three first have not in these latter days any existence.

Again we shall find in the vision of the four Beasts, it is said, that the lives of the three first Beasts were "prolonged for a season and a time" after they had their 66 dominion," or empire, taken away. By which is described the state of the countries represented by the three first Beasts, from the period when they ceased to be the seat of empire, to that in which they will become the seat of the Church, and part of the universal kingdom of Christ: and we may here again observe, that the four ruling kingdoms of the world are described as territorial divisions of the prophetic Earth; for they are clearly spoken of as being only for a certain period the seat of empire, and as being distinct from each other, and co-existent.

As it thus appears that the four ruling kingdoms of the world exhibit a territorial division of the whole prophetic "Earth" (or of that part of the world which is the subject of prophecy) into four parts, so we may further observe that the horns upon the bodies of the second and third Beasts represent territorial subdivisions of the second and third ruling kingdoms.

The first ruling kingdom of the world consisted only of the single province of Babylon, the first Beast therefore has no symbol of this kind attached to it.

The second ruling kingdom consisted of two territorial subdivisions, namely, of the provinces of Media and Persia, the Ram, therefore is represented as having two horns.

The whole of the third ruling kingdom of the world, or the kingdom of Alexander the Great, was subdivided a few years after his death, that is, in the year A. C. 301, into four parts, by four of his captains and successors; and the He-goat is consequently represented as having four horns; and the rise of these horns is universally dated from the year in which this division took place.

In endeavouring to interpret the part of prophécy now under consideration, we are directed therefore by the analogy of all preceding prophecies to look for a similar territorial subdivision of the Western Roman empire into ten kingdoms, which we are to consider as having each a peculiar territory of its own, into which is not to be reckoned its conquests over the territories of others. Accordingly we find, that the Western Roman empire, as bounded on the north by the Danube and the Rhine, is divisible exactly into ten parts, all of which, excepting two that perished early, have existed for nearly the whole period of the divided state of the empire. Of these, the three first are Lombardy, which was the seat of a powerful kingdom;

Ravenna, which was the seat of the Exarch, who ruled over a great part of Italy; and Rome, which was formerly the seat of empire. The addition of Naples and Tuscany to these three, forms a complete territorial division of Italy into five parts: the five other kingdoms are France, Austria, Spain, Portugal, and Britain. The ten forming together a complete territorial division of the Roman Empire, are therefore as follows:

1 RAVENNA,

2 LOMBARDY, forming the Papal States, 3 ROME,

4 NAPLES.

5 TUSCANY,

6 FRANCE.

7 AUSTRIA.

8 SPAIN.

9 PORTUGAL.

-10 BRITAIN.

As no other ten kingdoms can be named on the principle of a territorial division, if this, as we have every reason to suppose, is the correct principle on which the prophecy of Daniel should be interpreted, we may assume with confidence that these are the ten kingdoms referred to in his prophecy; we shall find like

wise that they answer to all the particulars mentioned of them in the remainder of the vision of the Great Image: and in the parallel prophecy of the four Beasts. These particulars are, that the papal horn took possession of three of them; that they are divisible into two classes, the strong and the weak, the Iron and the Clay; and that all excepting two (which we are informed by prophecy perished early, by being united to Rome) should be in existence when the period of the destruction of the empire commenced; for we are told, that the stone smote upon the feet and toes of the image,

Having named the ten kingdoms, I now proceed to divide them into the two classes of the kingdoms of iron, and the kingdoms of clay, The kingdoms of iron I consider to be three, viz., France, Rome, and Austria; and the kingdoms of clay to be seven, namely, Ravenna, Lombardy, Naples, Tuscany, Spain, Portugal, and Britain.

With respect to the character of the three first, as tyrannical kingdoms, I shall have to shew hereafter, in considering other prophecies, that though always great, either in extent, or importance, they are in the prophetic writings said to remain comparatively in a state of rest, till after the commencement of the last period, or till after the year 1792. France, which is

represented in one of these prophecies as the first that wakes or starts into new life, it will be allowed has, since its rise as Imperial France, been a tyrannical empire, and of a different class from all others of the divided Western Roman empire which have yet appeared. France, therefore, being the only iron kingdom whose character has yet been developed, we can speak of the fulfilment of this prophecy no further than as it has been accomplished in her tyrannical reign, under her present ruler*; and here the accomplishment appears most striking; a very few years also will shew whether I am correct in expecting the complete fulfilment of it in the future tyrannical reigns of Rome and of Austria. The successive tyrannical reigns of these three great kingdoms belong however to the next period, namely, to that of the Destruction of the Roman empire; but I mention in this place the tyranny then exercised by them, in order clearly to establish the character of France as one of the kingdoms represented by the iron toes of the Great Image.

The period of the DESTRUCTION of the Wes

* The reader is requested to bear in mind, that this interpretation of the vision of the Great Image was written in the year 1813, while Buonaparte was Emperor of France. 1st Edit.