The seconde tome or volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Newe Testament conteynyng the epistles of S. Paul, and other the Apostles : wherunto is added a paraphrase vpon the reuelacion of S. John.

The texte.

¶ And when he had opened the thirde seale, I hearde y^• thirde beaste say, come and se, and I behelde, & lo, a blacke horse: & he that sate on him, had a payre of balances in his hande. And I heard a voyce in y^• myddes of the foure beastes, say: a measure of wheate for a peny, and thre measures of barly for a peny, and oyle and wyne se thou hurte not.

By the thirde seale, & the beast, & by the blacke horse thou mayest vnderstande, the great dearth which happened vnto the christians, the heathen, y^• Iewes, and the Romaines at suche tyme as eyther Claudius, or Traianus reygned Empe∣rours. Althoughe the prouidence of god did alwaye prouyde sufficiēt noryshe∣ment for those y^• were his, as it appeareth euydently to them y^• reade the Crony∣cles of that tyme. The balances, maye betoken the penury & want of vytels, for as muche as they were compelled to wey & measure, how much euery one should haue dayly for his parte to lyue with. For the measure of wheate, is vnder∣stande to be the porcion, that was allowed for one man for his dayes spending.