of the west; and the letters, by which he committed to the new states the care of their own safety, might be interpreted as an absolute and perpetual abdication of the exercise and rights of sovereignty. This interpretation was in some measure justified by the event. After the usurpers of Gaul had successively fallen, the maritime provinces were restored to the empire. Yet their obedience was imperfect and precarious; the vain, inconstant, rebellious disposition of the people was incompatible either with freedom or servitude; and Armorica, though it could not long maintain the form of a republic, was agitated by frequent and destructive revolts."

Gibbon then concludes his history of these events, so important in the annals of the West, and his 31st chapter, by expressively recording the fulfilment of the last of the Apocalyptic terms,-" And the third part of the ships were destroyed "-in these words:-" Britain was irrecoverably lost." He continues, "But as the emperors wisely acquiesced in the independence of a remote province, the separation was not embittered by the reproach of tyranny or rebellion; and the claims of allegiance and protection were succeeded by the mutual and voluntary offices of national friendship."

The sceptic historian having unconsciously illustrated the second trumpet's symbols and sounds, in language fitting the necessities of consistent interpretation, further notice is unnecessary to enforce the application. It must however be remembered that the dry facts of history have alone been given. Such abundant materials almost tempt the imagination to depart from the truthfully austere descriptions of Gibbon, and to indulge itself in the warmer atmosphere of poetic or dramatic effect; but as that historian has been too faithful an interpreter to be deserted without loss to ourselves, our exposition will probably be better supported by adhering to the steady course we have hitherto pursued. We have seen that the foreshown events of the second trumpet have been fulfilled in the denoted maritime provinces, Spain, Gaul, and Britain: in Spain "the third part of the sea became blood;" in Gaul "the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died;" and in

Britain "the third part of the ships were destroyed." Nor must we omit to notice, before passing to the sounding of the third trumpet, the interesting corroborations supplied by the opposing influences which history has shown us to have been manifested immediately on a course being adopted, the success of which would have interfered with the accurate fulfilment of the events foreshown; for it will be remembered that the fleets of Alaric, as well as of Wallia, as soon as directed against the coast of Africa, were immediately destroyed by furious tempests, suddenly baffling those efforts, the success of which would have included Africa as a theatre of the events following the sounding of the second trumpet, and prevented that province from performing its part in the events foreshown to follow the sounding of the third. As those events will form the opening of our next, we may close this lecture with the remark, that though the interest attached to the events we have been considering, and their marked fulfilment, can scarcely be surpassed, the Apocalyptic terms of the third trumpet warrant the expectation that it will at least be equalled by that attached to the events and their fulfilment, to be next considered.

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LECTURE VII.

THE THIRD TRUMPET.

Rev. viii. 10, 11. A.D. 427-468.

THE commencing subject of our seventh lecture is thus expressed :

"And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; and the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter."

It will be observed that these symbols and terms differ from those of the second trumpet in their characteristics more than in their effect. In the place of a mountain burning with fire, we now have a great star falling from heaven, burning as it were a lamp. The contrast between the fiery eruptions of a volcano and the steady burning of a lamp necessitates a corresponding contrast in their illustration. Then, in the place of the sea, we have rivers and fountains of waters, which immediately suggests that, as the sea in its literal sense points out the locality of the maritime provinces, so the rivers in their literal sense point out the inland provinces; and that, as the symbolic sea fitly represents a deluge of foreign invaders,—an interpretation we have seen to be verified by historic fact,-so the symbolic rivers and fountains of waters would fitly signify the inhabitants of the inland Roman provinces; those of the maritime provinces not under the barbarian yoke, or “sea; and especially those of the Roman capital and principal cities. These distinctions therefore, it will be seen, embrace the inhabitants of the western provinces not directly indicated or affected by the sound of the second trumpet. And then, as to the effect: whilst the symbols and terms of the

second trumpet foreshowing it were of a three-fold character, only the term "died" is now employed; and as that term was also used in the previous figure, the interpretation then given must be adopted in this instance also. Whilst, therefore, the characteristics of the symbols widely differ and a change of locality is pointed out, the nature of the effect following the sounding of the two trumpets is very much the same.

From the foregoing it will be seen that, "There fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp," requires for consistent illustration, not a fierce barbarian spreading fire and slaughter on all sides, but a distinguished Roman functionary seen to be degraded from his official position, but, notwithstanding his degradation, continuing to take part in the foreshown events. "And it fell upon a third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; and the name of the star was called Wormwood; and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter," requires from history to show, that this functionary, by the practice of deceitthe bitterness of deceit and of wormwood being identical expressions--instilled the spirit of rebellion, or caused the introduction of foreign enemies, amongst the Roman people of the western provinces not included under the second trumpet; that one-third of the Apocalyptic area was completely subjected to, and perhaps subdued by, the consequences of that deceit; and that over a large portion of that area, political life, as a further consequence, was extinguished -the Roman functionary, it must be borne in mind, not contributing to the result any further than by having called into action the forces which ultimately accomplished it. And as under the second trumpet the term "died" was found to have been literally, as well as symbolically, fulfilled, so, in this case also, it may be expected that the symbolically foreshown political extinction was accompanied by a literal destruction of cities and of human life.

On again taking up Gibbon, he is found ascribing to Ætius, one of the master-generals of the Roman armies of the west, exactly the character and conduct required by the

Apocalyptic terms; we shall, therefore, (the 32nd chapter being devoted to the history of the Eastern empire) now resume our extracts from that historian's 33rd chapter, in which Etius is introduced on the scene. The date is A.D. 427 to 439. After noticing the deaths of Honorius and of the usurper John; the elevation of Valentinian III. to the throne of the West, and the administration of his mother Placidia, Gibbon says:

"Amidst the decay of military spirit, the armies of Placidia were commanded by two generals, Ætius and Boniface, who may be deservedly named as the last of the Romans. Their union might have supported a sinking empire; their discord was the fatal and immediate cause of the loss of Africa. The invasion and defeat of Attila have immortalized the fame of Etius; and though time has thrown a shade over the exploits of his rival, the defence of Marseilles and the deliverance of Africa, attest the military talents of Count Boniface. The abilities of Etius and Boniface might have been usefully employed against the public enemies, in separate and important commands; but the experience of their past conduct should have decided the real favour of the Empress Placidia. In the melancholy season of her exile and distress, Boniface alone had maintained her cause with unshaken fidelity; and the troops and treasures of Africa had essentially contributed to extinguish the rebellion. The same rebellion had been supported by the zeal and activity of Etius, who brought an army of sixty thousand Huns from the Danube to the confines of Italy, for the service of the usurper. The untimely death of John compelled him to accept an advantageous treaty; but he still continued, the subject and the soldier of Valentinian, to entertain a secret, perhaps a treasonable correspondence with his barbarian allies, whose retreat had been purchased by liberal gifts and more liberal promises. But Etius possessed an advantage of singular moment in a female reign he was present: he besieged with artful and assiduous flattery the palace of Ravenna; disguised his dark designs with the mask of loyalty and friendship; and at length deceived both his mistress and his absent rival by a subtle con