Page:Mahometanism in its relation to prophecy - or, an inquiry into the prophecies concerning antichrist, with some reference to their bearing on the events of the present day (IA mahometanisminit00philrich).pdf/34

 power." And here we may interrupt for a moment the commentary of St. Jerome, to observe, that there also may be some allusion on the part of the prophet to the geographical position of the two empires in question. The Assyrian monarchy was in a more southern latitude, nearer the tropics, and so it is compared to a lioness, for such animals abound within its territory; while Persia, situated much further to the north, and diversified with great mountains, abounded with bears; and so it is not unaptly symbolized by that very animal. But to return to St. Jerome: "Moreover the habits of the Persians were hardy and frugal, like what we read of the Lacedaemonians, and as we may see detailed at length by Xenophon in his 'History of the Education of the elder Cyrus,' and when it is said 'that it stood up on one side,' the Hebrews thus interpret it, that the Medo-Persians never did anything to persecute Israel. Hence by Zachariah the Prophet they are called  'white horses.'  But  ' there were three rows in the mouth and in the teeth thereof.'  This has been interpreted of the three principalities into which the Medo-Persian empire was subdivided, as we read in the of Baltasar and Darius, that there were three princes, each of whom presided over one hundred and twenty satrapies. But others have