LORD  BYRON  and  his  TIMES
Byron
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[James Hogg], [John Wilson], [John Gibson Lockhart]
Translation from an Ancient Chaldee Manuscript.
Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine  Vol. 2  No. 12  (October 1817)  89-96.
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BLACKWOOD’S
EDINBURGH MAGAZINE.



No. XII. OCTOBER, 1817. Vol. II.





TRANSLATION FROM AN ANCIENT CHALDEE MANUSCRIPT.

[The present age seems destined to witness the recovery of many admirable pieces of writing, which had been supposed to be lost for ever. The Eruditi of Milan are not the only persons who have ta boast of being the instruments of these resuscitations. We have been favoured with the following translation of a Chaldee MS. which if preserved in the great Library of Paris (Salle 2d, No 53, B.A.M.M.), by a gentleman whose attainments in Oriental Learning are well known to the public. It is said that the celebrated Silvester De Sacy is at present occupied with a publication of the original. It will be prefaced by an Inquiry into the Age when it was written, and the name of the writer.]

Chapter I.

1 And I saw in my dream, and behold one like the messenger of a King came toward me from the east, and he took me up and carried me into the midst of the great city that looketh toward the north and toward the east, and ruleth over every people, and kindred, and tongue, that handle the pen of the writer.

2 And he said unto me, Take heed what thou seest, for great things shall come of it,—the moving of a straw shall be as the whirlwind, and the shaking of a reed as the great tempest.

3 And I looked, and behold a man clothed in plain apparel stood in the door of his house: and I saw his name, and the number of his name; and his name was as it had been the colour of ebony, and his number was the number of a maiden, when the days of the years of her virginity have expired.

4 And I turned mine eyes, and behold two beasts came from the land of the borders of the South; and when I saw them I wondered with great admiration.

5 The one beast was like unto a lamb, and the other like unto a bear; and they had wings on their heads; their faces also were like the faces of men, the joints of their legs like the polished cedars of Lebanon, and their feet like the feet of horses preparing to go forth to battle: and they arose and they came onward over the face of the earth, and they touched not the ground as they went.

6 And they came unto the man who was clothed in plain apparel, and stood in the door of his house.

7 And they said unto him, Give us of thy wealth, that we may eat and live, and thou shall enjoy the fruits of our labours for a time, times, or half a time.

8 And he answered and said unto thou. What will you unto me whereunto I may employ you?

9 And the one said, I will teach the people of thy land to till and to sow; to reap the harvest and gather the sheaves into the barn; to feed their flocks, and enrich themselves with the wool.

10 And the other said, I will teach the children of thy people to know and discern betwixt right and wrong, the good and the evil, and in all things that relate to learning, and knowledge, and understanding.

11 And they proffered unto him a Book; and they said unto him, Take thou this, and give us a piece of money, that we may eat and drink that our souls may live.

12 And we will put words into the Book that shall astonish the children of thy people; and it shall be a light unto thy feet, and a lamp unto thy path; it shall also bring bread to thy household, and a portion to thy maidens.

13 And the man hearkened to their voice, and he took the Book and gave them a piece of money, and they went away rejoicing in heart. And I heard a great noise, as if it had been the noise of many chariots, and of horsemen horsing upon their horses.

14 But after many days they put no words into the Book, and the man was astonied and waxed wroth, and he said unto them, What is this that you
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have done unto me, and how shall I answer those to whom I am engaged? And they said, What is this unto us? see thou to that.

15 And the man wist not what for to do; and he called together the friends of his youth, and all those whose heart was as his heart, and he entreated them, and they put words into the Book, and it went forth abroad, and all the world wondered after the Book, and after the two beasts that had put such amazing words into the Book.

16 ¶ Now in those days, there lived also a man who was crafty in counsel, and cunning in all manner of working:

17 And I beheld the man, and he was comely and well-favoured, and he had a notable horn in his forehead wherewith he ruled the nations.

