"twelve hundred and ninety one of the

christian ra, that Othman first in"vaded the territory of Nicomedia. And the fingular accuracy of the date "feems to difclose fome forefight of the

rapid and deftructive growth of the "monfter." Such are the remarkable words of this fingular writer, who is perpetually blafpheming revelation, and as perpetually bearing teftimony to its truth. "Prepared, fays the text, for "the hour (a particular hour, as mark"ed in the oiginal by the use of the

article)" “and day, and month, and

year" And the fingular accuracy of the date obferved by the hiftorian, of these four periods mentions no less than three; the day, the month, the year. While in the principal atchievement of this power, when it had arrived at maturity, through the attachment of Mahomet the fecond to aftrology, he had fixed for the attack by which Conftantinople

Conftantinople was taken," on the twenty ninth of May, fays Mr. Gibbon, as the fortunate and fatal hour." And again" but in this

66

66

great and general attack, the military judgement and aftrological knowledge of Mahomet "advised him to expect the morning, the memorable twenty ninth of May, in the fourteen hundred and fifty third year of the chriftian Era.---At day break, without the customary fignal "of the morning gun, the turks affault"ed the city by sea and land.”*

Nor

* The reader who has feen Bp. Newton's interpretations of this paffage, may be furprifed at finding, that though he has fo well proved its completion in that fense, I have not adopted it, but I have above affigned my reafon from the text itself; at the fame time, I do not mean time to affert that it has not alfo the fignification which he has afcribed to it, nor will I even venture to deny

N

Nor in this chief transaction of the Ottomans do we find a remarkable coincidence with the prediction of St. John only, but with that too of Daniel; in proof of which, I lay before the reader the following paffage, int is per

plexity te genius of Mahomet con"ceived and executed, a plan of a bold "and m rvellos caft. of transporting

by land his lighter veffels and military "flores rom the ofph rus into the higher part of the harbour. The diftance is about ten miles; the ground is un ven, and was overspread with thickets; and as the road must be

46

deny the probability of the rifing generations feeing it completed in yet a further fenfe; that of this powers keeping poffeffion of the capital of the Ealtern empire, for a time commenfurate with that mentioned in the prediction, in which cafe the Ottomans will not be driven from Conftantinople, till the month of June, in the year one thousand, eight hundred and forty four.

opened behind the fuburb of Galata, "their free paffage or total deftruction "muft depend on the opinion of the "Genoefe, But these felfish merchants "were ambitious of the favour of being "the laft devoured; and the deficiency "of art was fupplied by the ftrength of "obedient Myriads. A level way was "covered with a broad platform of strong "and folid planks; and to render them

66.

66 oxen.

66

more flippery and smooth, they were "anointed with the fat of fheep and Fourfcore light gallies and brigantines of fifty and thirty oars "were difembarked † on the Bofphorous "fhore; arranged fuceffively on rollers; "and drawn forward by the power of men and pullies. Two guides or

+ Unless thefe veffels were bef re on board fome others, this is, to be fure, a very abfurd term, but it is Mr. Gibbon's.

pilots were flationed at the helm, and

the prow of each veffel: the fails were "unfurled to the winds; and the la"bour was cheered by fong and accla"mation. In the courfe of a fingle "night this Turkish fleet painfully "climbed the hill, fteered over the plain, and was launched from the

declivity into the fhallow waters of "the harbour, far above the moleftati"on of the deeper veffels of the Greeks. "The real importance of this operation.

was magnified by the confternation " and confidence which it infpired; "but the notorious, unquestionable,

fact was displayed before the eyes, and "is recorded by the pens of the two "nations." (Ch. 68) Is there nothing to ftrike the mind in the agreement of this extraordinary anecdote with these words of the prophet.---" And the King of the "North fhall come against him like a whirlwind, with many fhips: and he "fhall