regiment, in order that he might stay at home to be the comfort and
support of his aged father. But, instead of granting this very natural
request, Xerxes was so much enraged at having been asked a favour, that
he commanded the eldest son to be killed and cut in two, and then caused
his entire army to file between the pieces of the body.

Artaxerxes, the king whom Nehemiah served, was considered one of the
gentlest of Persian monarchs, and yet even he was guilty of acts of
savage cruelty, of which we cannot read without a shudder. For example,
when he came to the throne, he found in the palace a certain eunuch
named Mithridates, who had been concerned in his father's murder. He
condemned this man to be put to death in the most horrible and cruel
way. He was laid on his back in a kind of horse-trough, and strongly
fastened to the four corners of it. Then another trough was put over
him, leaving only his head and hands and feet uncovered, for which
purpose holes were made in the upper trough. Then his face was smeared
with honey, and he was placed in the scorching rays of the sun. Hundreds
of flies settled on his face, and he lay there in agony for many long
days. Food was given him from time to time, but he was never moved or
uncovered, and it was more than a fortnight before death released him
from his sufferings.

It was the very king who had put one of his subjects to this death of
awful torment before whom Nehemiah had to appear, and of whom he had to
make a request. No wonder, then, that he dreaded the interview, and that
he felt that he needed many months of prayer to make him ready for it.
It was in the month Chisleu (December) that Hanani had arrived, it was
not until Nisan (April) that he made up his mind to speak to the king.

Before leaving his room that morning, he knelt down, and put himself and