18 And I saw the horn, that it had eyes, and a mouth speaking great things, and it magnified itself even to the Prince of the Host, and it cast down the truth to the ground, and it grew and prospered.

19 And when this man saw the Book, and beheld the things that were in the Book, he was troubled in spirit, and much cast down.

20 And he said unto himself, Why stand I idle here, and why do I not bestir myself? Lo! this Book shall become a devouring sword in the hand of mine adversary, and with it will he root up or loosen the horn that is in my forehead, and the hope of my gains shall perish from the face of the earth.

21 And he hated the Book, and the two beasts that had put words into the Book, for he judged according to the reports of men; nevertheless, the man was crafty in counsel, and more cunning than his fellows.

22 And he said unto the two beasts, Come ye and put your trust under the shadow of my wings, and we will destroy the man whose name is as ebony, and his Book.

23 And I will tear it in pieces, and cast it out like dung upon the face of the earth.

24 And we will tread him down as the dust of the streets, and trample him under our feet; and we will break him to pieces, and grind him to powder, and cast him into the brook Kedron.

25 And I will make of you a great name; and I will place you next to the horn that is in my forehead, and it shall be a shelter to you in the day of great adversity; and it shall defend you from the horn of the unicorn, and from the might of the Bulls of Bashan.

26 And you shall be watchers and a guard unto it from the emmet and the spider, and the toad after his kind.

27 And from the mole that walketh in darkness, and from the blow-fly after his kind, and the canker-worm after his kind, and the maggot after his kind.

28 And by these means you shall wax very great, for the things that are low shall be exalted.

29 And the two beasts gave ear unto him; and they came over unto him, and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth

30 ¶ But when the tidings of these things came to the man who was clothed in plain apparel, he was sore dismayed, and his countenance fell.

31 And it repented him that he had taken the Book, or sent it forth abroad: and he said, I have been sore deceived and betrayed; but I will of myself yield up the Book, and burn it with fire, and give its ashes to the winds of heaven.

32 But certain that were there present said unto him, Why art thou dismayed? and why is thy countenance fallen? Go to now; gird up thy loins like a man, and call unto thee thy friends, and the men of thine household, and thou shalt behold and see that they that are for thee are more and mightier than those that be against thee.

33 And when the man whose name was as ebony, and whose number was the number of a maiden when the days of the years of her virginity have expired, heard this saying, he turned about;

34 And he took from under his girdle a gem of curious workmanship of silver, made by the hand of a cunning artificer, and overlaid within with pure gold; and he took from thence something in colour like unto the dust of the earth, or the ashes that remain of a furnace, and he snuffed it up like the east wind, and returned the gem again into its place.

35 Whereupon he opened his mouth, and he said unto them, As thou hast spoken, so shall it be done.

36 Woe unto all them that take part with the man who is crafty in counsel, and with the two beasts!

Translation from and Ancient Chaldee Manuscript 91

37 For I will arise and increase my strength, and come upon them like the locust of the desert, to abolish and overwhelm, and to destroy, and to pass over.

38 So he called together the wise men of the city, both from the Old City and from the city which is on this side of the valley, even the New City, which looketh towards the north; and the wise men came.

39 And, lo! there stood before him an aged man, whose hair was white as snow, and in whose hand there was a mirror, wherein passed to and fro the images of the ancient days.

40 And he said, Behold, I am stricken in years, mine eyes are dim. What will ye that I do unto you? Seek ye them that are young.

41 And all the young men that were there lifted up their voice and said, We have sat at thy feet all the days of the years which we have lived upon the earth; and that which we know is thine, and our learning is thine; and as thou sayest, even so will we do.

42 And he said unto them, Do ye what is meet in this thing, and let not our friend be discomfited, neither let the man which is crafty rejoice, nor the two beasts.

43 And when he had said this, he arose and went away; and all the young men arose up, and humbled themselves before him when he went away.

