The Young Captives Part 16

The page hastened from the presence of the king, and presently a venerable-looking person walked into the apartment, and bowed in reverence before the king.

"Arioch, it is my desire to see the wise men of Babylon as soon as possible at this apartment. Go! Haste thee! for the command of the king is urgent. Let them be native Chaldeans who appear before me at this time; trouble not Belteshazzar. If I need his services I shall call for him hereafter."

The officer, faithful to his charge, was soon on his way to summon the wise men to appear before the king.

It was not long before a number of the Chaldeans stood in the presence of the king, ready to learn his will and do his pleasure.

"Are ye able to give me the correct interpretation of a wonderful dream?"

asked the king, in a doubtful tone.

"We surely can, O king!" replied the chief of the wise men; "we derive our knowledge from the G.o.ds, and the interpretation of the dream must be sure."

"But what proof do your G.o.ds give of their own existence?" asked the king, looking sternly on the chief.

"Our G.o.ds made the world, O king!"

"Some G.o.ds, or G.o.d, made the world; but why not the G.o.d of Israel? Can you point to any miraculous interference of your G.o.ds in the affairs of mortals? If I have forgotten my dream, can ye, through your G.o.ds, restore it? And if, in case ye fail, I should cast you all into a fiery furnace, would your G.o.ds preserve you unhurt in the midst of the fire? Answer me!"

"Thy servants," said the trembling magician, "from their youth up have been taught to reverence and adore the G.o.ds of Chaldea. That there is a G.o.d in Israel, we are ready to admit; and far be it from us to hide from the king our convictions that this G.o.d has given us infallible proofs of his power. This we do not admit before the populace: but why should we dissemble before our king? Since the issuing of thy decree on the plains of Dura, we have never said aught against the G.o.d of the Hebrews. Let thy servants, I pray thee, find favor in thy sight, and deal not with us harshly!"

"At this time," said the king, "ye are not required to restore a lost dream. I have the vision in all its parts, and, if ye are able, ye may give me the interpretation. If ye are not able, confess your ignorance, or, by the G.o.d of Israel, I will pour my vengeance on every head!"

The king then carefully rehea.r.s.ed his dream in their presence. When he had finished he arose, and, approaching the head magician, with a look that made him tremble, he asked:

"Canst thou or thy comrades give me the interpretation of this wonderful dream?"

"The king's dreams are at all times of a very peculiar nature, and far different from ordinary dreams," replied the prince of the magicians.

"The king demands honesty at our hands, and may the G.o.ds forbid that we should be otherwise. We are not able to give thee the interpretation of thy wonderful dream. We fall on thy mercy! Oh, deal not harshly with thy servants!"

"Thy simple honesty hath at this time saved thy life and the lives of thy companions! Go your way, and bear in mind that ye are a band of hypocritical pretenders. I have demanded your service for the last time!"

The magicians hurried away from the palace, thankful that they had escaped so well; and nevermore were their services required in the presence of the king.

"Much as I expected! The vile, deceitful race! The G.o.ds! Much they know about the G.o.ds. Have we any G.o.ds? I have no proof of any G.o.d but the G.o.d of the Hebrews. Belteshazzar must at last explain the vision! Why do I dread the knowledge of it? Is this trembling the result of fear? The day is damp and cold. 'Hew down the tree!' That voice was solemn! Why must I remain in this suspense? I will know the worst! If the G.o.d of the Hebrews has a quarrel with the King of Babylon, let me know it! Without delay I'll send for Belteshazzar."

The prime minister, always obedient to the demands of his sovereign, hastened into the presence of Nebuchadnezzar, where he was received with the most profound respect.

"O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy G.o.ds is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.

Thus were the visions of my head on my bed: I saw a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth; the leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all; the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it. I saw in the vision of my head upon my bed, and behold a watcher, and a holy one came down from heaven! He cried aloud, and said thus, 'Hew down the tree and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit; let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches. Nevertheless, leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and bra.s.s in the tender gra.s.s of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the gra.s.s of the earth. Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven times pa.s.s over him. This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones, to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.'

This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation; but thou art able, for the spirit of the holy G.o.ds is in thee."

Daniel was astonished, and his thoughts greatly troubled him.

"Belteshazzar," said the king, "let not the dream or the interpretation thereof give thee pain or uneasiness."

"My lord," said Daniel, "the dream is to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies. The tree that thou sawest, which grew and was strong, whose height reached into the heavens, and the sight thereof to all the earth, it is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong; for thy greatness is grown and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth. And whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, 'Hew down the tree and destroy it, yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with the band of iron and bra.s.s in the tender gra.s.s of the field, and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field till seven times pa.s.s over him,' this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High which is come upon my lord the king: that they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee eat gra.s.s as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven; and seven times shall pa.s.s over thee, till thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth to whomsoever he will. And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots, thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule.

Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquility."

The king, conscious that the Hebrew was under peculiar inspiration, bowed in solemn reverence, dismissed him in the most respectful manner, and then threw himself on his couch, in the deepest agony of mind.

