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.