44 Then spake the man clothed in plain apparel to the great magician who dwelleth in the old fastness, hard by the river Jordan, which is by the Border. And the magician opened his mouth, and said, Lo! my heart wisheth thy good, and let the thing prosper which is in thy hands to do it.

45 But thou seest that my hands ore full of working, and my labour is great. For lo I have to feed all the people of my land, and none knoweth whence his food cometh, but each man openeth his mouth, and my hand filleth it with pleasant things.

46 Moreover, thine adversary also is of my familiars.

47 The land is before thee, draw thou up thy hosts for the battle in the place of Princes, over against thine adversary, which hath his station near the mount of the Proclamation; quit ye as men, and let favour be shewn unto him which is most valiant.

48 Yet be thou silent, peradventure will I help thee some little.

49 So he made request also unto a wise man which had come out of Joppa, where the ships are, one that had sojourned in far countries, whose wisdom is great above all the children of the east, one which teacheth the sons of the honourable men, and speaketh wonderful things in the schools of the learned men,

50 One which speaketh of trees and of beasts, and of fowl and of creeping things, and of fishes, from the great Leviathan that is in the deep sea even unto the small muscle which dwelleth in the shell of the rock,

51 Moreover, of all manner of precious stones, and of the ancient mountains, and of the moving of the great waters.

52 One which had been led before the Chief Priests, and lauded of them for smiting a worshipper of Fire in the land, which being interpreted, signifieth bread.

53 And he said, Behold, here is a round stone, set thou that in a ring, and put the ring upon thy finger, and behold while the ring is upon thy finger, thou shall have no fear of the man which is crafty, neither of the two beasts.

54 Then the man spake to a wise man which had a light in his hand and a crown of pearls upon his head, and he said, Behold I will brew a sharp poison for the man which is crafty and his two beasts. Wait ye till I come. So he arose also and went his way.

55 Also to a wise young man, which is learned in the law, even as his father was learned, and who lifteth up his voice in the courts of the treasury of our Lord the King, with his fellow, who is one of the sons of the Prophets.

56 He spake also to a learned man who sendeth all the King's messengers to the four corners of the great city, each man clothed in scarlet, and bearing a bundle of letters, touching the affairs of men, in his right hand.

57 He spake also unto a sweet singer, who is cunning to play upon all stringed instruments, who weareth a charm upon his bosom, even a stone, whereon is engraved ancient writing. And he framed songs, and waxed very wroth against the horn which is in the forehead of the man which is crafty.

58 Also to one who had been a
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physician in his youth, and who had dwelt with the keeper of the gates of the wise men.

59 But he was now a dealer in wine and oil, and in the fishes which are taken in the nets of the people of the west.

60 Also in strong drink.

61 Then sent he for one cunning in sharp instruments and edged tools, even in razors; but he had taken unto himself a wife, and could not come.

62 But behold, while they were yet speaking, they heard a voice of one screeching at the gate, and the voice was a sharp voice, even like the voice of the unclean bird which buildeth its nest in the corner of the temple, and defileth the holy places.

63 But they opened not the door, neither answered they a word to the voice of its screaming. So the unclean thing flew away, neither could they find any trace of its going.

64 And there was a silence in the assembly. And behold, when they began to speak, they were too many, neither could the man know what was the meaning of their counsel, for they spake together, and the voice of their speaking was mingled.

65 So the man was sore perplexed, and he wist not what for to do.

Chap. II.

1 Now, behold, as soon as they were gone, he sat down in his inner chamber, which looketh toward the street of Oman, and the road of Gabriel, as thou goest up into the land of Ambrose, and the man leaned with his face upon his hand.

2 And while he was yet musing, there stood before him a man clothed in dark garments, having a veil upon his head; and there was a rod in his hand.

3 And he said, Arise, let not thine heart be discouraged, neither let it be afraid.

4 Behold, if thou wilt listen unto me, I will deliver thee out of all thy distresses, neither shall any be able to touch a hair of thy head.

