the division of the _Roman_ Empire
into the _Greek_ and _Latin_ Empires, the Beast is included in the body of
the Dragon; and from the time of that division, the Beast is the _Latin_
Empire only. Hence the Dragon and Beast have the same heads and horns; but
the heads are crowned upon the Dragon, and the horns upon the Beast. The
horns are ten kingdoms, into which the Beast becomes divided presently
after his separation from the Dragon, as hath been described above. The
heads are seven successive dynasties, or parts, into which the _Roman_
Empire becomes divided by the opening of the seven seals. Before the woman
fled into the wilderness, _she being with child_ of a Christian Empire,
_cried travelling_, viz. in the ten years persecution of _Dioclesian_, _and
pained to be delivered: and the Dragon_, the heathen _Roman_ Empire, _stood
before her, to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought
forth a man child, who_ at length _was to rule all nations with a rod of
iron. And her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne_ in the
Temple, by the victory of _Constantine_ the great over _Maxentius_: _and
the woman fled_ from the Temple _into the wilderness_ of _Arabia_ to
_Babylon_, _where she hath a place_ of riches and honour and dominion, upon
the back of the Beast, _prepared of God, that they should feed her there
1260 days. And there was war in heaven_, between the heathens under
_Maximinus_ and the new Christian Empire; _and the great Dragon was cast
out, that old serpent, which deceiveth the whole world_, the spirit of
heathen idolatry; _he was cast out_ of the throne _into the earth. And they
overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony;
and they loved not their lives unto the death_.

_And when the Dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the
woman which brought forth the man child_, stirring up a new persecution
against her in the reign of _Licinius_. _And to the woman_, by the building
of _Constantinople_ and equalling it to _Rome_, _were given two wings of a
great eagle, that she might flee into the wilderness into her place_ upon
the back of her Beast, _where she is nourished for a time, and times, and
half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent_, upon the death
of _Constantine_ the great, _cast out of his mouth water as a flood_, viz.
the _Western_ Empire under _Constantine junior_ and _Constans_, _after the
woman: that he might cause her