Selected quad for the lemma: head_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
head_n	beast_n	empire_n	horn_n	2,682	5	10.3706	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09569	The key of historie. Or, A most methodicall abridgement of the foure chiefe monarchies, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome Being a generall and compendious chronicle from the Flood. Digested into three bookes. Whereunto is added a marginall chronologie of euery Roman emperors raigne, and of all the most memorable persons and accidents. Together with briefe illustrations vpon the more obscure names, places, and offices. With a directory table for the more profitable reading of history. Written by that excellent and most learned man Iohn Sleidan.; De quatuor summis imperiis. English. Abridgments	Sleidanus, Johannes, 1506-1556.; Darcie, Abraham, fl. 1625.	1627 (1627)	STC 19850; ESTC S114662	111,008	406

Empire I passe ouer in silence those neighbouring Kings and other Princes that day by day catch snatch away as much as they can from this feeble and saplesse little body which scarce cleaues to the bones striuing to bring that into their owne dominions which belonged to the Common-wealth But to come to an end in some time let vs lend our attention to Daniels prophecie concerning all that is spoken We haue treated of the Image that Nabuchodonozar saw in his dreame whereto wee will returne againe but in the interim take a view of some other places In his VII Chap. he describes the foure beasts which in a dream he saw cōming out of the Sea A Lyon a Beare a Leopard and the fourth and last he saies was terrible and dreadfull to behold The Lyon signifies the kingdome of Assyria the two wings which he had are as it were the two members of that Empire Babylon and Assyria By the Beare is vnderstood the kingdome of Persia by which Babylon was conquered the three ribs which hee saies were in his mouth betwixt his teeth are the three chiefe Kings of that Monarchie Cyrus Darius and Artaxerxes who were more famous then the rest and eate much flesh as he speakes that is brought many nations into their subiection The Leopard is Alexander the Great or the Greeke Empire his foure wings heads are the foure kingdomes which rise out of that Monarchy after Alexanders death The fourth and last Beast is the Romane Empire the tenne hornes are his members or Prouinces such as were Syria Aegypt Asia Greece Affricke Spaine Gallia Italie Germanie Brittaine for all those they held Now a certaine little horne grew vp and shot forth amongst the tenne hornes which pluckt away three hornes from those ten This notifies the kingdome of Mahomet or the Turke which from a small beginning budding forth of the Romane Monarchy seized vpon three of the chiefest parts thereof Egypt Asia and Greece Further this little horne hath eyes and was reproachfull against God For Mahomet vented a new kinde of doctrine which was well liked of by his followers as carrying some shew of wisedome in it Those are the eyes but indeed hee blasphemes God For hee abolishes the Bookes of the Prophets and Apostles and acknowledges no benefit by Christ but reproachfully railes against all doctrine concerning Christ Further that little horne saith he shall make warre with the Saints and sore afflict them till the Ancient of daies shall come to iudgement who hath neither beginning nor end whereby it clearely appeares that within the time of this Empire the tearme of this world shall haue an end and shall neuer be againe but after the dissolution of all earthly Principalities then shall follow that perpetual kingdome whereof Christ shall be Prince and Head In his eight chapter the Prophet Daniel describes the Ramme and the Goat which the Angell afterwards plainely interprets saying the Ram with two hornes betokens the Kings of the Medes and Persians and the Goat the Greeke Empire and the great horne in his forehead the first king of that Empire and that foure hornes succeeded after that horne was broken it signifies saith he that foure kingdomes shall rise out of that Empire but not to bee compared to that first King for strength and puissance Here we may see how properly and infallibly the Prophet Daniel portraies Alexander the Great two hundred yeeres and more before his raigne For it shall so fall out saith hee that the Goat shall not touch the earth that is he should runne ouer his warres with exceeding celeritie and no man should be able to deliuer the Ramme out of his hand for Alexander raigned onely twelue yeeres in which little inch of time hee almost subdued all Asia as wee haue aboue shewed And though the Medes and Persians were of incredible strength yet in three set battels Darius was ouerthrowne and lost his life and his Empire both at once Many write that when Alexander came to