif of Bagdad reco & the Calif of Bagdad recovered when the Calif of Babylongdat recovered the temporal power of this Sultany wchwhich had been he had been deprived of for about 224 years. And this power continued from hence forward in the Calif till the year 1258 & then Haalon or Hulacu the Tartar beseiged & took Babylon Bagdat slew the Calif & put a full end to yethe Califate. And Thus ended the reign both spiritual & temporal of the Locusts at Bagdat under the Angel of the bottomless pit & with his reign the times of the fift Trumpet expired.

The sixt Trumpet.

T And the sixt Angel sounded & Iohn heard a voice from yethe four horns of yethe Golden Altar saying to yethe sixt Angel wchwhich had yethe Trumpet, Loose the four Angels wchwhich are bound in the great River Eufrates.

In these computations I have followed the opinion of the Arabic Historians. For ElmacinusElmacin p distinguishes the Empire of the Saracens into three distinct p successive Dynasties, the first comprehending its rise & increase during the reign of the line of Ommia at Damascus, the second conteining its decrease during the reign of yethe Abasides at Bagdat untill they subjected themselves to temporal Princes (wchwhich two we inter Dynasties together I interpreted to be the twice five months reign of the Locusts under their king yethe Angel of the bottomless pit) & the third Dynasty he reccons to be the further continuance of this Empire after its distraction & division into several Kingdoms most of wchwhich were governed by Saracens & some of them by Turks. And this Dynasty ended in the year 1258. For Abulpharajius who divides his history into so many Dynasties as there had been supreme Empires, since the creation, & reccons this Empire of the saracens in the ninth place; extends this Empire from the time of their Prophet Mahomet to the taking of Bagdat by the Tartars, & there concludes it making the shortlived Empire of yethe Tartars then founded upon the ruins of the Saracens & Turks by Hulacu9r by Hulacu to be the 10th Dynasty or supreme Empire & the year 1258 to be their common period.

Now the Empire of the Turks founded in Persia & propated over Bagdad by Togrulbec & propagated into Mesopotamia Syria & Asia minor by his successors Olub-Arslan & Malechsah, at the the death of Malechsah became divided into [these four four Sultanies besides the Sultany at Bagdad wthwith the Sul besides the sultany of Mesopotamia seated at Mosul, the sultany of Syria seated at Damascus, the Sultany of Asia minor seated on at Iconium & the Sultany of Armenia seated at Myepharekin & besides the Sultany of wchwhich Bagdad wchwhich] the Sultanies of Mesopotamia Syria, Asia minor & Armenia, all of them seated upon Euphrates besides the sultany of Bagdad wchwhich after a while it had continued a while in the family of Togrulbec returned into yethe hands of the Saracens.

The Sultany of Mesopotamia was seated at Mosul a city of Mesopotamia upon the western banks of Tygris about a days journey from Eufrates one of the streams of Eufrates. & Eufrates at or neare the place where the This Sultany was watered by the the river Alchabur or Harnas a large arm of Eufrates & war northern branch of Eufrates ran into Tigris. For Eufrates divided it self above Babylon into two branches one of wchwhich ran into Tigris at or neare Mosul & the other ran through by Babylon into Tigris below Bagdad & below out of this lower she southern stream ran yethe artificial river Naharmalia wthwith its two branches the higher of wchwhich ran into Tigris at Seleucia & the lower at Aræ Herculis] a day or two's journey from Eufrates. Its sultans were after yethe death of Malechsah were

Iagarmish

Zengius f. 1107

Maudid 1109

Oksenkar or Assangur 1121

Ezzodin f. 1126

Zengius or Sanguin fr. 1127

Gaza fil. 1145

Cotboddin fr. 1149

Gazi f. 1170

Ezzoddin fr. 1180

Nuroddin f. 1193

Ezzoddin f. 1211

Badroddin 1294 Saleh fr. 1259 Nuroddin f 1218

Naseroddin fr. 1218

Badroddin 1234.

Saleh f 1259.

