gin either A. D. 455. or 476, according as the other character, under the Prophecy of the Woman with Child has alfo determin'd and accordingly muft end either A. D. 1715. or. 1736. And if we go the fecond way to work, which I efteem much more exact, and agreeable to the Scripture Characters, we fhall find fome pretence for both those Epocha's, tho' I think the former of them, or rather the fucceeding year, A. D. 456 has much the advantage of the other, and feems to me the very point of time, from whence the date of the 1260, years Reign of Antichrift is to be taken by us; and that by confequence that Period will expire in ten years time, A. D. 1716. Indeed the very learned Dr. Allix pitches upon the latter Epocha, and fets down the feveral Kingdoms, to the juft Number of Ten, arisen at that Meffiæ ad ven- time thus.

De Duplici

tu. p. 18.

(1) Alemanni in Rhatia & Pannonia.
(2) Franci in Belgica.

(3) Anglo-Saxones in Britannia.

(4) Burgundiones in Gallia Sequanenfi.

(5) Wifigothi in Gallia Aquitanica & in Hispania provincia Tarraconenfi.

(6) Suevi & Alani in Lufitania.

(7) Vandali in Africa.

(8) Oftrogothi in Pannonia & poftea in Italia.

(9) Longobarbi in Pannonia.

(10) Heruli & Turcilingi qui Augustulum Vicerunt. Thefe are the ten Kingdoms, refer'd to by Daniel and St. John in Dr. Allix's Opinion: and that most of them are of that Number is out of queftion. But then I cannot fully acquicfce in this account: for first the Kingdom of the Alemanni was fo fmall, and fo near its conclufion; and befides was chiefly out of the bounds of the Roman Empire, that it cannot deferve a place here. Secondly there is but one Kingdom reckon'd in Brittain, whereas there were undoubtedly two; and both of them within the bounds of the Roman Empire; and arifen upon its diffolution alfo; as we fhall fee prefently. Thirdly, we have here mention of the Lombards in Pannonia ; 3. p. 249. & which is contrary to History; fince,they did not till long after

See Howel Pt.

251

this,

this, A. D. 526. enter the bounds of the Roman Empire, or Pannonia; much less establish a Kingdom therein. Fourthly, here is no notice at all to be taken of the Greek Empire, which certainly ought, to be accounted as One of the Ten Kingdoms, nay as the Principal; and one that therefore cannot be omitted; efpecially on account of its large fhare in Europe, and particularly of the Exarchate of Ravenna, which it recover'd, and for about 200 years together stood poffefs'd of even in Italy it felf. So that I cannot wholly reft fatisfied with the Drs. account of thefe ten Kingdoms: neither indeed can I tell how to defer the Number of ten till this year, A. D. 476. Because there had been the fame Number in being.A.D. 456 twenty years before. For notwithstanding the Kingdom of the Heruli arose not till that year, yet it was then only in the place of the remainders of the Western Emperors; which tho', as we have fhewn, they can hardly deferve to be efteem'd Heads of the whole Roman Empere fince the death of Valentinian III; (many of whofe upftart Kings had much greater power then they; yet fure 'tis hard to exclude them a fhare among the ten Kingdoms. And if they be allow'd a place there 'tis evident that that Number was as well in being twenty years before, as at that time. So that upon the whole, I much more approve of Mr. Mede's Epocha, 456 as much better grounded in Hiftory: according to whofe Scheme, with fome fmall alterations, I fhall by and by prefent the Reader with a Table of them severally; after I have made a particular enquiry into their beginnings in Hiftory; which has not hitherto been fufficiently done by any. And herein as I fhall affert nothing but what fhall be confirm'd by Authentick Hiftorians, fo I muft own my felf very much indebted to the learned Dr. Howel who is more careful than any I have feen, in noting the exact times of the Rife of these feveral Kingdoms, at the diffolution of the Roman Empire. The ten Kingdoms then I take to be thefe following (1) The Greeks. (2) The Romans. (3) The Suevi and Alani. (4) The Burgundians. (5) The Vifigoths. (6) The Vandals. (7) The Britans. (8) The Oftrogoths. (9) The Saxons and (10) The Franks. And the Times of their Rife, I date as follows (1)

