An eagle appeareth to Esdras coming forth of the sea, with three
heades, and twelue winges: sometimes one reigning in the world,
sometimes an other, but euerie one vanisheth away. 36. A lion also
appeareth coming forth of the wood, to suppresse the eagle.
AND I sawe a dreame, & behold an eagle came vp out of the sea: which
had twelue winges of fethers, and three heades. 2 And I saw, and behold
she spred her winges into al the earth, and al the windes of heauen
blew vpon her, and were gathered together. 3 And I saw, and of her
fethers sprang contrarie feathers, and they became litle winges, and
smale. 4 For her heades were at rest, and the midle head was greater
then the other heades, but she rested with them. 5 And I saw, and
behold the eagle flew with her winges, and reigned ouer the earth, and
ouer them that dwel in it. 6 And I saw, that al thinges vnder heauen
were subiect to her, and no man gaynesayd her, no not one of the
creature that is vpon the earth. 7 And I saw, and behold the eagle rose
vp vpon her talons, and made a voice with her winges, saying: 8 Watch
not al together, sleepe euerie one in his place, & watch according to
time. 9 But let the heades be preserued to the last. 10 And I saw, and
behold the voice came not out of her heades, but from the middes of her
bodie. 11 And I numbered her contrarie winges, and behold they were
eight. 12 And I saw, and behold on the right side rose one wing, and
reighned ouer al the earth. 13 And it came to passe, when it reigned,
an end came to it, and the place therof appeared not: and the next rose
vp, & reigned, that held much time. 14 And it came to passe, when it
reigned, & the end of it also came, that it appeared not as the former.
15 And behold, a voice was sent forth to it, saying: 16 Heare thou that
hast held the earth of long time. Thus I tel thee before thou beginne
not to appeare. 17 None after thee shal hold thy time, no nor the halfe
therof. 18 And the third lifted vp it selfe, and held the principalitie
as also the former: and that also appeared not. 19 And so it chanced to
al the other by one & by one to haue the principalitie, & agayne to
appeare nowhere. 20 And I saw, and behold in time the rest of the
winges were sent vp on the right side, that they also might hold the
principalitie: and of them there were that held it, but yet forthwith
they appeared not. 21 For some also of them stoode vp, but they held
not the principalitie. 22 And I saw after these thinges, and behold the
twelue winges, and two litle winges appeared not: 23 and nothing
remayned in the bodie of the eagle but two heades resting, and six
litle winges. 24 And I saw, and behold from the six litle winges two
were diuided, and they remayned vnder the head, that is on the right
side. For foure taried in their place. 25 And I saw, and behold the
vnderwinges thought to set vp them selues, and to hold the
principalities. 26 And I saw, and behold one was set vp, but forthwith
it appeared not. 27 And they that were second did sooner vanish away
then the former. 28 And I saw, and behold the two that remayned,
thought with them selues that they also would reigne: 29 and when they
were thincking thereon, behold one of the resting heades, which was the
midde one awaked, for this was greater then the other two heades. 30
And I saw that the two heades were complete with themselues. 31 And
behold the head with them that were with him turned, and did eate the
two vnderwinges that thought to reigne. 32 And this head terrified al
the earth, & ruled in it ouer them that inhabite the earth with much
labour, and he that held the dominion of the whole world aboue al the
winges that were. 33 And I saw after these thinges, and behold the
midle head sodenly appeared not, as did the winges. 34 And there
remained two heads, which reigned also themselues ouer the earth, and
ouer them that dwelt therein. 35 And I saw, and behold the head on the
right side deuoured that which was on the left. 36 And I heard a voice
saying to me, Looke against thee, and consider what thou seest. 37 And
I saw, & behold as a lion raysed out of the wood roaring: and I saw
that he sent out a mans voyce to the eagle. And he spake saying. 38
Heare thou, and I wil speake to thee, and the Highest wil say to thee:
39 Is it not thou that hast ouercome of the foure beastes, which I made
to reigne in my world, and that by them the end of their times might
come? 40 And the fourth coming ouercame al the beastes that were past,
and by might held the world with much feare, and al the world with most
wicked laboure, and he inhabitied the whole earth so long time with
deceipte. 41 And thou hast iudged the earth not with truth. 42 For thou
hast afflicted the meeke, and hast trubled them that were quiet, and
hast loued lyers, & hast destroyed their habitations that did
fructifie, and hast ouerthrowen their walles that did not hurt thee. 43
And thy contumelie is ascended euen to the Highest, and thy pride to
the Strong. 44 And the Highest hath looked vpon the proud times: and
behold they are ended, and the abominations therof are accomplished. 45
Therfore thou eagle appeare no more, and thy horrible winges, & thy
litle winges most wicked, and thy heades malignant, and thy talons most
wicked, and al thy bodie vayne, 46 that al the earth may be refreshed,
and may returne deliuered from thy violence, and may hope for his
iudgement, and mercie that made it.