to whom I have already alluded, though, perhaps generally thought little defrous, of bearing any teftimony to the truth of prophecy, fpeaks of Trajan as of a prince by whom, "the peaceful system "of his predeceffors was interrupted by fcenes of war and conqueft." (Gibb.ch 1,, 2.5) and of this whole period of profperity, in the following terms, "If a man "were called to fix a period in the

history of the world, during which "the condition of the human race was. "moft happy and profperous. he would "without hesitation name that, which #elapfed from the death of Domitian "to the acceffion of Commodus," Gibb. ch. 3. But then, the fcene changed, And what did the opening of the fecond feal difcover?" There went out another "horfe that was red; and power was

66

given to him that fat thereon, to take "peace from the earth, and that they "fhould

fhould kill one another:

another: and there was given unto him a great fword." If we turn again to the fame unprejudiced authour; (unprejudiced at least on this fide,) we fhall find him fpeaking of the tranquillity and happiness of the empire as difturbed by Commodus, whofe cruel vanity made him act the part of a gladiator. (Gibb. ch. 4.) form. ing thus a fatal correfpondence with the the words of the prophecy; "there was "given to him a great fword." 'and at the death of his fucceffor Pertinax this was in another mode fulfilled; when the foldiers of the Prætorian guards affumed the prerogative of dipofing of the empire; and in the words of Mr. Gibbon,

ran out upon the ramparts, with a "loud voice, and prolaimed that the Ro. "ma world was to be dipofed of to the "best bidder by public auction.” ch. 5',

After

After the purchase of which by Didius. Julianus, again in correfpondence with, the emblematic fword, a fcene of civil wars between the feveral candidates for the throne enfued, until Severus, gainedfull poffeffion. When another period, diftingushed in its opening by the enac-, tion of "falutary laws, executed with " inflexible firmness, and a constant and liberal diftribution of corn and pro vifions." (ch, 5. p. 125) and ending. with an emperour, "whofe paternal, "care, we are told, ch. 6, p. 156, reduced "the price of provisions, and the interest "of money," opened, and is thus prefig ured, in the vifion; " And I beheld, and lo, a black horfe; and he that "fat on him had a pair of balances in "his hand, and I heard a voice in the

་་ནོན

midst of the four living creatures,

" fay, a measure of wheat for a penny, and three meafure of barley for a

" penny

penny; and fee thou hurt not the "oil and the wine.

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The opening of the fourth feal exhibited, "A pale horse, and his name “that fat on him was Death, and Hell "followed him, and power power was given' ❝ unto them over a fourth part of the "earth, to kill with the fword and

"with hunger, and with death, and with the beafts of the earth. If the

h

accomplishment of the predictions relating to the former periods, has, (as, think it must have) ftricken the reader from its accuracy, how powerfully will the completion of this do the fame! It' commences with the commences with the fucceffion of the tyrant Maximin to the empire, of whom the hiftorian f have already fo repeatedly quoted, notices, not only the favage appearance, and the oppreffions fo grievous, as to excite throughout

"the

"the Roman world a general cry of "indi nation imploring vengeance on " the common in my of human kind,” but that "confifcation exile, or imple

death, were eleemed uncommon in"ftances of his lenity. Some of the "unfortunate sufferers he ordered to be "fewed up in the hides of flaughtered "animals, others to be expofed to

wild beats, others again to be beaten "to death with clubs" ch. 7. Including him fix princes were in the space of a few months cut off by the fword; and fuch were the confequent flaughters and evils under them and their fuccellors ;* when civil wars irruptions of barbarians, and struggles for the throne by what

*The curious reader who wishes to fee ftill further infances of the flaughter prefigured by this feal, may read Gallienus's Letter, preferved in the of Gibbon's first volume.

are