Chapter 163 - Concerning the Seventh Age that began in the time of the Master

Summary

Following our account, in order to put an end to what we have started, you should note at this stage that those who wrote about the passage of time, such as Eusebius in De temporibus and Bede and certain others, assigned six ages to the world.

The first was from Adam to Noah and lasted for 1,656 years, in which ten generations were contained, and all perished in the flood.

The second was from Noah to Abraham and lasted for 296 years, in which there were another ten generations.

The third was from Abraham to David, in which there were fourteen generations, and it lasted 940 years.

The fourth was from David to the Babylonian Captivity, in which there were another fourteen generations, and it lasted 373 years.

The fifth was from the Babylonian Captivity to the coming of the Saviour, in which were contained fourteen generations, and it lasted 589 years.

The sixth is the one in which we live now, which has lasted 1,443 years. There is no certainty about the number of years or about the calculation of generations, but some think that it will end when the world ends, which they say will last 6,000 years, of which there would have already passed, in this way, 5,297; thus there would remain 703 years until the end of the world.

As to the existence of another age in this present life, none have ventured to speak of it save some who have said that, just as God created the world in the space of seven days and on the seventh day rested, so the refreshment the souls of the blessed would have in Paradise would be the Seventh Age. Yet such views are best rejected among the wise, for since Jesus Christ said in the Gospel that as far as the Last Day was concerned none knew, not even the angels of heaven, but only the Father, it follows that such words hold little truth.

Yet with daring words as if in jest, by way of comparison, we make this the Seventh Age in which another new world and a new generation of people rose up. Our reason is that the sons of men of such low status as is unsuitable to relate were at this time made knights for their good service and work, immediately taking on new lineages and surnames.