by a special commandment from Chrift, were in a readinefs to execute their mifchief. This afcending by decrees from a fhort time unto longer and longer;

From

an hour to a day,' &c. doth fignify, that as the devils were preft, and at hand at an hours warning, as we fay, to put in practice whatsoever they had plotted; fo they were as forward to continue the fame, From

an hour to a day, from a day to a month, and from a month to a year,' that is, from time to time, until the date of their commiffion was out: for their time was limited, and their commiflion bounded, as afterward we fhall fee. And this is our comfort, that both the Papacy is limited to five months, and the Turkifm to hours, days, months, and years, The divers power is limited, though it grieveth them full fore: They cannot do what they lift, they cannot continue as long as they would.

After the number of horfe-mén of war, were twenty thoufand times ten thoufand, for I heard the number of them.' Rev. ix. 16.

Now, upon the loofing of thefe devils, here followeth the defcription of a moft horrible plague which they raifed up; and it is a huge army, a murdering army, an army in number exceeding great; for he faith, They were twenty thousand times

'ten thousand;' that is, two hundred millions, or two hundred thousand ten thoufands. But we may not think that this army was ever all at one time, or in any one age, but here are the armies of many ages reckoned up, and the full plague of many years fet forth. How could St. John number fuch an army, may fome man fay? He anfwereth this doubt, and faith, He heard the number of them.' He did not number them; but the number was told him.

Moreover, it is to be noted, that as this army did exceed in number, fo alfo in terror and strength, and therefore they are faid to be all horfemen. For an army of horfemen are both more ftrong and more terrible, than an army of footmen.

And thus I faw the horfes in a vifion, and them that fat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth: and of brim⚫itone, and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their • mouths went forth fire and smoke, and • brimstone.' Rev. ix. 17.

6

Here is the defcription of the horse-men and horfes, as they appeared to John in a vifion. First, Touching the horfe-men, it it is faid, that they were very well armed with habergions; that is, coats of male, corflets, or curets, and that of a fiery colour, and of the colour of jacinth;'

that is of fmoke, appeareth in the last claufe of this verfe, and alfo of the colour of brimstone. For as horfe-men in complete armour were wont to wear in their breaft-plates and targets certain enfigns and . colours, whereby they might be made terrible to their enemies: So thefe Turkish warriors and horfe men do hold out their colours of fire, smoke, and brimstone, as it were flags of defiance against the whole world, threatning prefent death to all that fhould withstand them, or as if they meant to fpit fire and flame at them, or to choke. them with fmoke and brimstone, and then burn them up with fire and brimstone. All this their colours and enfigns in their breastplates and habergions did portend. Now, as concerning horfes, no doubt they were as fierce as the horfe-men. They wear great lances, they had heads like lions;' that is, they were full of anger and fiercenefs, and out of their mouths went forth 'fire, and fmoke, and brimftone:' Rev. ix. 18. that is, they had the fame colours and enfigns upon them that riders had.

.

Of these three was the third part of 'men killed, that is, of the fire, and of the fmoke, and of the brimstone, which came out of their mouths.'

Here is fet down the great flaughters and maflacres which thefe martial horfe-men

and Turkish armies made throughout the moft part of Europe. For he faith, the third part of men,' that is, great numbers in Europe were flain by the fire, the fmoke, and the brimftone, which came out of their mouths: that is, by their bloody cruelty, and barbarous inhumanity, fome being murdered in their bodies by eruel death, and others violently drawn to the wicked religion of Mahomet. For partly by external violence, and partly by a fubtile fhew of religion and devotion, they deftroyed thoufands both in their fouls and bodies. And therefore it is faid, Their power is in their mouths, and in their tails, for their tails were like unto ferpents, and had heads wherewith they hurt. But for the better understanding of thefe things, I think it not amifs a little to open and lay forth the rifing up, and increafing of the power of the Turk.

About the year of our Lord five hundred and ninety one, was Mahomet born, in a certain village of Arabia, called Itrarix, for › fo hiftories do report. This Mahomet, by fraud and coozenage, grew into great credit and fame among the feditious Arabians and Egyptians, infomuch that they made him a captain over them, to war against the Perfians..

After this, he married a rich wife, and

1

by that means he won the hearts of many with gifts. In the days of Heraclius the emperor, which was in the year of our Lord 623, he grew to be very mighty. After this he feigned himfelf to be a prophet, and faid that he had vifions and revelations, and talked with angels. And fo by the help of Sergius, a monk, he framed a new worship and religion, a patched part out of the Old Teftament, partly from the Papifts, and partly from the heathen. He reigned nine years, and fo died.

After him fucceeded in the kingdom of the Saracens, Ebubezar, who reigned two years. Haumar who reigned twelve years, Muhavias who reigned twenty-four years. All thefe made great war against the Perhans, and fundry other nations, and overcame them, and fet up the religion of Mahomet against them, and fo the kingdom of the Saracens grew mighty: but in procefs of time the kingdom of the Turks grew great, and the kingdom of the Saracens diminished. Within a fhort time after this, the Tartarians, a barbarous people, waxed ftrong and made war against the Turks, and prevailed greatly for a time. bout the year of our Lord 1300 the empire of the Tartarians was over-thrown, and the empire of the Turks did flourish more than ever before: for now came the great

But a