The sultany of Mesopotamia was seated at Mosul a city on the western banks of Tigris a day or two's journey from Euphrates. After the death of Malechsah it had the 16 following Sultans in continual order: Iagarmish, Zengius, Maudid, Oksenkar or Assangar, Ezzodin, Zenguis or Sanguin, Gaza, Cotbodin, Gazi, Ezzoddin, Nuroddin Ezzodin, Nuroddin, Naseroddin, Badroddin ,& Saleh, the last of wchwhich reigned till the end of this Sultany. See their history in Abul-Pharajius

The sultany of Armenia was seated at Miyapharekin, Magarkin or Martyropolis a city of the greater Armenia a days journey eastward from the lake Thospites through wchwhich the rivers Tigr Euphrates & Tigris run before they part from one another & two days journey north from Ameda. This Sultany was sometimes united to & sometimes divided from the Sultany of Maredin Mirdin or Marde a city of Mesopotamia five six or six seven days journey from Euphrates. Its Sultans were ✱, Gazi, Tamartash, ✱, ✱, Saladin, Adel, Mojmoddin, Modhaffer, Ashraph. See their history in Abulpharajius.

The Sultany of As Syria seated at Damascus, & Aleppo Its sultans were Tagjuddaulas Tatash the son of Olubarslan. He obteined under his brother Malachsah first Damascus A.C. 1079 & then all Aleppo wthwith all Syria A.C. 1085 & after his death & after his brothers death A.C. 1092 revolted & (wchwhich hap A.C. 195 1095) Syria became divided between his sons Decac & Roduan, the first reigning at Damascus the other Al at Aleppo. But Nuroddin A.C. 1154 united it again under himself & after him Saladin King of Egypt obteined it & A.C. 1103 left it divided between his two sons Aphdal , Saphadin or Saphradin who reigned at Damascus & Dhaher Gazi who reigned at Aleppo. But within three years Adel Sultan of Myiyapharekin & brother of Saladin invaded Damascus & Egypt & in his posterity Ægypt & Damascus & Egypt continued sometimes united sometimes divided till the Mamalukes A.C. 1250 expelled them. In yethe mean time the successors of Dhaher at Aleppo were his son Aziz & grandson Nazer the last of wchwhich took Damascus wthwith its territories from yethe Mamalukes A.C. 1250, & reigned over both Damascus & Aleppo till to the end of this Sultany.

The Sultany of Asia was seated at Iconium & Cæsarea & was watered by the river Melas a large arm of Euphrates. Its sultans were 1 Seijduddaulas or Cutlumish of yethe race of Saljuck 2 Solyman, 3 Kelui-Arslan or Tanisman, 4 Masud, 5 Kelij-Arslan or Clisastlan with his brothers, 6 Cai-Chosroes wthwith his brothers 7 Ezoddin, 8 Aladin, 9 I Giyathoddin or Iathatim, 10 Ezzoddin wthwith his brothers Rocnoddin & Aladin who reigned till the end of this Sultany.

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two are a repetition of the two former in another form & contrary order,, the thunders a repetition of the Trumpets & the witnesses measured saints of the sealed servants of God the prophesy of the seven thunders being a repetition of the prophesy of the sealed servants seven Trumpets & the prophesy of the measured worshippers a repetition of the prophesy of the sealed servants of God. As the seven Trumpets sound at yethe sacrifices of yethe seven days of the feast of Tabernacles celebrated annually in the first Temple: so it is to be conceived that the seven thunders utter their voices at the same sacrifices in the seven days of the same feast of Tabernacles celefbrated annualy in the second Temple. And as the a select number are the servants of God are selected numbered & sealed in the day of Expiation out of the all the Tribes of Israel in the first Temple & the rest marked with the mark of the Beast so it is to be conceived that worshippers those who worship in yethe inner court of the second Temple are measured to distinguish them from those in the outward Court who are left unmeasured & are called Gentiles that is such Gentiles as say they are Iews & are not.

