pardon fomething like repetition in Mr. Lowman's words *, for the sake of his authority. "I far

the firft Beast whofe Image, it is. But as it breathes the Spirit of the fecond Beaft, and is wholly guided by his direc tion (having no power but from him) it seems clearly a diftinct and different power from the Beast it represents. Now it muft I think be evident to the most careless obferver, that the French Revolutionifts have upon all occafions affected to imitate the antient Romans. Their mode of carrying on war by deriving their refources from conquered provinces; their maxim "divide et impera ;" their eftablishment of different fubordinate Governments (under the name of Republics); and their gift of a Crown (the Crown of Etruria) as a reward for attachment; their Civic Feafts; their introduction of Pagan Festivals; their deification of abstract virtues; their adoption of the distinguishing Roman appellation Citizen; their language and even their very drefs, all point out the refemblance between the Image and Original. As Rome had her Pro fcriptions, her Triumviri, her Confuls, fo has France; and as the fixth Form of Roman Government was the imperial, fupported entirely by the armies, and united with two mere phantoms, the two nominal Confuls; fo is the fixth form of government, which now prevails in the dominions of the image, a manifeft copy of the fixth form of its Type, the First Beaft. Thus far then Hiftorical Facts feem to accord in a very remarkable manner with the prophetic Vifion. It remains to be feen whether Buonaparte's prefent Negotiation with the Pope respecting Theological Affairs will tend towards the production of the 7th Head (fubfequent to "the deadly wound" which it is possible, though plainly not necessary for

* Lowman, p. 182.

"I farther beheld in my vifions another appearance as of a fecond wild beaft rifing out

of

this Hypothefis, that the fixth may suffer) and whether the ten horns of Rome will become the ten horns of France; or, I should rather say, of the Infidel Antichrift, wherever its Throne is placed. Let us humbly wait for țime to remove the present obfcurity of a paffage which I readily confefs to be the greatest difficulty in the way of the Interpretation I have ventured to give, of the Image and the fecond Beaft. When the ftorm that threatens the Eaftern part of the antient Roman Empire fhall burst, it will probably throw more light upon this fubject.-It has been obferved that I have not noticed "the falfe miracles or wonders" by which the fecond Beaft was to delude the inhabitants of the earth, and caufe, them to make the Image. The various fupernatural appearances exhibited in the private meetings of its early adherents, and which eafily impofed upon fuch votaries as were tinctured with enthusiasm and fuperftition, may indeed be well worthy attention, however ridiculous in themselves, when their effect is confidered; in like manner as the fictions and tricks of their monks impofed upon the credulity of the ignorant, and have ever been supposed to be a fubject of Prophecy, and a mark of the Papal Antichrift. But fuch is, happily for us, the general opinion of these mummeries in this kingdom, that I rather chofe to leave my readers to make their own comments upon this point of resemblance. As figns, however, of Antichristian Power, the pretended miracles of the Romish Church, the tricks of the Mahometan Dervizes, and the 'magic of the Infidel Illuminati, are fufficiently discernible, and it is furely not impoffible, that in its last and most formidable state, they may become yet more confpicuous. 4th Edition.

Among

of the earth, which had two horns like the horns of a lamb, but his voice was like that of a dragon, to represent another perfecuting government exercifing its authority with a fhew of meeknefs and charity, but carrying on the oppofition of the devil, the old Serpent, to pure religion, and promoting idolatry by perfecution." Mr. Lowman proceeds to paraphrafe the twelfth verfe thus: "And this fecond perfecuting power had all the powers of the first, or new revived form of Roman government, and ufed its authority to fpread the power of the new Roman government, beyond the bounds of its proper dominion, fo as to oblige the feveral nations to yield obedience to the new authority revived in the city of Rome, after it had been fo long deprived of all authority, and feemed to have loft all hope of recovering it."

It has alfo been already fhewn in what manner we are to understand the fecond beaft is faid to exercife all the powers of the

Among the many circumstances, which have ftrengthened the likeness of this Image raifed up in France to the Roman Power, the recent diftribution of the Eagles as the Standards of the Armies deserves particular notice. Fifth Edition.

firft beaft, before him." And the angel's explanation of the feven heads will perhaps authorize us to fuppofe that the worship, which the fecond beaft caufed to be paid to the beast whose deadly wound was healed, alludes particularly to the image which he caufed to be made in his form of civil tyranny. "And there are feven kings, five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a Short Space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the feven, and goeth into perdition." These seven kings denote the feven forms of Roman Government- firft, Kings; fecond, Confuls; third, Dictators; fourth, Decemvirs; fifth, Military Tribunes; fixth, Emperors feventh," the dominion exercifed by Boniface III. and his immediate fucceffors in the fee of Rome under the title of Univerfal Bishops" (Letter of a Layman, p. 25.); eighth, the full developement of the Papal Antichrift in the eighth century (Letter of a Layman, p. 36, &c.). The fixth head, which was exifting at the time of the Vision, received the deadly woun from the hand of Odoacer in 476, when the Western Ro

Ε

See page, 377.

man

man Empire was completely deftroyed. After a reign of fixty years, the throne of the Gothic kings was filled by the Exarchs of Ravenna, the reprefentatives in peace and war of the Emperor of the Romans. Their jurisdiction was foon reduced to the limits of a narrow province, but Narfes himself (the general of the Eastern Emperor Juftinian), the first and most powerful of the Exarchs, adminiftered above fifteen years the entire kingdom of Italy......Under the Exarchs of Ravenna Rome was degraded to the second rank." Gibbon, vol. iv. p. 313. "Like Thebes, or Babylon, or Carthage, the name of Rome might have been erased from the earth, if the city had not been animated by a vital principle, which again restored her to honour and dominion." Vol. viii. p. 161. The feventh head arose when Boniface III. in 607, obtained the title of "Univerfal Bishop,' and Head of the Catholic Church," and immediately affumed all the authority of a Supreme Head in all ecclefiaftical affairs; and when idolatry was established. -This feventh head was to endure comparatively but a fhort time. And we accordingly find the eighth head, which was to be of the Seventh, to be the Univerfal Bishop, or Sovereign Pontiff of Rome, in