5 And when the man heard the voice of his speaking, behold there was in his voice courage, and in his counsel boldness. And he said unto him, Do thou as it seemeth unto thee; as thou sayest even so will I do.

6 And the man who had come in answered and said, Behold I will call mighty creatures which will comfort thee, and destroy the power of thy adversary, and will devour the two beasts.

7 So he gave unto the man in plain apparel a tablet, containing the names of those upon whom he should call. And when he called they came; and whomsoever he asked he came.

8 And the man with the veil stood by, but there was a cloud about him, neither could they which came see him, nor tell who it was that compelled their coming.

9 And they came in the likeness of living things, but I knew not who they were which came.

10 And the first which came was after the likeness of the beautiful leopard, from the valley of the palm trees, whose going forth was comely as the grey-hound, and his eyes like the lightning of fiery flame.

11 And the second was the lynx that lurketh behind the white cottage on the mountains.

12 There came also, from a far country, the scorpion, which delighted to sting the faces of men, that he might sting sorely the countenance of the man which is crafty, and of the two beasts.

13 Also the great wild boar from the forest of Lebanon, and he roused up his spirit, and I saw him whetting his dreadful tusks for the battle.

14 And the griffin came with a roll of the names of those whose blood had been shed between his teeth: and I saw him standing over the body of one that had been buried long in the grave, defending it from all men; and behold there were none which durst come near him.

15 Also the black eagle of the desart, whose cry is as the sound of an unknown tongue, which flieth over the ruins of the ancient cities, and hath his dwelling among the tombs of the wise men.

16 Also the stork which buildeth upon the house-top, and devoureth all manner of unclean things, and all beetles, and all manner of flies, and much worms.

17 And the hyæna that escheweth the light, and cometh forth at the evening tide to raise up and gnaw the bones of the dead, and is as a riddle unto the vain man.

18 And the beagle and the slow-hound after their kind, and all
Translation from and Ancient Chaldee Manuscript93
the beasts of the field, more than could be numbered, they were so many.

19 ¶ And when they were all gathered together, the man which was clothed in plain apparel looked round about, and his heart was right merry when he saw the mighty creatures which had come in unto him, and heard the tumult of their voices, and the noise of the flapping of their wings.

20 And he lifted up his voice, and shouted with a great shout, and said, Behold, I am increased greatly, and I will do terrible things to the man who is crafty and to his two beasts.

21 And he sent away a swift messenger for a physician, which healeth all manner of bruises, and wounds, and putrifying sores, lest that he should go for to heal up the wounds of the man which is crafty, or of his two beasts.

22 (Now this physician was a mild man, neither was there any gall within him, yet he went not.)

Chap. III.

1 And while these things were yet doing, I heard a great rushing, and the sound as of a mighty wind: and I looked over the valley into the old city, and there was a tumult over against the mount of Proclamation.

3 For when tidings of these things came to the man which was crafty, his heart died within him, and he waxed sore afraid.

3 And he said unto himself, What is this? Behold, mine adversary is very mighty, neither can I go forth to fight him: for whom have I save myself only, and my two beasts?

4 And while he was yet speaking, the two beasts stood before him.

5 And the beast which was like unto a bear said, Behold, it is yet harvest, and how can I leave my corn which is in the fields? If I go forth to make war upon the man whose name is as ebony, the Philistines will come into my farm, and carry away all the full sheaves which are ready.

6 And the beast which was like unto a lamb answered and said, Lo! my legs are weary, and the Egyptians which were wont for to carry me are clean gone; and wherewithal shall I go forth to make war upon the man whose name is as ebony?

7 Nevertheless will I put a sweet song against him into thy Book.

8 But the man which was crafty answered and said, Unprofitable generation! ye have given unto me a horn which is empty, and a horse which hath no feet. If ye go not forth to fight with mine adversary, deliver me up the meat which I have given unto you, and the penny which ye have of me, that I may hire others who will fight with the man whose name is as ebony.

