been
encircled by the crowns,--to that represented by the horns. There is great
unanimity among Protestant writers, in regarding these as the first ten
kingdoms which existed in the western empire arising during the period of
its decline, viz:

1. The Huns in Hungary, from A. D. 356.

2. The Ostrogoths in Mysia, from A. D. 377. They invaded Italy, and
conquered the Heruli in 493; and were defeated in 538 by Justinian, when
the Pope was placed in quiet possession of the capital of Rome.

3. The Visigoths in Pannonia, from A. D. 378 to 408, when they removed to
the south of France till 585. They then removed to, and subjugated Spain.

4. The Franks in France, from A. D. 407.

5. The Vandals in Spain, from A. D. 407 till 427, when they removed to
Africa, and continued an independent kingdom till subjugated by Justinian
in 533.

6. The Suevi and Alans in Gascoigne and Spain, from 407 till 585.

7. The Burgundians in Burgundy, from A. D. 407 till 524, when they became
subject for a time to the Franks; but afterwards they arose again to an
independent kingdom.

8. The Heruli, who advanced into Italy under Attila, and in 476 terminated
the imperial rule by the dethronement of Agustulus. They were in turn
conquered by the Ostrogoths in A. D. 493.

9. The Saxons and Angles in Britain from about A. D. 450. And,

10. The Lombards in Germany, from A. D. 483.

The name of blasphemy, on the heads of this beast, identifies it as the
successor and representative of the persecuting power which sought the
life of the Man-child, (12:4), and caused the woman to flee to the
wilderness, 12:14.

Its characteristics resemble those of the lion, bear, and leopard, of
Daniel's vision (Dan. 7:4-6), which respectively symbolized the
Babylonian, Medo-Persian, and Grecian kingdoms. These mark it as their
successor--synchronizing with Daniel's ten-horned nondescript beast, (Dan.
7:7); which was the fourth kingdom that should exist on the earth, and the
ten horns of which, symbolized the same ten-fold partition of the Roman
empire.

His power, seat, and great authority being given by the dragon, is another
evidence that it is a continuation of that fourth kingdom succeeding to
its sovereignty. The laws of the ancient empire were generally adopted by
the ten kingdoms, which assumed and exercised the prerogatives of ancient
Rome. Says Bossuet: "Whoever carefully examines the laws of the Theodosian
and Justinian codes against heretics, wil