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 gods, and thus
reduce himself to the level of a common subject? Never! Let all the gods
hear it! Never! 'Driven from among men!' Who shall be able to drive
Nebuchadnezzar? 'Eat grass as oxen!' O, ye gods, is not that laughable?
And yet I cannot laugh! Let it come! I fear not the gods! Ah, do I not? I
fear not the gods, but still I have a dread of that one God. I destroyed
his temple, I plundered his sanctuary, I carried his vessels to the house
of my god, in the land of Shinar. Is he about to retaliate? I shall see.
Shall I humble myself before a strange god? Shall I now, after having
reached the very pinnacle of fame and glory, dishonor myself in the eyes
of my nobles? Nay! Sooner than this, I will brave the vengeance of all
the gods and nobly perish in the unequal conflict!"

· · · · · · ·

Twelve months passed 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