The key of the Revelation, searched and demonstrated out of the naturall and proper charecters of the visions.: With a coment thereupon, according to the rule of the same key, / published in Latine by the profoundly learned Master Joseph Mede B.D. late fellow of Christs College in Cambridge, for their use to whom God hath given a love and desire of knowing and searching into that admirable prophecie. Translated into English by Richard More of Linley in the Countie of Salop. Esquire, one of the Bargesses in this present convention of Parliament. With a præface written by Dr Twisse now prolocutor in the present Assembly of Divines.

The second Trumpet.

The second Trumpet being about to subvert the Romane Em∣pire

now enough wasted in the Earth thereof, with a more grie∣vous * 1.1 stroke yet assayleth the Sea: the third part whereof by the fall of a great Mountaine anciently threatning it, but now burn∣ing turneth it all bloody, with a great destruction as well of living creatures or fishes living therein, as also of the navy. That is, the destruction of Rome the great Citie once or twice taken, spoyled, and burning with hostile flames, brake out to the ruine of the large∣nesse of the Romane iurisdiction; the Barbarians now at their plea∣sure fiercely entering into the Provinces thereof, by reason of the weaknesse of the head so afflicted and dividing them into new kingdoms; with an irreparable slaughter, both of the legions there abiding for defence, as also with losse of all aydes of retaining and upholding, as of traffique, the authoritie thereof.

The Sea of the politique world, as I have said, is that fulnesse of dominion compassing all the inhabitants in the communion of the same politique right. By this representation the Dominion of Babylon is expressed, Ier. 51. 36. where the Lord threatneth, that he will dry up the Sea thereof and make the spring thereof dry, which vers. 44. is expounded holding the same Metaphor, the nations shall flow no more unto her. The amplitude also of the Assy∣rian kingdom is so described, Ezek. 31. 4. The waters made her (to wit the Assyrian Cedar) to grow, the deep or the sea hath exalted her. Happily also the dominion of Pharao•• is the Sea, Esa. 19.5. where concerning the destruction of his kingdom it is said, the waters shall faile from the Sea thereof, that is, his Dominion shall be taken away. Whereupon those great Empires in Daniel are beheld to ascend out of the Sea, that is, to arise out of the largenesse of Dominion.

Now that the third part of the Sea, that is, the Romane sea, is said to become blood; we must know that blood first is take for slaugh∣ter, then for Death also without blood: but that Death in a manner is taken for ruine, even of a thing wanting life, see Ezec. 14.19. & 3.18.20. ct 18.13. Amo. 2.2. Rom. 7.9. whereupon to become bloody, is a representation of a thing that suffereth ruine, to wit as it were like a living creature slain or butchered bleeding. That therefore here the Sea is said to become bloody, by the fall of a great Moun∣taine, it sheweth nothing else, but that it suffered by that fall a cer∣taine Death, or a violent Ruine. That w^ch in the phyals, where the same representation is, is a little more plainly said, * 1.2 that it became as the blood of a dead man, that is, of one slaine: the Romane Do∣minion

or fulnesse, was overthrown, cut in pieces, rent, destroyed. * 1.3

The like mysterie of a Mountaine signifying a Citie is found of old Babylon, Ierem. 51. 25. Behold I come unto thee ô plague-bringing (or destroying) Mountaine which destroyest the whole Earth, and I will stretch out mine hand, &c. and I will make thee a Mountaine of burning, where the Septuagint have it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a mountaine on fire, in the same sence wherein Iohn here 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a mountaine burning with fire. Concern∣ing the same, Esay 13. 2. upon the high Mountaine, lift up a Standard. Targum, upon the Citie dwelling without feare. The like Chap. 37. 24. to Senacherib King of Assyria: Thou hast rai∣led, saith he, on the Lord, and said, by the multitude of my chariots I have ascended the height of the mountains. Targum, I have ascen∣ded into the defence of their Cities; but whether rightly I doubt.

Furthermore, that a Mountaine is here said to be put or cast in∣to the Sea, it is the * 1.4 elegancy of the figure, since a Mountaine can no otherwise hurt the Sea, then by being thrown into it. And re∣member that this hath place in the following Trumpet also, con∣cerning the falling Starre, Vers. 10.

As concerning the History, Rome was first taken in the yeere 410, and that by the same Alaricus King of the Gothes, who had brought in as it were the entrance of the destinie in the former Trumpet; but now after the death of Stilich•• making new stirres, and preparing a new and fatall expedition into Italy; whereby he brought Honorius into such streights, that the Barbarian himselfe could make a new Emperour of Rome, namely, Attalus, with whom he besieged Houorius Augustus at Ravenna, now, in de∣spaire of his estate, thinking to flye into the East, leaving the West. But the enemy repenting himselfe, wholly restored Hono∣rius, Attalus being deposed from the Empire.

The rending of the Romane Dominion immediately follow∣ed this destruction of the Citie of Rome. I call Sigonius to wit∣nesse: The miserable destruction, saith he, of Italy, the continued warres of France and Spaine, and the new Empires now at last of the Barbarian Kings in both the Provinces, have succeeded the Ro∣mane overthrow.

For first Honorius that he might recover Rome with the Em∣pire, having made a league with Alaricus, was constrained to yeeld the Countries and Kingdom in France to the Gothes.

Two yeers after, in the yeere 412, the H••nnes running over * 1.5 Panonia which the Gothes had left, the same (Honorlus) being destitute of power to make resistance in so great difficulties, made a league with them giving and receiving Hostages.

