Daniel.
THe prophet Daniel prophecied in Babylon, and was accepted of, as one that was fit to prophe∣cy* 1.1 of Christ. Know therefore & vnderstand (saith he) that frō the going forth of the cōmaun∣dement to bring againe the people, and to build Ierusalem vnto Messias the prince, there shalbe seuen weeks and threescore & two weekes &c. Againe in an other place. There vvas a s••one cut vvithout hands, & the stone smote the image, it became also a great mountaine and filled the vvhol earth. Againe. And behold, there came one in the clouds of heauen like the sonne of man vvhich vvent vnto the auncient of dayes, & vnto him there vvas geuen honor & povver, wyth o∣ther things that ther are laide downe. This Daniel was of the tribe of Iudah, a noble man borne, being a yong childe he was led into captiuity out of Iudaea, into the land of the Chaldees: he was in the vpper Betheron, & so chas•• •• man that the Ievves thought he had bene gelded. he bewayled verye muche both the people and the holye citie Ierusalem. He brought him selfe verye Iowe, and weake by fastinge and abstayninge from delicate foode, feedynge vpon the fruite of the earth. In forme of bodye he was drye and leaue, but in the fauour of God he was moyste and of good likinge. At the request of Balthasar the kings sonne, this prophet prayed very much for king Nabuchodonosor, who was transformed into the figure of a monstrous beast, that his father should not be cast away. In the fore partes, and the heade he was like an Oxe, the hinder partes with the feete resembled the Lyon, his heares were as Egles feathers, and his nayles lyke byrdes 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ It was reuealed vnto this holye man that the Kinge for his brutishe sensualitye and stif∣neckednesse▪ shoulde be transformed into a beaste. That is to saye, he shoulde be made subiecte vnto Belial lyke an Oxe vnder yoke, and resemble a Lyon for his raueninge, tyrannye and cru∣eltye. These are the propertyes of Potentates in their youth, vntill at length they are become bruite beasts, rauening, slaying, practising tyrauny and all kinde of impie••y, and in the end they re∣ceaue of the iust iudgment of God, the reward of their wickednes. The spirit of God gaue this ho∣ly man to vnderstand that like an Oxe he woulde ••eede vpon hay which was his food. Wherefore Nabuchodonosor after he had digested this meate, he recouered the sense and vnderstandinge of* 1.2 man, he wept, he made supplication vnto the Lord day & night, he prayed vnto ye Lord forty times. And being come vnto him self, yet forgate he that he had bene made a man. The vse of his tongue was taken away that he could not speak, and vnderstanding of that, immediatly he fel a mourning. His eyes by reason of his continuall lamentation gaue forth a dead look. Many went out of ye citie to see him, yet only Daniel would not go. for al▪ y• while he was so transformed Daniel ceassed not to pray for him his saying was, he wil become a man again, & thē wil I see him, but they gaue no cre∣dit vnto his words. Daniel by praying vnto y• most highest brought to passe yt the seuen years whō he called seuen times, were turned into seuen moneths, & that ye mystery of ye seuen times should in thē be finished. within y• space of••enen m••••eths he was restored vnto him selfe, ye sixe yeares yt were behind, & the fiue moneths he prostrated him self before the Lord, confessing his sinnes, & iniquity. And when he had obtained remission of sinne, he gaue his kingdome vnto ye prophet, he eat neither bread neither flesh, nor dronk wine, but cōfessed his sinnes vnto ye lord. For Daniel had cōmaunded him to feed vpō pulse & herbs, & so to please ye Lord▪ wherfore he called Daniel Balthasar & would haue made him cahere wt his sonnes▪ but as toutching the kingdome, the holy prophet would none of it, his aunswere was, be fauourable vnto me O Lorde, that I forsake not the inheritance of my fathers, and become heire vnto the vncircumcised. He wrought many straunge wonders in the