the file of prophecy, heroes are compared to mountains ;) caft into the fea, turneth the third part of it into blood, and defroyeth the fishes and the Ships therein; that is, falling on the Roman empire, maketh a fea of blood, with horrible deftruction of the cities and inhabitants: fortwaters, as the angel afterwards (XVII. 15.) explains them to St. John, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues, and the third part is all along the Roman empire; for it poffeffed in Afia and Africa, as much as it wanted in Europe to make up the third part of the world, and the principal part was in Europe, the third part of the world at that tine. The next great ravagers after Alaric and his Goths were Attila and his Huns, who for the fpace of fourteen years, as (9) Sigonius fays, hook the eaft and weft with the most cruel fear, and deformed the provinces of each empire with all kind of plundering, flaughter, and burning. They (1) firft wafted Thrace, Macedon and Greece, putting all to fire and fword, and compelled the eastern emperor, Theo

(9) Sigonius de Occidentali Imperio. Lib. 13. Hunnica jam hinc bella fcribere ordiemur, quæ poft per quatuordecim annos fæviffima orientem, occidentemque formidine concufferunt, atque utriufque im

perii provincias omni direptione, ftrage, atque incendio deformarunt,

(1) Sigonius ibid. Jornandes de rebus Get. &c. &c.

(2) Jam omnia, quæ intra Apenninum & Alpes erant,

fuga,

Theodofius the fecond, to purchase a shameful peace. Then Attila turned his arms against the western emperor, Valentinian the third; entered Gaul with feven hundred thousand men, and nót content with taking and fpoiling, fet most of the cities on fire. But at length being there vigorously opposed, he fell upon Italy, took and deftroyed Aquileia with feveral other cities, flaying the inhabitants, and laying the buildings in afhes, and (2) filled all places between the Alps and Apennine with flight, depopulation, flaughter, fervitude, burning, and defperation. He was preparing to march to Rome, but was diverted from his purpose by a folemn embaffy from the emperor, and the promife of an annual tribute; and fo concluding a truce, retired out of Italy, and paffed into his own dominions beyond the Danube, Such a man might properly be compared to a great mountain burning with fire, who really was, as he called himfelf, (3) the Scourge of God, and the terror of men, and boasted that he was fent into the world by God for this purpose, that as the ex

fuga, populatione, cæde, fervitute, incendio, et defperatione repleta erant, Sigon, ibid. Ann. 452-1

(3) Qui fe Flagellum Dei, et Terrorem hominum appellabat, et ad id in mundum a Deo mif

ecutioner

fum jactabat, ut tanquam juftæ illius vindex iræ terras omni malorum genere permifceret, et crudelitatem ac libidinem fuam non nifi fanguine et incendio terminabat. Sigon." ibid.

(4) Homer:

ecutioner of his juft anger he might fill the earth with all kind of evils, and he bounded his cruelty and paffion by nothing less than blood and burning.

10 And the third angel founded, and there fell a great ftar from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters:

II And the name of the ftar is called Wormwood and the third part of the waters became wormwood: and many men 776 £ died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

At the founding of the third trumpet (ver. 10, 11.) a great prince appears like a far Shooting from heaven to earth; a fimilitude not (4) unusual in poetry. His coming therefore is fudden and unexpected, and his ftay but fhort. The name of the ftar is called Wormwood, and he infects the third part of the rivers and fountains with the bitterness of wormwood; that is, he

(4) Homer: Iliad. IV. 75..

Οιον δ ̓ а5εрa ἧκε Κρονο παις αγκυλομητές,

Η ναύτησι τέρας, ηε σρατῳ ευρεί λαων,

Λαμπρον το δε τε πολλοι απο

σπινθήρες ενται.

1$

(5) Evagrii

is a bitter enemy, and proveth the author of grievous calamities to the Roman empire. The rivers and fountains have a near connexion with the fea and it was within two years after Attila's retreat from Italy, that Valentinian was murdered, and Maximus who had caused him to be murdered reigning in his ftead, (5) Genferic the king of the Vandals fettled in Africa was folicited by Eudoxia the widow of the deceased emperor, to come and revenge his death. Genferic accordingly embarked with three hundred thoufand Vandals and Moors, and arrived upon the Roman coafts in June 455, the emperor and people not expecting nor thinking of any fuch enemy. He landed his men, and marched directly towards Rome; whereupon the inhabitants flying into the woods. and mountains, the city fell an eafy prey into his hands. He abandoned it to the cruelty and avarice of his foldiers, who plundered it for fourteen days together, not only fpoiling the private houses and palaces, but ftripping the public buildings, and even the churches of their riches and ornaments. He then fet fail again for Africa,

(5) Evagrii Hift. Ecclef. Lib. Occidentali. Lib. 14. Ann. 455 2. Cap. 7. Zonaræ Annal. Lib. &c. &c, 13. in fine, Sigonius de Imperio

(6) Voffius

Africa, carrying away with him immense wealth and an innumerable multitude of captives, together with the empress Eudoxia and her two daughters; and left the ftate fo weakened, that in a

a little time it was utterly fubverted. Some critics understand rivers and fountains with relation to doctrins; and in this fenfe the application is ftill very proper to Genferic, who was a moft Ligotted Arian, and during his whole reign ma cruelly perfecuted the orthodox Chriftians. Victor Uticenfis, or Vitenfis as he is more ufually called, who (6) wrote in three books the hiftory of this perfecution by the Vandals, fpeaking of St. Austin (7) hath used this very fame metaphor, of the river of his eloquence being dried up, and his fweetnefs turned into the bitterness of wormwood.

12 And the fourth angel founded, and the third part of the fun was fmitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the ftars; fo as the third part of them was darkened, and the day fhone

not

(6) Voffius de Hift. Latinis Lib. 2. Cap. 18. Hofmanni Lex.

(7) Tunc illud eloquentiæ, quod ubertim per omnes cam

pos ecclefiæ decurrebat, ipfo metu ficcatum eft flumen ; atque dulcedo fuavitatis dulcius propinata, in amaritudinem abfinthii verfa eft. Victor Vit. de

Per