Now the two witnesseds are called the two Olive Trees & the two Candlesticks standing before the God of the earth that is standing in the second Temple before the throne of God: those Olive trees wchwhich Zechary saw at the building of the second Temple & wchwhich supplied the Camps wthwith oyle. They are said also to prophesy in sack cloth & that if any man will hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouth & devoureth their enemies & that they have power to shut heaven that it rain not in the days of their prophesy:. & hereby they are compared to the Prophets Elijah & Elisha & the state of Israel the church in these days is likened to the state of Israel in the days of Ahab & Iezabel. They are also said to have power over the waters to turn them to blood & to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will, that is with the plagues of the seven Trumpets & Vials of wrath. At the sounding of the first Trumpet they consu fire devou they consume their enemies by fire, at the sounding of the second they turn the waters into blood & smite the earth with other plagues in the following Trumpets. They prophesy & are lye slain & lye dead in the streets of the great city wchwhich spiritually is called Sodom & Egypt, where also orour Lord was crucified. Sodom for its uncleanness & destruction & the delivery of yethe people of God out of it as Lot was delivered out of Sodom. Ægypt for its idolatry & oppression & the plagues of the Trumpets & Vials by wchwhich the two Prophets inflict upon them for bringing the delivering the Church as Moses & Aaron delivered the children of Israel by plagueing yethe Egyptians. And where orour Lord was crucified, the scene of this vision being the second Temple & the nations in Beast who kills the witnesses being the Iews in the weomens court as the four Beasts were the Israelites in the four sides of the outward court of the first Temple; such Iews as say they are Iews & are not, but are the synagogue of Satan, such Iews as are again to crucify orour Lord by making war upon his mystical Body & are therefore called Antichrist, & at length are gathered together against him in the battel of the great day & are destroyed by orour Lord & the war as the Iews were by the Romans for crucifying orour Lord.

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After these visions the spirit one of yethe seven Angels carried Iohn in the spirit into the wilderness to see the woman who fled thither from the Dragon & there he sees her in her placplace, sitting on [that is reigning over] many waters wchwhich are peoples & multitudes & nations & tongues & on wchwhich are also represented by a scarlet coloured Beast wchwhich full of names of blasphemy having seven heads & ten horns wchwhich horns are ten kings or kingdoms An wchwhich agree & give their kingdom to the Beast, that is to compose his kingdom by consent agreement till the words of God are fulfilled, that is till the end of the 1260 days. And the woman was arrayed in purple & scarlet colour & decked with gold & petiouspretious stone & pearles having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations & filthiness of the earth & by her costliness made rich all that had ships [that is parishes] in the Sea And the woman was arrayed having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations & filthiness of the earth & the kings of the earth committed fornication with her, & by her costleiness were made rich all that had ships [ytthat is parishes] in the sea or western Empire. This is was the place to wchwhich she was in the when Iohn saw her, that is the honour & dignity to wchwhich she arrived before the 1260 days began To this To this honour & dominion & riches the woman was arrived wchwhich when Iohn saw her: & this preferment was her place with where they fed her in the willderness 1260 & to wchwhich she arrived days. [She is plainly the city Rome wthwith its dominions & for she sits upon the Beast wchwhich is Daniels fourth Beast for she is the great city wchwhich (in the time of the Roman Empire) reigneth over the kings of yethe earth she sits as sitteth upon seven hills wchwhich is Daniels fourth Beast, that is she reigns over the Roman Empire. And up she is fed & nourished flourishes in this dignity a time & times & half a time as was did the little horn of Daniels fourth beast who speak appeared overtopt the horns & spake had eyes & a mouth & spake great things against God & war made war upon the saints & therefore answers perfectly to this woman.] Now she did not arrive to this preferment or place till before the times of the four first Trumpets were expired. For by the wars of the second third & fourth she was Trumpet Rome & Italy was gradually deprived of her people her Emperors, her Roman Senate Consuls & magistrates at & Rome Rome & the city reduced to of Rome became an ignoble Dukedome subject to the Greek Exarchs at Ravenna, & in the end of the times of the fourth Trumpet was reduced to the lowest degree of fortune, being most miserably vexed & wasted by the wars of the Ostrogoths Heruli & Lombards all the 70 years of the plague of the 4th Trumpet. T And by this fall of the temporal greatness old government & temporal greatness of Rome the way was preared for the rise of a new government & greatness under the Pope the first step to wchwhich was the grant of the universal Bishoprick to the Pope by Emperor Phocas A.C. 607. And this All wchwhich & the setting up of Image-worship in Rome A.C. 608 concerning the merchant mystical City of Tyre the great whore wchwhich commits fornication wthwith all the kingdoms of yethe world seems to answer to the prophesy of Isaiah: Howl ye ships of Tarshish for your land is laid wast. And it shall come to pass in that day that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years according to the days of one king. After the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot. Take an harp go about the city thou Harlot that hast been forgotten, make sweet melody sing many songs that thou mayst be remembered. And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years that the Lord will visit Tyre & she shall return to her hire & shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth world upon the face of the earth: And her merchandise & her hire shall be holiness unto the Lord. It shall not be treasured up nor laid up: For her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord see to eat sufficiently & for durable cloathing: i.e. it shall be consecrate to God for the maintenance of Priests & Churchmen. These are the Merchants wchwhich in the Apocalyps lament the fall of the great merchant city because no man byuyeth their merchandise any more. This city was in great affictionaffliction seventy years a So then the 1260 do not This city began to sing as an Harlot in the beginning of the Wo-T times of the Wo-Trumpets A.C. 607 & 608 when she obteined a grant of the Vniversal Bishoprick & set up the Images of the Virgin Mary & all the Saints in the Pantheon to be worshipped, but this worship was long opposed & the City of Rome remained still still in the hands of yethe Greek Emperor, who governed it by a Duke subordinate to the Exarch of Ravenna till about the year 726 & when the Pope excommunicated the Greek Emperor for opposing the worship of images & called a Councel at Rome for establishing that worship & the people of Rome imprisoned their Duke. And from hence forward the little horn of Daniels fourth Beast rose up woman increased in temporal in temporal greatness & wealth11v wealth till she arrived at her place where above described.