9 And the beasts spake not at all, neither answered they him one word.

10 But as they sat before him, the beast which was like unto a bear took courage: and he opened his mouth and said,

11 O man, thou hast fed me heretofore, and whatever entereth within my lips is thine. Why now should we fall out about this thing?

12 Call unto thee thy counsellors, the spirits, and the wise men, and the magicians, if haply they may advise thee touching the man whose name is as ebony, and the creatures which are within his gates. Whatsoever they say, that shall be done.

13 Yet the man was not pleased, neither was his countenance lightened: nevertheless, he did even as the beast said.

14 So he called unto him a familiar spirit, unto whom he had sold himself.

15 But the spirit was a wicked spirit and a cruel: so he answered and said, Lo, have not I put great might into the horn which is in thy forehead? What more said I ever that I would do unto thee? Thy soul is in my hands: do as thou listest in this thing.

16 But the man entreated him sorely, yet he listened not: for he had great fear of the vision of the m»n who was clothed in dark garments, and who had a veil upon his head;

17 (For he was of the seed of those which have command over the devils.)

18 And while the beasts were yet looking, lo, he was not;

19 For even in the twinkling of an eye he was present in the courts of the palace, to tempt the souls of the chief priests, and the scribes, and all those which administer the law for the king, and to deliver some malefactors which he loved out of their hand.

20 ¶ Then the man called with a loud voice on some other spirits, in whom he put his trust.

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21 And the first was a cunning spirit, which hath his dwelling in the secret places of the earth, and hath command over the snow and the hail, and is as a pestilence unto the poor man: for when he is hungry he lifteth up the lid of his meal-garnel, to take out meal, and lo! it is full of strong ice.

22 And the second was a little blind spirit, which hath a number upon his forehead; and he walketh to and fro continually, and is the chief of the heathen which are the worshippers of fire. He also is of the seed of the prophets, and ministered in the temple while he was yet young; but he went out, and became one of the scoffers.

23 But when these spirits heard the words of the man, and perceived his trouble, they gave no ear unto his outcry, neither listened they to the voice of his supplication.

24 And they laughed at the man with a loud laughter, and said unto him, Lo, shall we leave our digging into the bowels of the earth, or our ice, or our fire, with which we deceive the nations, and come down to be as it were servants unto thee and these two beasts, which are lame beasts, and unprofitable? Go to, man; seek thou them which are of thy fellows.

25 And they vanished from his sight: and he heard the voice of their laughter, both he and his two beasts.

26 ¶ But when the spirits were gone he said unto himself, I will arise and go unto a magician which is of my friends: of a surety he will devise some remedy, and free me out of all my distresses.

27 So he arose and came unto that great magician which hath his dwelling in the old fastness hard by the river Jordan, which is by the Border.

28 And the magician opened his mouth and said, Lo, my heart wisheth thy good, and let the thing prosper which is in thy hands to do it:

29 But thou seest that my hands are full of working, and my labour is great. For lo, I have to feed all the people of my land, and none knoweth whence his food cometh; but each man openeth his mouth, and my hand filleth it with pleasant things.

30 Moreover, thine adversary also is of my familiars.

31 The land is before thee: draw thou up thine hosts for the battle on the mount of Proclamation; and defy boldly thine enemy, which hath his camp in the place of Princes; quit ye as men, and let favour be shewn unto him which is most valiant.

32 Yet be thou silent: peradventure will I help thee some little.

33 But the man which is crafty saw that the magician loved him not. For he knew him of old, and they had had many dealings; and he perceived that he would not assist him in the day of his adversity.

34 So he turned about, and went out of his fastness. And he shook the dust from his feet, and said, Behold, I have given this magician much money, yet see now, he hath utterly deserted me. Verily, my fine gold hath perished.