The

:

The Empire of the Greeks bears date from the Death of Conftantine the Great, A. D. 337. For he left part of the Roman Empire to his Son Conftantius, who feated himself at - Conftantinople: and fo began a diftinct Empire or Kingdom there at the time affign'd. And this date is fo known and unqueftionable that I need not alledge any particular Hiftorian for it. (2) The Empire of the Romans, as a kind of distinct Kingdom, I date from the Emperor's leaving Rome, and fixing his Seat elsewhere; or particularly from his fettling at Ravenna; the place of the Western Cafars Refidence long afterward which happen'd about A. D. 402. which therefore may ferve well enough for the Epocha of this fecond Kingdom. And that this is the right time, hear Dr. Howel's words, For the year 402. The two Emperors Arcadius and Honorius were Confuls. Arcadius continued at Conftantinople, and Honorius at Ravenna; which now began to be an Imperial Seat: he having in a manner left Milan, and here 'fix'd his abode. (3) The Kingdom of the Suevi and Alani may well be dated A. D. 409. Hear the fame Howel again. The Vandals, Alans, & Suevi, as fome fay, now A. D. 409 'entred into Confultation to quit Gall—and poffes'd themselves of the Provinces of Lufitania, and Cartagena, and Botica. * and Sigonius more exprefly: Hac clade, inquit ille, fracti Vandali, Alani, & Suevi Gunderico Rege fubftituto, confilium Gallia abeundi ceperunt : Atque in ulteriorem progreffi provin ciam ipfam in poteftatem adduxerunt. Hanc Trajectionem hoc anno 409 factam Kalendis Octobris Profper, Caffiodorus, & Fornandes in annalibus fcriptum reliqnere. (4.) The Kingdom of the Burgundians takes its date from the year 413. Hear

*

And tho' for fometime they made three diftinct Kingdoms (1) That of the Vandali or Silingi (2) That of the Alani (3) That of the Suevi, yet before, the other nine Kingdoms were compleated the Alani bad conquer'd the Vandali, and Siling; and the Goths had also conquer'd that of the Alani: and fo their remain'd but one Kingdom out of all these three. Which Reduction of these feveral Dominions to one, whereby the Kingdoms in the Roman Empire A. D. 456. were reduc'd tot the exact Prophetick Number of Ten, deferves to be particularly taken notice of by us. See Howel Pt. 3 p. 472. 473. & Pt. 2. f. 607.

Howel

year

Howel again. This year 413. as Caffiodorus and others obferve, P. 593. the Burgundians feized on part of Gall, lying toward the Rhine: for perceiving their own weakness, they had not any mind to strug"gle with, or oppofe Conftantius the Emperors General; but defired Peace: which he was not averfe to grant, left by an ill Succefs against them, he should ftain the Glory of his former Actions. 5. The Kingdom of the Visigoths takes its date A. D. 418, or 419. Of which alfo hear Howel. Vallia King of the Goths, having p. 612. profperonfly fought against the Vandals, and other Barbarians that had invaded that Countrey, dealt with Conftantius, that he and his Men might be receiv'd into Gal!; and there obtain place where they might Settle and Inhabit. And Conftantius was fo favourable to his Requeft, that he procur'd a fatisfactory Return from Honorius; fo as this very year 419. as writes Profper, or the preceding, as Marcellinus hath it, they were permitted to return out of Spain, and to plant and fix themselves in Gallia Aquitani'ca, from Tholoufe as far as the Ocean; which Region was after known by the Name of Gafcoign. 6. The Kingdom of the Vandals bears date from the year 435. as the fame Howel affures us. At the beginning of February A. D. 435. a Peace was made P.638. by Trigetius with Genferich and his Vandals; by virtue of which, they had affigned to them that part of Africk lying near Hippo to inhabit. 7 The Kingdom of the Britans evidently takes its date A. D. 447. as the fame Author gives us the Account. His words are thefe. From the time of Aëtius's third Confulship A. p. 665. 666. 'D.446. we find reafon to date the utter Revolt of the Britans from the Roman Empire. For the year after the third Confulship of Aëtius A. D. 447. She compleated that Refolution, which in this She must have thought of, and begun, of choofing a King to govern her, which was Vortigern, as he is commonly called. And to him does our Stow agree alfo (whofe Chronology is particularly commended by our late Judicious Hiftorian Mr Tyrrel) Now P. 52. the poor Remnant of the Britains directed Letters to Aétius thrice Conful; and yet for all their fuit, they not being able to obtain Aid of him, as he which had then both his hands full of Business and Battle at home, thought good to appoint over them fome King ; King; and fo with one confent A.D.447. they Elected Vortiger. 8. The Kingdom of the Oftrogoths is to be dated A. D. 454, as

