"From the death of Silverius [June, 538] the Roman
Catholic writers date the episcopacy of Vigilius."--_Bower, "History of
the Popes," under year 538._
[Illustration: TAKING THE POPE PRISONER
This was accomplished by Berthier, the French general, in 1798.]
THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA
THE END OF THE 1260 YEARS
As the generation in which the papal power rose to supremacy was a
turning-point in the history of the world, so, too, was the generation
in which the 1260 years of its supremacy came to an end.
This measuring line of prophecy does more than run from date to date. It
connects two great crises in human history, the events of the first
tending to establish the papal rule over men, the events of the second
signalizing a breaking of those bands.
A Crisis in History
Papal supremacy came at that time of which Finlay says, "The changes of
centuries passed in rapid succession before the eyes of one generation."
The measuring line of 1260 years runs on through the centuries till, lo,
its end touches another time of crisis,--Europe in the convulsions of
the French Revolution, when again changes, ordinarily requiring
centuries, were wrought out before the eyes of men within the space of a
few years.
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