set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not
be left to other people; but it shall break in pieces, and consume all
these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that
the stone was cut out of the mountains without hands, and that it brake in
pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver and the gold._

Notes to Chap. III.

[1] Chap. ii. 41, &c.

* * * * *

CHAP. IV.

_Of the vision of the four Beasts._

In the next vision, which is of the four Beasts, the Prophecy of the four
Empires is repeated, with several new additions; such as are the two wings
of the Lion, the three ribs in the mouth of the Bear, the four wings and
four heads of the Leopard, the eleven horns of the fourth Beast, and the
son of man coming in the clouds of Heaven, to the Antient of Days sitting
in judgment.

The first Beast was like a lion, and had eagle's wings, to denote the
kingdoms of _Babylonia_ and _Media_, which overthrew the _Assyrian_ Empire,
and divided it between them, and thereby became considerable, and grew into
great Empires. In the former Prophecy, the Empire of _Babylonia_ was
represented by the head of gold; in this both Empires are represented
together by the two wings of the lion. _And I beheld,_ saith [1] _Daniel_,
_till the wings thereof were pluckt, and it was lifted up from the earth,