which will admit either of a literal or a myftical intation; and the former will hold good, if the latter fail. If it be taken literally, it is only expreffing me thing by different words, as peoples and multiand nations and tongues are jointly ufed in other : and then the meaning is that they were prepared eady to execute the divine commission at any time any time, any hour, or day, or month, or year that hould appoint. If it be taken myftically, and the and day, and month, and year be a prophetic hour, ay, and month, and year, then a year (according to hn's, who follows herein Daniel's computation) ting of 360 days is 360 years, and a month conof 30 days is 30 years, and a day is a year, and an in the fame proportion is 15 days: fo that the period of the Othman's laying the third part of or fubduing the Chriftian ftates in the Greek or n empire, amounts to 391 years and 15 days. it is wonderfully remarkable, that the firft conmentioned in history, of the Othmans over the cians, was (7) in the year of the Hegira 680 and ear of Chrift 1281. For Ortogrul "in that year, ccording to the accurate hiftorian Saadi) crowned victories with the conqueft of the famous city of tahi upon the Greeks." Compute 391 years from time, and they will terminate in the year 1672: that year as it was hinted before, Mohammed the (8) took Cameniec from the Poles, "and forty ht towns and villages in the territory of Cameniec re delivered up" to the fultan upon the treaty of

Whereupon Prince Cantemir hath made this orable reflection, "This was the laft victory by ich any advantage accrued to the Othman ftate, or y city or province was annexed to the ancient unds of the empire." Agreeably to which obfern, he hath entitled the former part of his hiftory e growth of the Othman empire, and the following of the decay of the Othman empire. Other wars and

flaughters, as he fays, have enfued. The Turks even befieged Vienna in 1683; but this exceeding the bounds of their commiffion, they were defeated. Belgrade and other places may have been taken from them, and furrendered to them again; but ftill they have fubdued no new state or potentate of Chriftendom now for the space of between 80 and 90 years; and in all probability they never may again, their empire appearing rather to decreafe than increafe. Here then the prophecy and the event agree exactly in the period of 391 years; and if more accurate and authentic hiftories of the Othmans were brought to light, and we knew the very day wherein Kutahi was taken as certainly as we know that where in Carmeniec was taken, the like exactnefs might also be found in the 15 days. But tho' the time be limited for the Othmans laying the third part of men, yet no time is fixed for the duration of their empire; only this fecond woe will end, when the third woe, (XI. 14.) or the deftruction of the beaft,. fhall be at hand.

A defcription is then given (ver. 16, 17. 18, 19.) of the forces, and of the means and inftruments by which the Othmans fhould effect the ruin of the eastern empire. Their armies are defcribed as very numerous, myriads of myriads ; and who knoweth not what mighty armies the Othman emperors have brought into the field? When Mohammed the fecond befieged Conftantinople, he had (9) about four hundred thoufand men in his army, befides a powerful fleet of thirty larger and two hundred leffer fhips. They are defcribed too chiefly as horfemen; and fo they are defcribed both by Ezekiel and by Daniel: as there was occafion to obferve in the laft differtation upon Daniel: and it is well known, that their armies confifted chiefly of cavalry, efpecially before the order of Janizaries was inftituted by Amurath the first. The Janizaries may be the guard of the court, but the Timariots, or horfemen holding lands by ferving in the wars, are the strength of the government:

(9) λέγεται δε γενεσθαι· κ· το λο Quadraginta myriades hominum dicuntur tunc temporis in exercitu regis fuiffe claffis regiæ, in qua erant

triremes triginta, naves minores ducentæ. Laonicus Chalcocondylas de rebus Turcicis. Lib. 8. p. 203. Edit. Paris. p. 158. Edit. Venet.

and

and thefe, as Heylin (1) affirms, are in all accounted between feven and eight hundred thoufand fighting men; fome fay that they are a million; and befides thefe, there are Spahi's and other horfemen in the emperor's pay.

