Commentaries of the diuine Iohn Caluine, vpon the prophet Daniell, translated into Englishe, especially for the vse of the family of the ryght honorable Earle of Huntingdon, to set forth as in a glasse, how one may profitably read the Scriptures, by consideryng the text, meditatyng the sense therof, and by prayer

The Prophet doth conclude that which he had spoken before, that is, as soone as the voyce came from heauē, Ne∣buchadnezer was cast forth of mens company. It may be that they had some occasion to dryue hym forth. But be∣cause the coniecture is doubtfull, I had rather leaue it in∣different which the holy ghost hath not reueiled. I will one∣ly touch this briefly, that when he boasted that Babylon was built by the strength of his power, it might be that euē the nobles also did disdayne, whiles they saw him puffed vp with so great arrogancy: or it may be also that he spake af∣ter this maner when he thought that they lay in wayt for him, or when he perceaued that troubles were moued a∣gaynst him. How soeuer it is, God sent forth his voyce, and droue forth of the company of mē the kyng Nebuchad∣nezer in the same moment. Therfore, In that houre (sayth

he) was the word fulfilled. If it had bene a long space after∣ward, the cause might haue bene ascribed to fortune or o∣ther lower meanes: but where there is such copulation of the word with the worke, the iudgement is more manifest then can be darkned by mās malignitie. Therfore he sayth: that he was cast forth and did eate grasse, so that he differred not from the oxen: that his body was watered with rayne, be∣cause he did lye without the house. For we oftentymes are watred with rayne, and there is none which can escape that necessitie in the fieldes: and often tymes the trauellers do come wette to their Inne. But here y^e Prophet doth speake of the continuall iudgement of God, that he had no house to go into, but did lye in the fieldes.

So he sayth: He was watered with the dew of heauen, vn∣till (sayth hee) his nailes did grow lyke byrdes clawes, and his heares lyke Egles fethers. This place doth more confirme that which was spoken before, that seuen tymes should bee ex∣pounded of a long time, because his heares would not haue so growē in seuē monethes, neither would there haue bene such a deformitie and so great in this space. Therfore thys chaungyng which is described of the Prophet, doth sufficiēt∣ly declare that the kyng Nebuchadnezer was punished with a longer tyme. Neither could he so quickly be hum∣bled, because arrogancie is vntameable euen in a meane man: how much more in such a great & mighty Monarche?