Afterwards in the yeere 413, Constantius Captain of the same Honorius, least happily he should fall into any streights of warre, did willingly receive into friendship and seated upon the Rhone the Burgundians, who in these former yeers, the Estate being so disordered, together with the Vandales had betaken themselves into France.

To conclude in the yeere 415 the same Honoriu•• (as Procopi∣us delivereth) when the Gothes a little after had passed over in∣to neighbouring Spaine, he granted to the Vandales also with their King Gundericus, being lately driven out of Gallia by the Frankes, the places which they had entered, to be inhabited, upon condition of making warre upon the Gothes. He that desireth to know more, let him reade the forementioned Sigonius concern∣ing the Westerne Empire, lib. 10. & 11. whence we tooke these things.

And so thence forward the largenesse of the Romane Domi∣nion is daily more and more rent and cut off, untill, again in the yeere 455 Rome being taken and spoyled by G••nsericus the Van∣dale, the whole Body of the Empire the next yeere, or not much after, appeared to be divided into ten kingdoms: which together with the names of the People and of the Kings, and the Pro∣vinces over which they reigned, and moreover certaine things noted out of the History to give greater light, the following Ta∣ble will shew.

A type of the rending of the Empire or Romane Dominion in * 1.6 the yeer of Christ 456 and so forward.

The King∣doms.	The Provinces wherein they reigned.	The names of the Kings reigning in the yeer 456	Certaine things to be observed.
1 Of the Brittones.	In Britaine.	Vortimer.
2 Saxons.	Hengist.
3 Frankes.	First in Gall. Belg. shortly in Celt ca also.	Childerick.
4 Burgun∣dians.	In Gall. Sequan and Lions.	Gunderick.	The kingdom of the Bu••gundians was sub∣dued and u••te••ly de∣stroyed by the Franks in the yeer 526. But for the making up of the number of ten fitly the dominion of the Ostrogothes at the same time was parted into two king∣doms; Panonia which ••itherto had obeyed them, taken by the Longobards, and Ita∣ly only left to th•• Kings of the Ostro∣gothes.
5 Wisigothes	In Aquitane and part of Spaine.	Theodorick.
6 Swedes & Alanes.	In that tract of Spain which is contained in Galaecia and Lu∣sitania.	Riciarius.
7 Vandales.	In Africa but a little befo••e in Spain.	Gensericus.
8 Allmanes.	In that tract of Ger∣many which was called Rhetia.	Sumanus.
9 Ostro∣gothes.	In Panonia the Huns being vanqu••shed, neither was this age past, but they enlarged their king∣dom into Italy also.	Theodomirus	The kingdom of the Alemans from the yeer 475 became one with the kingdom of the Heruli so long as they reigned in I∣taly, to wit, 16. yeers.
10 Grecians	In the residue of the dominion of the Empire. For the Empire of the an∣cient Rome being dissolved, the Em∣pire of the Greci∣ans is to be accoun∣ted one of the king¦doms, into which the dominion of the citie reigning sometimes largely was divided.	Marcianus.	The ••ongobards suc∣ceeded the Ostro∣gothes also in Italy being called out by Nar••etes after he had destroyed the king∣dom of the Ostro∣gothes in the yeere 567 but then delive∣red their seats in Pa∣••onia to the Huns & Avares to be enjoyed afterwards.

And at length after this manner these tenne Kingdomes, into * 1.7 which the holy Ghost had foretold, as well by Daniel, as by Iohn, the Romane Empire at the last should be divided, seeme to be reckoned; and not at all to be esteemed according to so many bare names (as usually is done) of so many regions, or tracts of land, but rather Kingdomes, into which the Dominion and Lord∣ship of the Empire should be rent. Yet notwithstanding let us not thinke that the limitation of this number of tenne is to be so strictly construed, that it excludeth at any time more Kingdomes, or any manner of governments: but that the Empire should be se∣vered into ten at the least, or into ten principall Kingdoms. That which even from that originall rending which we have set forth untill our age, under so many fates and alterations, I think to have been alwaies the truth; although it were sufficient for confirma∣tion of this truth, if onely in the beginning it had been divided in∣to so many Kingdomes, howsoever happily afterwards the num∣ber were diminished. But the like prophesie concerning the rend∣ing of the Monarchie of Alexander, may teach us that so as I have said, and not otherwise, that limitation of the number of ten Kingdomes is to be understood: in which, although besides these foure principall Kingdomes, of Macedonia, Asia, Syria, and E∣gypt; a fift also Thracia was added, Lysimachus being the foun∣der: yet the holy Ghost bounded that multiplicitie in a number of foure. Reckon them to be so many at the least, or so many prin∣cipall Kingdomes. For there was no succession in the Kingdome of Thracia, though it began together with the rest, and endured forty yeeres, but it ended with the first King Lysimachus, and therefore not to be brought into the number. The like hereunto is to be judged of this ten fold Romane division. Wherefore, let it move no man, if besides the Kingdomes reckoned up in France he shall happily finde there the Kingdome also of the Alanes of Orleance, and also the dynastie of the Cities of Baitaine, continu∣ing from the Empire of Honorius untill these times. For he shall finde the latter to be but of a very meane Dominion, the other to have from thence endured but a small time, to wit, tenne yeeres at the most. Neither of them therefore to be reckoned with the rest for like place and order, nor if any be to be found of the same sort otherwhere.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Chap. 8.
• * 1.2

  Chap. 16.3.
• * 1.3

  Chap. 8.
• * 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.5

  Chap. 8.
• * 1.6

  Chap. 8.
• * 1.7

  Chap. 8.