35 But when he had come back unto his house, he found the two beasts which were yet there; and behold the beasts were gabbling together, and making much noise. And when he looked in, behold yet another beast; and they were all gabbling together.

36 Now the other beast was a beast which he loved not. A beast of burden which he had in his courts to hew wood and carry water, and to do all manner of unclean things. His face was like unto the face of an ape, and he chattered continually, and his nether parts were uncomely. Nevertheless his thighs were hairy, and the hair was as the shining of a sattin raiment, and he skipped with the branch of a tree in his hand, and he chewed a snail between his teeth.

37 Then said the man, Verily this beast is altogether unprofitable, and whatsoever I have given him to do, that hath he spoiled: he is a sinful thing, and speaketh abominably, his doings are impure, and all people are astonied that he abideth so long within my gates.

38 But if thou lookest upon him and observest his ways, behold he was born of his mother before yet the months were fulfilled, and the substance of a living thing is not in him, and his bones are like the potsherd which is broken against any stone.

39 Therefore my heart pitieth him, and I wish not that he be utterly famished; and I give unto him a little bread and wine that his soul may not
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faint; and I send him messages unto the towns and villages which are round about; and I give him such work as is meet for him.

40 But if we go forth to the battle, let him not go with us.

41 For behold the griffin hath heretofore wounded him, and the scorpion hath stung him sorely in the hips and the thighs, and also in the face.

42 Moreover the eagle of heaven also is his dread, and he is terrified for the flapping of his huge wings, and for his cry, which is like the voice of an unknown tongue, also his talons, which are sharper than any two edged sword.

43 And if it cometh to pass that he see them in the battle, he will not stand, but surely turn back and flee.

44 Therefore let us not take him with us, lest he be for an ensample unto the simple ones.

45 And while he was yet speaking, Behold, he heard a knocking upon the stair as if yet another beast had been coming:

46 And lo it was even so.

47 And another beast came in, whose disease was the murrain, who had eyes yet saw not, and whose laughter was like the laughter of them whose life is hidden, and which know not what they do.

48 And I heard a voice cry, Alas! alas! even as if it were Heu! heu!

49 Now the man was sick at heart when he perceived that he was there with the four beasts, and he said, Wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the weight of beasts which presseth sore upon me?

50 Then the four beasts waxed very wroth, and they all began for to cry out against the man which is crafty.

51 And he said, O race of beasts, be ye still, and keep silence until I consider what shall be done in this thing.

52 And while he spake, it seemed as if he trembled and were afraid of the four beasts and of the staves wherewith they skipped.

Chap. IV.

1 But while he was yet trembling, lo, there came in one which was his familiar friend from his youth upwards, who keepeth the Books of the scribe's, and is hired to expound things which he knoweth not, and collecteth together the remnants of the wise men.

2 And he opened his mouth and said, Lo, I have come even this hour from the camp of thine enemy, and I have spoken with the man whose name is as ebony.

3 And while I was speaking with him kindly, lo, some of the creatures which are within his gates took notice of me, and they warned him. So he put no faith nor trust in me.

4 But take thou good heed to thyself, for they that are against thee are mighty, and I have seen their numbers.

5 Now when the man heard this, he waxed yet more fearful.

6 Then came there unto his chamber another of his friends, one whose nose is like the beak of a bird of prey, whose mouth is foul, and his teeth reach from the right ear even unto the left, and he said, For why art thou so cast down? be of good cheer, behold I have an old breast plate which I will put on and go forth with thee unto the battle.

7 And further, he began to speak of the north, and the great men of the north, even the giants, and the painted folk, but they stopped him, for of his speaking there is no end.

8 Then came there into his chamber a lean man, which hath his dwelling by the great pool to the north of the New City;

9 Which had been of the familiars of the man in plain apparel while they were yet youths, before he had been tempted of the man which is crafty.

