after the battle of Tolbiac, (which was fought A. D. 496) the Alemans ceased to be a nation; and, as yet, neither the Lombards nor Bulgarians had made any figure in hiftory. As thus the ten kings fucceeded to the Cefars, fo Mr Mede was of opinion, (notwithstanding the fall and rife of feveral kingdoms in the ancient Roman empire, during that long period), that the ten kingly governments might be traced out in every age, from their first establishment, down to his time. But, though it might be fhewn, that the Lombards filled up the place of the Burgundians, and the Exarchate of Ravenna, that of the Oftrogoths; and perhaps the cafe may be fimilar with refpect to all the reft; yet it must be allowed a fufficient accomplishment of the prophecy, that these governments fucceeded to the Cefarian, and that the western empire has, almoft ever fince, continued to be divided into nearly the fame number. We proceed next to the fecond mark, whereby the era of the fecular beaft is pointed out; namely, when it emerged from a state of war, and entered upon a state of peace. It has been already obferved, that the fubjects of this last Roman government, must also have been the fubjects of the ten kings; from whence it neceffarily follows, that when they enjoyed peace, the kings must have likewife enjoyed it. Farther, it has been remarked, that this univerfal peace, in its own nature, without any regard to, a prediction concerning it, is a moft certain evidence, that the ten kings were then fully confirmed in their feveral governments; or, in the words of the angel, that "they "had received power as kings." Now, without having recourfe to others, it is plain from the writers of the Univerfal Hiftory, (who cannot be fuppofed to have any defign, but candidly to narrate fuch facts as they find fupport ed ed by proper authorities); that about the beginning of the fixth century, all the ten kings were at peace. And because the fixing of the beafts era with exactnefs, feems entirely to depend on this point; therefore the very words of the Univerfal Hiftory fhall be laid before the reader, and also, below, the authors from whom the accounts are taken. In the hiftory of Britain *, we have these words: "Gildas, a writer of unquestionable authority, who lived in thofe times, tells us, that a great battle was fought on Badon Hill, fuppofed to be Banfdown, near Bath, in which the Saxons were utterly routed by the Britons." And a little after, "In this battle, the Saxons received fuch an overthrow, that for many years they forbore molefting the Britons. It was fought, according to the best British manufcripts, in the year 520, though fome place it in 493, and others even before the year 491, Be that as it will, the Britons, it feems, enjoyed the peace and tranquillity, which fo fignal a victory produced, until Gildas wrote his account of the deftruction of Britain, that is, forty four years after the battle was fought. This feems to be the moft natural fenfe of the obfcure words of Gildas, though Bede understood him, as if he had meant, that the battle was fought forty four years after the first coming of the Saxons, whence, in his chronicle, he places it in the reign of the emperor Zeno, who died in 491." Thus far the writers of the Universal History. But, however Bede might mistake, in his explication of an obfcure paffage in Gildas; yet fince, in his chronicle, he hath placed this battle, which was followed by fo long a peace, amongst the events of the year 491, and that it is owned, fome ancient manufcripts have placed it within a year or two of Vol. 19. P. 193. that that date; and, if to this we add Bede's character for learning, fanctity, and integrity, and that he flourished within two hundred years of this memorable event, it is obvious, that his authority, thus fupported, muft neceffirily outweigh that of any manuscripts, which at this diftance of time may poffibly be produced. ; It being then evident from Bede's chronicle, and fome ancient manufcripts, that the battle of Ba donhill was fought between the Britons, and Saxons, fome time between the year 490 and 493; and from Gildas, who lived in thofe times, that the battle was followed by fo long a tract of peace, that "all that generation died in the full pofleffion of it; and that it was not broken, until the next generation of Britons, unacquainted with paft evils, and only fenfible of their prefent ease, abandoned