Ierusalem the High-Priest read that place of Daniel to him which exceedingly reioyced him Againe that another horne should rise from amongst those foure hornes at first but small but afterwards very powerfull which should grieuously oppresse the Sanctuary herely saith hee hee foretells those most bitter persecutions which the Iewes should suffer vnder Alexander the Great his successors the Kings of Egypt and Syria betwixt whom the Country of Iudea lies For the Iewes haue felt that horne which rose out of the foure hornes in Antiochus Epiphanes King of Syria that most cruell destroier Hither also we must apply the eleuenth chapter wherein he speakes againe of Alexander the Great and so copiously and properly that it may rather seeme an Historie then a Prophecie But now again let vs return to Nabuchodonozors Image whereof vpon occasion wee spoke in our first booke as for the interpretation thereof concerning the three first Monarchies I will not repeat it because it is both perspicuous as also made good by the times themselues onely we will speake something of the fourth because it both properly appertaines vnto vs who liue in it and is more exactly described by Daniel It shall be of iron saith he which shall breake in pieces and bring all the rest of the Monarchies in subiection to it there needs not many words in explanation hereof for the matter it selfe speakes and it manifestly appeares out of the historie of those Monarchs which wee haue reckoned vp But the Images feet and the toes of the feet are part of iron part of potters clay As the foot of a mans body is diuided into toes so the Romane Empire after it hath for a while continued strong being supported by iron legges and incircled the whole world in its circumference shall fall into toes and that massie body shall be dissolued This also is plainely effected and needs no explication for at this day what is more diuided then the body of that most spacious Empire And though the case thus stand yet because the sole of the foot is of iron the foundation shall remaine and shall neuer bee extinguished but the reliques title and dignitie thereof shall endere till Christ at his comming shall set a period to all humane things but it is cleare as noone day and beyond all doubt that it is now at the lowest ebbe That goodly tree is fallen but the root stickes fast and remaines yet not hauing any sappe and therefore vnable to grow vp and increase againe but quite dead and withered yet no force of man shall bee able vtterly to extirpate this roote and foot-soale of iron nature but it shall sticke fast grounded in the earth till the whole world shall be destroied Hereof also wee haue had experience for many haue often attempted the subuersion of this small and slender parcel of the Empire as the Popes of Rome and lastly the Turkes who though they haue done great matters and it may bee promise greater to themselues yet

Ammonites and Moabites passed into Aegypt with an army where hauing got possession of all that Countrey afterwards begun his Monarchy In the second yeare of his Monarchy as the learned of our times collect he saw in his dreame a great Image whose head was of gold the brest and armes of siluer the belly and thighes of brasse the legges of iron the feet part of iron part of clay When hee awakt and could not call to mind what he had dreamt but yet remain'd mightily astonisht calling together his Magicians and soothsayers charged them vnder paine of death to interpret his dreame Daniel a yong man Captiue with the rest of his Nation brought thither from Ierusalem signified that he could satisfie the kings desire being brought forth first hee shewed what the dreame was and afterwards interpreted the meaning therof The Image said hee signifies the foure chiefe Monarchies of the world which are to succeed in order and turning his speech to the King himselfe Thou said hee whom God hath inuested with supreame power and glory to whom he hath giuen rule ouer all men beasts of the field fowles of the ayre Thou I say art the Golden Head of that Image After thee another kingdome of siluer shall arise worse then this of thine afterwards the third kingdome of brasse which shall beare rule farre and wide but the fourth kingdome shall be of iron for as yron breaketh in peeces and subdueth all things so also shall the fourth and last breake in peeces all the rest and bring them in subiection to it This therefore is the first and formerly neuer heard of prophesie of the four Monarchies which God reuealed to vs by his Prophet Daniel A thing truly worthy to bee committed to memory because in a few words it comprises the historie of all ages vntill the end of the world as afterwards I am to speake of Now it sufficeth how at this time first of all God hath discouered to vs the order and successiue