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lin. 6. kingdoms. The lower horn wchwhich came up first is the kingdom of the Medes. for & the higher that of the Persians. For this Monarchy Empire rose up first & was inferior to that of Persians. By the fall of the Empire before that of Persia & was inferior to it. By the fall of the Empire of the Assyrians & the division thereof between the Medes & Babylonians under Cyaxeres & Nebuchadnezzar the two empires of the Medes & Babylonians rose up at once under Cyaxeres & Nebuchadnezzar, & they are represented by the two wings of the Lyon the first of Daniels fourth beasts. Dan. 7.4. And these continued standing together till the fall of Babylon, & the rise of the Persian Empire. For upon the fallen conquest of Babylon by the Medes, Cyrus & the Persians revolted from the Medes, I think the same before the end of the year, & & beat them in battel the next year. & The king of Medes raised a new army & was again beaten the year following & lost his kingdom to the Cyrus & the Persians. The Babylonians were conquered by the Medes anno Nabonass. 209 according to Ptolomes Canon. And Cyrus died anno Nabonass 218, & reigned seven years over the Medes & Persians, & therefore conquered the king of the Medes in the second battel anno Nabonas 211. & set the Persians above the Medes.] who set the Persians above the Medes, Now & this was done Now Daniel continued only till the first year of Cyrus Dan. 1.21. & yet received the prophesy of the scripture of truth in the third year of Cyrus Dan. X.1, the reign of Cyrus being dated in the first case from his conquest of the king of the Medes & in the second from the conquest his his beginning to reign over the Persians. He conquered Babylon Ann. Nabonass according to the Ca 209 & died anno Nabonass. 218 according to the Canon; & reigned seven years after his conquest of the king of Medes according to Xenophon, & therefore conquered him Anno Nabonass 211. There was no time therefore for the reign of worth considering for the in this prophesy for the reign of the Medes after the fall of Babylon, & therfore I under consider the Ram as reigning in his first horn in the before the fall of Babylon, that is in the days of Daniels the first of Daniels four Beasts, & in his second horn in the days of the second Beast.

Now in the life of Da first chapter of Daniel in describing the life of Daniel, its said that he continued even untill the first year of Cyrus, that is, untill the first year of Cyrus over Persia & Media; & afterwards its said that he received the prophesy of the third scripture of truth in the third year of Cyrus that is in his third date year over Persia alone dated from the revolt of the Persians. He conquered Babylon Ann. Nabonass. 209 & died Ann. Nabonass. 218 according to the Canon of Ptolemy, & reigned seven years over the Persians & Medes after his conquest of the king of Medes according to Xenophon, & therefore conquered him Ann. Nabonass. 211.