literary distinction. Nebuchadnezzar, from his childhood, had been
initiated into all the arts and sciences; and, as he was a youth
possessing a superior mind, he made great proficiency in all his numerous
studies. Before he ascended the throne, he was pronounced to be one of
the brightest scholars within the whole realm; and now, although a
monarch, surrounded by a thousand cares and perplexities, he bestowed
much thought on his own favorite studies; and one of his most prominent
desires was the perpetuity and advancement of learning among his
subjects. A dull individual, however high in his rank, could never share
the company of the young King of Babylon. All who moved within the royal
enclosures, whether as courtiers, under-officers, or domestics, had to be
those of discerning minds and intelligence. What exact train of thought
occupied the monarch's mind at this time we may better judge, perhaps,
from the sequel. He rose from his reclining posture and lightly touched a
shining key, which instantly answered in a remote part of the royal
palace. The door opened, and an officer bowed himself into the apartment.

"And what is the pleasure of my lord the king?"

"Ashpenaz," said the king, in a familiar voice, "thou knowest well that
there is a painful scarcity of waiters to stand in the presence of the
king; and even those we have are not what I could desire them to be in
point of intelligence and cultivation. This must be remedied without
delay. My father's taste in this matter was somewhat different from mine.
Far be it from me to cast any reflection on the judgment of my
illustrious father; but the glory and splendor of my empire are on the
forward march, and things at the royal palace must not be permitted to
fall in the rear. I am about to lay a foundation to a measure that will
yet shed glory and luster on my reign. What is more mortifying, Ashpenaz,
while endeavoring to entertain our own dignitaries, and the visiting