Matthew Poole and continuators on Revelation 13:2

2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard , and his feet were as the feet of a bear , and his mouth as the mouth of a lion : and the dragon gave him his power , and his seat , and great authority .

Daniel in his Vision of the Chaldaick, Persian, Grecian, and Roman Monarchi[illegible: 1 letter]s by which the World was successively ruled from his time to St. Iohns; and many years after had the first represented to him by a Lion, for its Nobleness and Fierceness: The second, by a Bear, for its Cruelty: the third, by a Leopard, for the smaleness of its Bulk, the swiftness of its Conquests, its strength, &c. the fourth, by a Beast (not named) strong, and exceedingly terrible, that had great Iron Teeth, that devou[illegible: 1 letter]ed, and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue under its Feet. This Beast is certainly here described, which had several forms; Iohn saw it at first▪ under the Representation of a red Dragon, which signified that Empire, while Pagan, for 300 years after Christ; in which time the Old Serpent could prevail nothing against the Church. That (after a Rest to the Church of a few years, which ended with Theodosius about 380 or 400) he saw it under the form of a Leopard, ruled by Arrian Emperors till near 600. This Beast had

the Feet of a Bear, and the Mouth of a Lion. These Emperors, with the Goths and Vandals that were Arrians, were as cruel to true Christians, as the Pagan Emperors had been. Gitimer King of the Vandals, Ann. 530, and the Goths under Totila, 540, made miserable havock amongst the Christians.

the Feet of a Bear, and the Mouth of a Lion. These Emperors, with the Goths and Vandals that were Arrians, were as cruel to true Christians, as the Pagan Emperors had been. Gitimer King of the Vandals, Ann. 530, and the Goths under Totila, 540, made miserable havock amongst the Christians.

These together inherited both the Power of the Heathen Emperors,

and Rome, which was their Seat, or Throne,

and exercised their great Authority. All this was done in the form of a Leopard, not so terrible as that of a Dragon; for the Arrians disclaimed Paganism, and the Worship of Pagan-Idols. All this while the Papacy was creeping up, but till 552, or thereabouts the Goths and Vandals, and other barbarous Nations were not driven out of Italy. Totilas (who took Rome 547) was then killed, and Thejas succeeded him, who was the last King of the Goths in Italy, who about 20 years after, was beaten by Narsetes, and driven out, after the Goths and Vandals had reigned in Italy about seventy seven years.

Marginal references: Chap. 12.9.