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To conform this prophetic resemblance of the French republic to a "dragon," we must. consider the nature and qualities ascribed to that animal. The idea entertained of it from remote antiquity, is that of "a serpent, of a prodigious size, of a monstrous shape, superior "in strength to all other beasts, and as having "two wings." 1. Republican France has shown her resemblance to a serpent, in her cunning, numerous frauds, and fair promises of conferring on the people the rights of liberty, equality, and sovereignty; none of which has she suffered them to enjoy. 2. She is a republic of prodigious size, greater by far than any other ever yet known upon the earth. All the ancient as well as modern democracies or republics, have consisted only of a few associated people; but the people of France are more numerous than those of any other state in the world, the Chinese only excepted. 3. She is a republic, monstrous in the form of her constitution, which has been established on principles unnatural, and subversive of the end of civil society; contrary to those of all political institutions hitherto known. Indeed, her form is as monstrous as that of a man with his head where his feet, and his feet where his head should be; for her sovereign power is placed in the people, who are to be governed by it. And lastly, she is a republic accurately described by "a beast with two wings;" a figure to denote the impetuosity and rapidity of her actions, both civil and military. In like manner,

Daniel foretels the exploits of Alexander, the hero and founder of the Grecian empire, by a leopard with four wings*, to prefigure the extent and rapidity of his conquests, St. John also, in the book I am treating oft, describes Pagan and imperial Rome by the type of a great red dragon, to point out its bloody and rapid persecutions of the church of Christ. So here the same prophet prefigures the power typified under the similitude of a beast, by the same winged animal; and with which the actions and exploits of the republic, correspond with wonderful accuracy. They have been sudden, impetuous, and rapid in the greatest degree. The dethronement of the monarch, the abolition of all the titles and rights of the ancient nobility, the exile and extirpation of the clergy, the depression of all religion, the establishment of atheism, &c. &c. &c. in the civil line, were all done, as it were on the spur of the occasion; and in the military career, the conquest of Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, and many of the cities of Germany; whose strong fortifications had often repelled the attempts of the most powerful monarchs of France, but which now, like the walls of Jerico, fell before her, without assault: to which are to be added her rapid flights over those immense mountains the Pyrenees into Spain, and over the Alps into the heart of Italy, dictating laws, dethroning princes, overthrowing states, † Chap. xii. 3.

*

Chap. vii. 6.

and carrying rapine, havoc and destruction in her train, wherever she winged her desolating

way.

But to descend from these general marks to a more particular meaning of the text: the beast is said to "speak as a dragon," to denote that the laws and decrees of the power foretold, would be such, as we might suppose would be decreed and carried into execution, by that most fierce, cruel, powerful, and destructive of all animals; or, in other words, that they would be laws and decrees more arbitrary and subversive of the just rights of mankind, than those of any state ever before known in the world. As the language of a man is known by his words, so the language of a state, or body politic, is only known by its laws, decrees, or public orders. By them alone it speaks and proclaims its will to the people, and communicates its views respecting foreign nations. We are thus naturally led to look for the language of a "dragon" in the laws and public orders of some civil power; and if we cannot find it in the decrees and orders of the republic of France, we confess that any application of the text there must be erroneous. However, we have just before taken a summary view of a few of them, now well known to the world. By them we remember she has destroyed one of the greatest monarchies upon the earth; annihilated its ancient nobility, and robbed them of their rights; banished or massacred its numerous clergy, and seized upon their im

mense revenues; and suppressed the national religion, and indeed all religion whatever, and established an impious system of atheism in its stead. By them such of her own people as would not appear in the field of battle, to compel the rest of mankind to embrace her blasphemous liberty, have been destroyed. All who would not, upon demand, give up their gold, silver, and any other profitable medium of their labour and industry, for paper of no value; all whom she thought proper to stigmatize with the name of Fanatics, or Moderates (meaning those who dared to differ in opinion from her either in religion or politics); and all who would not unite in compelling mankind to embrace the wild and iniquitous plan of atheistical liberty and equality, were the objects of her draconiac decrees. Nor has she acted less dragon-like in the execution of them; for incalculable numbers of innocent men, women, and even infants unborn, have been destroyed by her dreadful instruments of death, the guillotine, French baths, the cannon, and musket and in short, that no doubt might exist of her being the true proto-type of the dragon," she has sworn eternal hatred to kings, and by a most savage and murderous decree, ordered her generals to give no quarter to the vanquished, though supplicating for mercy*.

Ver. 12,-" And he (the beast of the

*This was written at the period of that decree,

earth) exerciseth all the powers of the first "beast (Papal Rome) before him, and caus"eth the earth, and them that dwell therein, "to worship the first beast, whose deadly "wound was healed" (or pagan and imperial Rome.)

At the first view, this verse, like many other parts of the prophecies, before the events intended to fulfil and explain them came to pass, seems rather obscure; but since the rise of the French republic the obscurity is no more: for the prophet evidently refers to three beasts or wicked powers. The first, by the pronoun he, the second word in this verse, the reference is to the "beast of the earth, or the French republic;" the next to " the beast of the sea," or the church of Rome; and lastly to the "dragon," or pagan or imperial Rome. In making these references to the two last-mentioned powers, he calls them both the first beasts, when it is evident they could not both be first in respect to time; and yet, upon a little consideration of the context, it appears that both are properly described by the expression. The "beast of the sea," or papal Rome, is the beast first described, before the "beast of the earth" in this chapter; and therefore properly referred to as the first beast mentioned in it; and the " great red dragon," or imperial and pagan Rome, was the first great beast, or enemy of the church of Christ, and first before papal Rome in respect to date.