In the vifion, that is in appearance, and not in reality, they had breaft-plates of fire, and of jacinct or hyacinth, and brimftone. The color of fire is red, of hyacinth blue, and of brimstone yellow; and this, as Mr. Daubuz (2) obferves, hath a litteral accomplishment; for the Othmans, from the first time of their appearance, "have affected to wear fuch warlike apparel of fcarlet, blue, and yellow." Of the Spahi's particularly fome have red, and fome have yellow ftandards, and others red or yellow mixt with other colors. In appearance too the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions, to denote their strength, courage, and fiercenets; and out of their mouths iffued fire, and fioke, and brimstone. A manifeft allufion to great guns and gunpowder, which were invented under this trumpet, and were of fuch figual fervice to the Othmans in their wars. For by these three was the third part of men killed, by these the Othmans made fuch havoc and deftruction in the Greek or eastern empire. Amurath the fecond (3) broke into Peloponnefus, and took feveral ftrong places by the means of his artillery. But his fon Mohammed at the fiege of Conftantinople (4) employed fuch great guns, as were never made before. One is defcribed to have been of fuch a monftrous fize, that it was drawn by

(1) Heylin's Cofm. B. 3. p. 729. Edit. 1703. Sandys's Travels. B. 1. P. 38. 7th Edit.

(2) Daubuz. p. 444. See too Rycaut's Prefent State of the Othman Empire, B. 3. Chap. 3. Tournefort's Voyage, Vol. 2. Let. 1. p. 36, &c.

(3) Chalcocond. ibid. Lib. 7.

(4) τηλεβολές ποιόμενος μεγιστες. *. T. λ. Bombardas fieri curavit maximas, quantas novimus ea tempeftate nunquam extitiffe.-Tanta hujus bombarde magnitudo extitit, ut a feptuaginta jugis boum et a viris bis mille trahenda fuerit.Bombarde

feventy yoke of oxen and by two thousand men. There were two more, each of which discharged a ftone of the weight of two talents. Others emitted a ftone of the weight of half a talent. But the greatest of all discharged a ball of the weight of three talents, or about three hundred pounds; and the report of this cannon is faid to have been fo great, that all the country round about was fhaken to the diftance of forty furlongs. For forty days the walls was battered by thefe guns, and fo many breaches were made, that the city was taken by affault, and an end put to the Grecian empire.

Moreover they had power to do hurt by their tails, as well as by their mouths, their tails being like unto serpents, and having heads. In this refpect they very much refemble the locufts; only the different tails are accommodated to the different creatures, the tails of fcorpions to locufts; the tails of ferpents with an head at each end to horfes. By this figure it is meant, that the Turks draw after them the fame poisonous trains as the Saracens; they profess and propagate the fame impofture; they do hurt not only by their conquefts, but alfo by fpreading their falfe doctrin; and wherever they eftablish their dominion, there too they establish their religion. Many indeed of the Greek church remained, and are still remaining among them: but they are (5) made to pay dearly for the exercife of their religion; are fubjected to a capitation tax, which is rigoroufly exacted from all above fourteen years of age; are burdened befides with the moft heavy and arbitrary impofitions upon every occafion; are compelled to the lowest and moft fervile drudgery; are abused in their perfons, and robbed of their property; have not only the mortification of feeing some of their friends and kindred daily apoftatize to the ruling religion, but had even their chil dren taken from them to be educated therein, of whom the more robuft and hardy were trained up to the foldiery, the more weakly and tender were caftrated for the feraglio: but notwithstanding thefe perfecutions and oppreffions fome remains of the Greek church are still pre

(5) See Smith's and Rycaut's accounts of the Greek church.

among them, as we may reasonably conclude, to fome great and myfterious ends of providence. t tho' the Greek church was thus ruined and oped, the rest of men (ver. 20, 21.) who were not by thefe plagues, the Latin church which pretty efcaped thefe calamities, yet repented not of the of their hands, that they fhould not worship devils, a demons or fecond mediatory Gods, as it hath ly been fhown. before, faints and angels, and idols of and filver and brass and stone and wood. From e it is evident, that thefe calamities were inflicted the Chriftians for their idolatry. As the eaftern ches were first in the crime, fo they were first likein the punishment. At first they were vifited by lague of the Saracens, but this working no change formation, they were again chaftifed by the ftill er plague of the Othmans; were partly overthrown e former, and were entirely ruined by the latter. churches were then remaining, which were guilty e like idolatry, but the western, or thofe in the munion with Rome? And the western were not at eclaimed by the ruin of the eastern, but perfifted n the worthip of faints, and (what is worfe) the ip of images, which neither can fee, nor hear, nor and the world is witness to the completion of prophecy to this day. Neither repented they of their ers, their perfecutions and inquifitions, nor of their ries, their pretended miracles and revelations, nor of fornication, their public stews and uncleanness, nor eir thefts, their exactions and impofitions on man

and they are as notorious for their licentioufness wickedness, as for their fuperftition and idolatry. hey therefore refused to take warning by the two er woes, the third woe, as we fhall fee, will fall vengeance upon them.