course of the Monarchies Dan. 4. That place in Daniel also manifests more clearly of what great puissance this Nabuchodonozor was where the Scripture compares him to a Tree whose height reached to heauen which as it were oue●shaddowed the whole earth whose leaues were very faire and most abundantly loaden with fruit whereby all creatures were fed and fatned in whose brāches boughes all manner of fowle dwelt and made their nests This therfore is the first Monarchy which as it was exceedingly amplified in this Kings raigne hoisted vp to the very highest steppe So also it fell away and in his Nephewes time was quite extinguished euen as God had denounced by Daniel and other of his Prophets This Nabuchodonozor raigned three forty yeares It would quite the cost if all mortall men especially Kings and Princes would read diligently consider with how dreadfull a spectacle and example God as Daniel sets it downe reuenged his pride Dan. 4. and 5. that so they might the more reuerence Gods diuine Maiestie Euilmerodach 2 King 25. Ierem. 51. and performe that office to the people which is committed to them His son Euilmerodach succeded him he raigned 30 yeares Assur Labassardach and his successor Assur three yeares Labassardach who raigned y Metasthener and others say but 6. euen yeares succeeded him After him Balthasar bore rule ●●ue yeares Many reckon them after this manner but the learned of our time omitting two of them Balthazar put Balthasar next after his father Euilmerodach write that he raign'd 14. y. which is very necessary to make the perfect number of 70. yeares during which space the Iewes were in captiuity to the Babylonians sithence their captiuity begun in the nineteenth yeare of Nabuchodonozors raigne Those who obserue this order and leaue out the two Kings before spoken of follow the Tract of Scripture and especially the Prophet Ieremie●s testimony Ierem. 25. who prophesied that the Iewes should serue the King of Babell his son and his sons son but in this point let euery man haue his iudgement free to himselfe Howbeit Balthazar as the Scripture mentions was the last King of the Babylonians Dan. 5. and in this all Writers agree As for the manner of the taking of Babylon many Authors describe it Dan. 5. Daniel also mentions how God denounced to this King his imminent and euen present calamitie and relates how the gouernement of the Monarchie after that King was slaine was translated to Darius the Mede Darius then 62. yeeres of age Many Writers call this Darius Cyarxes who was the son of Astiages eight King of the Medes whom Daniel cals Assuerus Dan. 9. who hauing no issue male bestowed his daughter in mariage vpon Cyrus the King of Persia's sister sonne and being prouokt to enter into a warre with the King of the Assyrians sent for aid to Cyrus who leading his forces thither and being made Generall of the whole armie returned conquerour hauing taken that most powerfull z Babylon Dan. 9. Citie It is recorded that Darius liued not aboue a yeere after this victorie And then when Darius was yet liuing after the taking of Babylon and the children of Israel Ier. 25. and 29. Dan. 9. had by this time remained captiue in Babylon almost 70. yeeres God reuealed in more ample manner to Daniel according to his praiers in that behalf who made knowne the same to the Prophet Ieremie foreshewer of the captiuitie Cyrùs founder of the second Monarchy of the Persians when the first of the Assyrians had stood about 1538. yeeres this was about 3434. and did not onely confirme the nearnes of their freedome but also shewed what time the Messias should come who should satisfie for the sinnes of men After Darius his death the sway of gouernment was committed to his sonne in law Cyrus and this is the beginning of the second Monarchie for now Cyrus alone held in his owne hands Assyria Media and Persia euen to the Ionian sea as Thucidides hath it hauing before his winning of Babylon taken Craesus that most puissant King of Lydia So this Cyrus is first King of the Persians and founder of the second Monarchie This most renowned Prince hauing vanquisht the Babylonians made warre with the Scythians whether going with his armie and at length intrapped and inuironed by his enemies was there slaine In the beginning of his raigne after the taking of Babylon hee permitted the Iewes to returne home againe out of captiuitie 2 Chro. 16. that they might reedifie the Temple and the Citie of Ierusalem and to that purpose bestowed very liberally out of his own Treasurie Isai 44. and 45. God by his Prophet Isai had foretold him by name some ages before he was born Xenophon brings him in discoursing with his sons before his death about the immortalitie of the soule as Cicero hath it who interprets that place as all others very elegantly Cyrus reached the 70. yeere of