The fal of Babylon, her iudgement, plagues and reuenges: for the which, 9. the Kings, 16. and
marchants of the earth that sometime did cleaue vnto her, shal mourne biterly: 20. but heauen,
and the Apostles and Prophets shal reioyce.
1. AND after these thigns I saw another Angel comming downe from heauen, hauing great
power: and the earth was illuminated of his glorie.
2. And he cried out in force, saying:
*
Apoc. 14,8.
Fallen fallen is Babylon the great: and it is
become the habitation of Diuels, and
✟
φυλακὴ.
the custodie of euery vncleane Spirit, & the custodie of
euery vncleane & hateful bird:
3. because al Nations haue drunke of the wine of the wrath of her fornication: and the
Kings of the earth haue fornicated with her: and the marchants of the earth were made rich by the
vertue of her delicacies.
4. And I heard another voice from heauen, saying: Goe out from her my people: that you
be not partakers of her sinnes, and receiue not of her plagues.
5. Because her sinnes are come euen to heauen, and God hath remembred her iniquities.
6. Render to her as she also hath rendred to you: and double ye double according to
her workes: In the cup wherein she hath mingled, mingle ye double vnto her.
7. As much as she hath glorified her self, & hath been in delicacies,
✟
The measure of paines and damnation, according to the wicked pleasures, or vnlawful delights
of this life. Which is a sore sentence for such people as turne their whole life to lust
and riot.
so much giue her
torment and mourning: because she saith in her hart,
*
Es. 47,8.
I sit a Queen, and widow I am not, and
mourning I shal not see.
8. Therfore in one day shal her plagues come, death, and mourning, and famine, & with
fire she shal be burnt: because God is strong that shal iudge her.
9. And
✟
Kings and Marchants are most encombered, dangered & drowned in the pleasures of this world:
whose whole life & traficke is (if they be not exceeding vertuous) to find varietie of
earthly pleasures. Who seeing once the extreme end of their ioyes and of al that made
their heauen here, to be turned into paines & damnation eternal, then shal houle & weep
too late.
the Kings of the earth, which haue fornicated with her, & haue liued in
delicacies, shal weep, and bewaile themselues vpon her, when they shal see the smoke of her
burning:
10. standing farre off for the feare of her torments, saying: Woe, woe, that great
citie Babylon, that strong citie: because in one houre is thy iudgement come.
11. And the marchants of the earth shal weep, & morne vpon her: because no man shal
buy their merchandise any more,
12. merchandise of gold and siluer and precious stone: and of pearle, and fine
linnen, and purple, and silke, & scarlet and al Thyne woods, and al vessels of yuorie,
and al vessels of precious stone and of brasse and yron and marble,
13. and cynamon, and of odours, and ointment, and frankincense, and wine, and oile,
and floure, & wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, & slaues, and soules of men.
14. And the apples of the desire of thy soul are depated from thee, and al fat and
goodly things are perished from thee, and they shal no more find them.
15. The marchants of these things which are made rich, shal stand farre from her for
feare of her torments, weeping and mourning,
16. & saying: Woe, woe, that great citie, which was clothed with silke, and purple,
and scarlet, and was gilted with gold, and pretious stone, and pearls:
17. because in one houre are so great riches made desolate: and euery gouernour, &
euery one that saileth into the lake, and the ship-men, and they that worke in the sea, stoode a
farre off,
18. and cried seeing the place of her burning, saying: What other is like to this
great citie?
19. And they threw dust vpon their heads, and cried weeping and mourning, saying:
Woe, woe, that great citie, in the which al were made rich that had ships in the sea, of her
prices: because in one houre she is desolate.
20.
✟
The Angels and al Saints shal reioyce & laud God to see the wicked confunded, & Gods
iustice executed vpon their oppressours & persecutours, & this is that which the
Martyrs praied for, c. 6.
Reioyce ouer her, heauen, and ye holy Apostles and Prophets: because God hath
iudged your iudgement of her.
21. And one strong Angel tooke vp as it were a great milstone, and threw it into the
sea, saying:
*
Ier. 51,63.
With this violence shal
✟
By this it seemeth cleere that the Apostle meaneth not any one citie, but the
vniuersal companie of the reprobate, which shal perish in the day of iudgement. The
old Prophets also naming the whole number of Gods enemies mystically, Babylon, as
Ierem. c. 52.
Babylon that great citie be throwen, and shal now be found no
more.
22. And the voice of harpers, and of Musicians, and of them that sing on shalme
and trompet, shal no more be heard in thee, & euery artificer of euery art shal be found no more
in thee, and the noise of the mil shal no more be heard in thee,
23. and the light of the lemp shal no more shine in thee, & the voice of the
bridegrome and the bride shal no more be heard in thee: because thy marchants were the Princes
of the earth, because al Nations haue erred in thine inchantments.
24. And in her is found the bloud of the Prophets and Saints, and of al that were
slaine in the earth.