, and afterwards
in Italy.

[Footnote 8: The fact that commentators and historians differ in their
enumeration of the forms of government that ruled in Rome is often a
source of confusion to ordinary readers. Hence an explanation is
necessary. Rome was first ruled by kings, and therefore the first form
of government is designated by either the term _Kings_ or the term
_Regal Power_. Upon the expulsion of the kings and the formation of the
republic, the royal power was entrusted to two men who held it for a
year, and were called _consuls_. In times of great public danger the
consuls were superseded by a special officer called a _dictator_, who
had supreme power. As the early life of the republic was often
threatened with grave dangers, Rome was often governed by a dictator;
hence this form of government is sometimes called the Dictatorship. The
third form was the _Decemviri_, a government by ten men, who compiled
the twelve famous Tables of Laws. In 444 B.C. another change was made by
the appointment of _Military Tribunes_ (whose numbers varied) with
consular power. These were frequently called _Consuls_. The fifth form
was the _Triumvirate_, a government by three men. The sixth was the
_Imperial_. Hence the different forms can be enumerated thus: 1. The
Regal Power, or Kings. 2. Consula or Dictators. 3. Decemvirate. 4.
Military Tribunes, Tribunes, or Consuls. 5. Triumvirate. 6. Imperial.
The seventh form will be considered in another place. See remarks on
chap. 17:7-11.]

Other historians agree substantially with this. These kingdoms all arose
within one hundred and seventy years. The dragon is described with the
horns, although they were not now in existence and did not arise until
nearly the time when the dragon became the beast; likewise, he is
represented with seven heads, although he really possessed only one head
at a time, and five had already fallen and one being yet to come. He is
described with all the heads and horns he ever had or was to have.

The tail of this dragon "drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and
did cast them to the earth." Some people who have never learned the
nature of symbolic language try to imagine such a literal creature as
the one here described and picture in their minds what an awful thing it
would be to see the third part of the stars falling to the earth. But
real stars that are fixed or planetary never fall, and if they did, they
would be as apt to fall in an opposite dir