10 Whose name had gone abroad among the nations on many books, even as his father's name had gone abroad.

11 One which delighteth in trees, and fruits, and flowers; the palm-tree and the olive, the pomegranate and the vine, the fig and the date, the tulip and the lily.

12 Which had sojourned in far lands, gathering herbs for the chief physician.

13 And he had a rotten melon on his head, after the fashion of an helmet.

14 And the man which is crafty began to take courage when his friends were gathered unto him, and he took his trumpet with boldness, and began to blow for them over which he had power.

15 But of them which listened to him, their limbs were weak, and their
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swords blunt, and the strings of their bows were moist.

16 Nevertheless, he made an assembly of them over against the mount of Proclamation: and these are the names of his host, and the number of his banners, whom he marshalled by the mount of Proclamation the day that he went forth to make war upon the man whose name is as ebony.

17 Now behold the four beasts were in the first band, yet they trembled and desired not to be in the front of the host.

18 And in the second band was one which teacheth in the schools, of the young men, and he was clad in a gray garment whereof one half his wife had weaved.

19 Also, Samuel, a vain young man, and a simple, which sitteth in the King's Courts, and is a tool without edge in the hands of the oppressor.

20 Also, John, the brother pf James, which is a man of low stature, and giveth out merry things, and is a lover of fables from his youth up.

21 Also, James, the young man which cometh out of the west country,—which feareth God, and hateth all manner of usury; who babbleth of many things, and nibbleth the shoelatchets of the mighty; one which darkeneth counsel with the multiplying of vain words:

22 To whose sayings no man taketh heed.

23 And in the third band was a grave man, even George, the chief of the synagogue, a principal man, yes, the leader of the doctors, whose beard reacheth down unto his girdle;

24 And one David, which dwelleth at the corner as thou goest up to the place of the old prison-house, which talketh touching all manner of pictures and graven images; and he came with a feather on his head.

25 And Andrew the chief physician, and Andrew his son, who is a smooth man, and one which handleth all wind instruments, and boweth himself down continually before the horn which is in the forehead of the man which is crafty, and worshippeth it.

26 With James the baker of sweet breads, which weareth a green mantle, which inhabited the dwelling of the nobles, and delighteth in the tongue of the strange man.

27 And Peter who raileth at his master.

28 And in the fourth band I saw the face of Samuel, which is a mason, who is clothed in gorgeous apparel, and his face was as the face of the moon shining in the north-west.

29 The number of his bands was four; and in the first band there were the four beasts,

30 And in the second band there were nine men of war, and in the third six, and in the fourth ten.

31 The number of the bands was four; and the number of them which were in the bands was twenty and nine: and the man which was crafty commanded them.

32 And the screaming bird sat upon his shoulder.

33 And there followed him many women which know not their right hand from the left, also some cattle.

34 And John the brother of Francis, and the man which offered Consolation to the man which is crafty.

35 Also seven young men, whereof no man could tell by what name they were called.

36 But when I saw them all gathered together, I said unto myself, Of a truth the man which is crafty hath many in his host, yet think I that scarcely will these be found sufficient against them which are in the gates of the man who is clothed in plain apparel.

37 And I thought of the vision of the man which was clothed in dark garments, and of the leopard, and the lynx, and the scorpion, and the eagle, and the great boar of Lebanon, and the griffin;

38 The stork, and the hyena, and the beagle, and all the mighty creatures which are within the gates of the man in plain apparel.

39 Verily, the man which is crafty shall be defeated, and there shall not escape one to tell of his overthrow.

40 And while I was yet speaking, the hosts drew near, and the city was moved; and my spirit failed within me, and I was sore afraid, and I turned to escape away.

41 And he that was like unto the messenger of a king, said unto me, Cry. And I said, What shall I cry? for the day of vengeance is come upon all those that ruled the nations with a rod of iron.

42 And I fled into an inner chamber to hide myself, and I heard a great tumult, but I wist not what it was.