The legs were of
iron, and represent the _Romans_ who reigned next after the _Greeks_, and
began to conquer them in the eighth year of _Antiochus Epiphanes_. For in
that year they conquered _Perseus_ King of _Macedon_, the fundamental
kingdom of the _Greeks_; and from thence forward grew into a mighty empire,
and reigned with great power till the days of _Theodosius_ the great. Then
by the incursion of many northern nations, they brake into many smaller
kingdoms, which are represented by the feet and toes of the Image, composed
part of iron, and part of clay. For then, saith _Daniel_, [1] _the kingdom
shall be divided, and there shall be in it of the strength of iron, but
they shall not cleave one to another._
_And in the days of these Kings_, saith _Daniel_, _shall the God of heaven
set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not
be left to other people; but it shall break in pieces, and consume all
these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that
the stone was cut out of the mountains without hands, and that it brake in
pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver and the gold._
Notes to Chap. III.
[1] Chap. ii. 41, &c.
* * * * *
CHAP. IV.
_Of the vision of the four Beasts._
In the next vision, which is of the four Beasts, the Prophecy of the four
Empires is repeated, with several new additions; such as are the two wings
of the Lion, the three ribs in the mouth of the Bear, the four wings and
four heads of the Leopard, the eleven horns of the fourth Beast, and the
son of man coming in the clouds of Heaven, to the Antient of Days sitting
in judgment.
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