And I faw a woman fit upon a fcarlet coloured. beaft, full of names of blafphemy," verfe 3. This we take to imply, that Chriftianity, with all the heinous enormities, which had been introduced into it, was the established religion of a city; and the epithet "Scarlet," may be faid to refer to Rome, which was then degraded to the fecond rank, in confequence of the feat of government having been removed to Conftantinople.

Verfe 4. "And the woman was arrayed in purple." This paffage not only denotes the feat of government, but also implies that the office of Supreme Pontiff had been united to the Imperial dignity, as is evident by the word "fcarlet." in the same sentence. It is well known that Conftantinople was founded by Conftantine the Great, who brought about these two great events.

The words "forehead," "mystery," may denote, that in the beginning the foundations of Conftantinople were laid in confequence of a vifion*. And the expreffion" Babylon the Great," may be faid to: point out the vanity of the founder, and to repre

* In one of his laws, he has been careful to instruct pofterity that, in obedience to the commands of God, he laid the everlasting foundation of Conftantinople. Gib, vol. 3. p. 14.

fent

to fent that this city would be as abominable as the antient city of that name; and that it would come 19 to the fame end. Auf yasdron

The 7th and 8th verfes describe the beast that was to arife out of the bottomlefs pit in this city, in order that the prophecy in chap. xi. ver. 7. (which must be conftrued to extend over the Christian world) might be fulfilled.

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In ver. 8, it is alfo foretold that the beast shall Dugo into perdition.

- Verfe 9. "The feven heads are seven moun21. tains." In the 7th chapter of Daniel*, the leopard is described with four heads; which expreffion fignifies the governments, and the word "mountains," is expreffive of their greatness.

Verse 10. "And there are feven kings." We are of opinion that Auguftus was the fifth. Conftantine the fixth, and Valentinian the feventh, be

*After this I beheld, and lo, another like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl, the beast had also four heads, and dominion was given to it." Dan. Chap. 7, ver. 6.

caufe

cause in the reign of the latter, the final * division of the Roman Empire took place, A. D. 364, by which event the prophecy in Daniel, chap. ii. ver. 41, was fulfilled.

Verfe 8. "And the beast that was, and is not.” We confider Justin II. to be the eighth beast, because his election to the Imperial purple, it may be faid, was different from the manner in which his predeceffors were chofen. As they were elected by the Senate, with the consent of the military, or by the military only; befides he revived the Confulship in his own perfon, A. D. 566, by both which circumstances the then government became a striking resemblance to that of its first æra, A. R. 666.

In the caftle or palace of Mediana, only three miles from. Naiffus, they executed the folemn and final divifion of the Roman Empire. Gib. vol. 4. p. 262.

The Emperor was elected by the authority of the Senate, and the consent of the foldiers. Gib. vol. 1, p. 118.

At the end of 1000 years two confuls were created by the Sovereigns of Rome and Conftantinople, for the fole purpofe of giving a date to the year, and a feftival to the people. Vol. VII. p. 152, Gibbon.

In

In pursuance of our former suggestion, that the expreffion whore," was the reprefentative of a city, and that the punishments to which the was devoted, were to be effected by ten kings: We shall conclude that the 12th and 17th verfes allude to Rome. The firft circumstance that was inftrumental towards making her defolate was the rife of France, A. D. 566. Then followed the conqueft of Charlemagne, and the establishment of the Empire of the Weft in the Princes of Germany. A variety of occurrences have fince fallen out to deprefs her in fuch a manner, fo as to render her fcarce worthy the appellation of a state. Other events most probably will happen in order to annihilate even her existence as a state in Europe. This annihilation we are ftrongly inclined to think will occur in 1796.

Verse 18. "And the woman which thou sawest, is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth."

The word "great" muft neceffarily refer to chap. xvii. ver. 5. This is confirmed by ver. 2, in the following chapter, viz. "Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen." And in verfe 7, " for the

faith

on

faith in her heart, I fit a queen, and am no widow, and fhall fee no forrow." Here we have a strong allufion to the vifion, in confequence of which, the everlafting foundations of Con ftantinople were laid..

*

The 18th chapter bears fuch ample teftimony of the great commercial advantages which arofe from the fituation of Conftantinople as renders it impoffible for the expreffion, Babylon the Great," to be applied to Rome or any other city in the Roman Empire. The following verfe corroborates our hypothefis.

Verse 10.

CHAP. XVII.

"And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the feat of the beaft," which we ftate to have afcended, A. D. 566.

*Whatever rude commodities were collected in the forests of Germany and Scythia, as far as the fources of the Tanais, and the Borysthenes; whatsoever was manufactured by the skill of Europe or Afia; the corn of Egypt, and the gems and fpices of the fartheft India, were brought by the varying winds into the port of Conftantinople, which, for many ages, attracted the commerce of the ancient world. Gib. vol. 3, p. 13.

CON