themselves to all manner of vice and debauchery, to fuch a degree, that they became odious to all the neighbouring nations" it must therefore follow, that we have the highest reaton to conclude, that, for everal years before the beginning of the fixth century, and a great many after, there was an uninterrupted peace between the Britons and Saxons. Proceeding then to the hiftory of the Hunns relative to this period, we find that Dangizick king of t the Hunns, and a fon of the famous Attila, in the war which he maintained against Leo emperor of the Eaft, was flain by Arnagaftus, one of the emperor's generals; and that his head was fent to Conftantinople in 468, or 4691; and then follow thete remarkable words of the hiftorians: "The Hunns, difheartened by the lofies they fuftained in this war, and the death of their leaders, continued, it ** Univ. Hift. vol. 19. p. 195. + Idem, p. 246. Prile. P. 44° Chron. Alex. P. 774. Marc. Chron. it feems, quiet for the fpace of near fixty years, without either molefting the Romans, or their neighbours, for we find no mention made of them from this time to the year 526 *." As to the Vandals, we are told t," that at length, in the year 476, Geneferic their king concluded a peace with Odoacer king of Italy, to whom he yielded the island of Sicily, upon condition he fhould hold it of him, and pay him a yearly tribute, for the fecuring of which, he kept the ftrong caftle of Lilybæum. The year before he had concluded a peace with the emperor Zeno, the fucceffor of Leo, who, renouncing all claim to the provinces of Africa, yielded them for ever to Geneferic and his defcen dants §." And a little after we have these words: "Geneferic died foon after; but the peace was religioufly obferved by his fucceffors till the reign of Juftinian; that is, till after the year 526. With refpect to the Sueves, we have this account |. "The following year, 468, they (viz. the Sueves) made themselves mafters of Lisbon, which was betrayed to them by one Lufides, who was a native of the place, and commanded in the town. As Lifbon at that time was held by the Goths, the troops of that nation entering Lufitania, committed dreadfui ravages on the territories belonging to the Sueves, as did the Sueves on thofe belonging to the Goths. However, Euric (king of the Viligoths) being wholly bent on driving the Romans quite out of Spain, with a design afterwards to fall upon the Sueves, concluded a peace for the prefent with Re. mifinund (their king), and then turning his arms against the Romans, made himself mafter of all the * Theoph P. 249. Auctor Mifcell. 1. 16. p. 461. places Male, p 87 Procop. Bell. Vandal, 1, 1. c. 7. p. 195. places that hitherto had been held by them, as we have related above in the hiftory of the Vifigoths. But he died before he could put in execution the defign he had formed against the Sueves. Remifmund, finding that he could no longer cope with the Vifigoths, who were now mafters of almost all Spain, retired into Galicia, and there, giving over all thoughts of new conquefts, ended his days. His fucceffors followed his example, contenting themselves with the kingdom of Galicia, and obferving a strict neutrality in the difputes that arofe between the Vifigoths and the Romans. By this means, they maintained themfelves in the quiet poffeffion of Galicia, till the 585*." In the hiftory of the Gepida, these are the words of the hiftorians+: "Upon the death of Attila, the Gepida fhook off the yoke, under the conduct of king Ardaric, which occafioned a bloody war between them and the Hunns, of whom thirty thoufand were killed upon the fpot, with their king Ellac. The Gepida not only recovered their ancient liberty, but the country whence they had been driven by Attila, that is, all ancient Dacia, lying north of the Danube. This memorable battle, which in a manner put an end to the empire of the Hunns," (which had extended over fo many nations in the days of Attila), "was fought on the banks of the Netad in Pannonia, about the year 460. The Gepida thus fettled in Dacia, entered into an alliance with the Romans, who agreed to pay them an annual penfion. Dacia beyond the Danube was thenceforth called Gepidia, from its new inhabitants, as we read in Jornandes. Some years af ter, part of Illyricum was alfo granted them, with Ifiodor. Chron. Idat. Jorn. P. 462.463. the + Univ. Hift. vol. 19, Jorn. rer, Goth. c. 46. p. 664. |