Ff

Howel

P. 692.

Chronicon

p. 14.

Howel affures us. "The Goths upon the death of Attila, King of 'the Huns, and the retreat of thofe People A. D. 454 refolved ra'ther to use fair means, and defire a Country from the Empire, than with danger to invade the Territories of other Nations by force ; and fo receiv'd Pannonia. 9. The Kingdom of the Saxons takes it date, according to theSaxon Annals, A.D. 455. Their words are thefe. Hoc anno 455. Hengeftus & Horfa praliati funt cum "Vortigerno rege in loco qui appellatur Eglesford; & frater ejus Horfa occifus eft; atque poftea Hengeftus & fuus Filius Æfca "potiti funt regno. And Langhorn is very exprefs for the fame Regum Angl. year. Hoc ipfo anno [455. atque ab hoc ipfo tempore Cantianum Hengefti Regnum, fublato jam Horfo fratre, poteftatis conforte, exordium fumpfiffe ex probatiffimis Authoribus manifefto conftat. And fo is Dr. Howel. Hengeft, fays he, was made King of Kent by his Followers in the year 456. as Matthew Florilegus writes; or, as all the English Saxon Annals confent,in the year 455. Stow and others date it the next year. Stow's words are, 'Kent "the firft Kingdom poffeffed by the Saxons,had Kings as follows; Hen"gift was the first of the Saxons that made himself King of Kent, eight years after his entring into this Ifland, in the year of Chrift's Birth 456. And therefore from one of thofe years I date the Saxon Kingdom in Britain, tho' rather from A. D. 455. because of the unanimous confent of tall the Saxon Annals to that year. 10. The Kingdom of the Franks was formerly fuppofed to begin earlier; But Howel upon a more exact enquiry, both afferts and proves, that agreeably to Baronius's Annals, it

Hift. Pt. 4.
Sect. 3.

See Howel Pt 3. p. 327. to

333.

Anno poft adventum ipforum fexto iniiffe bellum Hengeft & Horfam contra Wirthgirnum in Campo Egelefthrip ibique interfectum Horfam, & Hengeft cepiffe regnum fcribit Fabius Ethelwerdus. Anno 455. proelium hoc commiffum fuiffe, atque Horfa cæfo Hengiftum regnum inuiffe Annales omnes Anglo-Saxonici confentiunt. Ad quem annum in Annalibus etiam Afferio Menevenfi attributis ita annotatum legimus; Bellum apud Can tiam in loco qui dicitur Ægelefthrep contra Britones & Regem Britonum Guir thegirnum; in quo cecidit Horfa, & frater ejus Hengiftus regnum fufcepit cum filio Oifc apud Cantuarios. Et in Florentii Wigornienfis Chronico Hengeft & Hors cum Wirtgerno Britonum Rege in loco qui dicitur Ægelethrep pugnavere; & licet in ea pugna Hors occifus effet, Hengeft tamen vi &toriam habuit; & poft hoc cum filio fuo Efc regnare cœpit. Ufferii Britans Ecclef Antiq. p. 121.