"The fates are against me! What shall I do? Shall I weep like a woman, and sob like a corrected child? Shall the King of Babylon, the great conqueror of nations, turn at last to be a coward? Shall the great sovereign of Chaldea say he is sorry, beg pardon of the G.o.ds, and thus reduce himself to the level of a common subject? Never! Let all the G.o.ds hear it! Never! 'Driven from among men!' Who shall be able to drive Nebuchadnezzar? 'Eat gra.s.s as oxen!' O, ye G.o.ds, is not that laughable?

And yet I cannot laugh! Let it come! I fear not the G.o.ds! Ah, do I not? I fear not the G.o.ds, but still I have a dread of that one G.o.d. I destroyed his temple, I plundered his sanctuary, I carried his vessels to the house of my G.o.d, in the land of Shinar. Is he about to retaliate? I shall see.

Shall I humble myself before a strange G.o.d? Shall I now, after having reached the very pinnacle of fame and glory, dishonor myself in the eyes of my n.o.bles? Nay! Sooner than this, I will brave the vengeance of all the G.o.ds and n.o.bly perish in the unequal conflict!"

Twelve months pa.s.sed after the King of Babylon was troubled by his wonderful dream. His grief was not of long duration, and this period had been one of more than usual gayety and hilarity in the great city. The king gave entertainments on a magnificent scale; and, in the midst of his dazzling splendor, the mournful predictions of Belteshazzar were well-nigh forgotten. Occasionally they would rush to the monarch's mind, but with a desperate effort they would be banished as troublesome intruders and unwelcome guests.

The day was beautifully clear. The king, about the ninth hour of the day, walked upon the roof of his high palace. Babylon, in all its glory, stood before him, its ma.s.sive walls bidding defiance to all the surrounding nations. The temple of Belus, with its famous tower, stood forth in majestic grandeur, together with the hanging gardens, decorated with all that was beautiful and lovely in nature. The city's famous buildings he could count by thousands, and its rich palaces by tens of thousands. The predictions of Daniel found way to the monarch's mind; but they were expelled by a proud spirit and stubborn will. His soul laughed to scorn the dark prophecy.

"What!" said the proud monarch, "does this look like 'eating gra.s.s like an ox'? Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty? Who shall--" Hark! A voice speaks from the heavens! "O King Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken: The kingdom is departed from thee, and they shall drive thee from among men; and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; they shall make thee eat gra.s.s as oxen; and seven times shall pa.s.s over thee, until thou knowest that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men."

The voice ceased. The king uttered a loud, hysterical laugh, descended from his palace, and ran into the park, a raving maniac.

Stillness reigns in the home of Joram. No merry voices fall on the ear of the pa.s.ser-by. The few that move around the premises tread carefully and silently, while solemnity settles on each countenance. The voice of song is hushed; the loud peals of melody are no longer heard; and for many a day the "Harp of Judah" has remained in its corner, and no delicate hand has swept its well-tuned strings. Inside of that mansion to-day you witness not that joy which is wont to pervade it. You perceive cheeks wet with tears, and bosoms heaving with sighs. The inmates converse together in whispers, and tread lightly. In an apartment richly furnished, into which the beams of the sun are not permitted to enter, we find a.s.sembled a large company of relatives and near friends. It is not an occasion of small import that calls them thus together. There we find Mathias, Perreeza, and their children. The amiable Jupheena is there, with her husband and sons and daughters. Venerable men and women are seen here and there.

But where to-night is Joram? Where is that benign countenance? Hush!

Speak low, tread lightly! Disturb not the last moments of the dying Israelite! Joram is at the banks of Jordan. Already his feet are touching the cold waters.

The sick man turns on his pillow and faintly

"Mathias, why comes he not? Shall I not once more see my most excellent friend?"

"My dear father, he will ere long be here. The messenger is trustworthy, and will soon return."

"The journey of life is near its close. The holy hill is in sight. I pa.s.s through the vale of death on my way to the better land. Yonder is the home of the faithful. Sorrow and mourning shall flee away."

"He is here! He is here!" cried Jupheena.

"Has he arrived?" asked the sick man, in faint accents.

"Yea, father," replied Mathias, in soothing tones, "he has arrived."

"Thanks be to Jehovah!"

Presently, a man of venerable appearance, his hair silvered over with age, apparently a Chaldean, walked into the apartment. Jupheena was the first to greet him.

"Jehovah bless my lovely daughter!" whispered the aged man, as the tears coursed down his furrowed cheeks. For a moment he looked around upon the company with an earnestness of affection not easily described; then looking up to heaven, in trembling accents he broke forth:

"Oh, Jehovah, let the smiles of Thy countenance rest on these Thy chosen ones!"

The venerable man was then gently led by Mathias to the bedside.

A smile pa.s.sed over the pale countenance of Joram, the fountain of his tears overflowed; he looked up to the face of his old friend, reached out his trembling hand, and cried: