"Thou art punctual, Belrazi. The king is well pleased to meet thee. Thy
frank sincerity yesterday was an additional proof of thy worth. I have
seen fit, since we parted, to bestow some thought on the subject on which
we conversed. It is of the utmost importance to the well-being and
security of the empire that the people have unbounded confidence in their
king in all things--in matters of religion as well as in matters of state.
Now, in order to expel all doubts from the minds of my nobles in regard
to my fidelity to the gods of my fathers, I have thought of a measure
which, I trust, must prove successful. It is this: Let an image of our
god Bel be made of gold. Let it be of large dimensions, and far superior
to any image heretofore seen in any country. Let it be set up in some
favorable spot; and on the day of its dedication, let all who hold office
under the government, be commanded, by a royal decree, to appear on the
spot, and, at the appointed hour, fall down and worship it; and let the
penalty of disobedience be death. Let those who dare set at naught the
will of the king be taken and thrown into the burning fiery furnace. What
thinkest Belrazi of this?"

"O king, live forever! Thy goodness is unbounded. Thy design is dictated
by that wisdom that cometh from the gods. The measure shall be hailed
throughout the empire with shouts of rejoicing, and the day of its
dedication will be a day of days in the future history of Chaldea."

"Let no time be lost, then," replied the king. "Let my head goldsmith be
called, and from the lips of the king let him receive instructions in
regard to the making of the image. This is my desire. Let the measure be
known but to a few, until the proclamation shall go forth."

The head goldsmith was soon in the presence of the king, and after much