With knives and lancets arm'd; two thousand sheep And twice two thousand lambs stand bleating round, Their hungry god's repast: six loaded wains With wines, and frankincense, and finest flour, Move slowly. Then advance a gallant band, Provincial rulers, counsellors and chiefs, Judges and princes: from their essenced hair Steam rich perfumes, exhaled from flower or herb, Assyrian spices: last, the common train Of humbler citizens. A linen vest Enfolds their limbs: o'er which a robe of wool Is clasp'd, while yet a third hangs white A scene of rich magnificence display, Censers, and cups, and vases, nicely wrought In gold, with pearls and glittering gems inlaid, The furniture of Baal. An altar stands Of vast dimensions near the central stone, On which the god's high-priest strews frankincense, In weight a thousand talents. There he drags The struggling elders of the flock; while near, Stretch'd on a smaller plate of unmix'd gold, Bleed the reluctant lambs. The ascending smoke, Impregnate with perfumes, fills all the air. These rites perform'd, his votaries all advance Where stands their idol; to compare with whom That earth-born crew, which scaled the walls of heaven Or that vast champion of Philistia's host, Whom in the vale of Elah, David slew Unarm'd, were 'minished to a span. In height Twice twenty feet he rises from the ground; And every massy limb, and every joint, Is carved in due proportion. Not one mine, Though branching out in many a vein of gold, Sufficed for this huge column. Him the priests Had swept, and burnish'd, and perfumed with oils, Essential odours. Now the sign is given, And forthwith strains of melody Proclaim their molten thunderer; cornet, flute, Harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, unite In loud triumphal hymn, and all at Thine eyeballs glare with fire. "Now by great Bel," Incensed, exclaims the monarch, "soon as morn Again shall dawn, my vengeance shall be pour'd On every head of their detested race." He spake, and left the fane with hasty step, Indignant. tend, Him a thousand lords at The minions of his court. And now they reach The stately palace. In a spacious hall, From whose high roof seven sparkling lustres hang, Round the perpetual board high sofas ranged Receive the gallant chiefs. The floor is spread With carpets, work'd in Babylonia's looms, Exquisite art; rich vessels carved in gold, In silver, and in ivory, beam with gems. 'Midst these is placed whate'er of massy plate, Or holy ornament, Nebassar brought From Sion's ransack'd temple; lamps, and cups, And bowls, now sparkling with the richest growth Of Eastern vineyards. On the table smokes All that can rouse the languid appetite, Barbaric luxury. Soft minstrels round Chant songs of triumph to symphonious harps. Propt on a golden couch Belshazzar lies, While on each side fair slaves of Syrian And as I quaff the cup, with loud acclaim Thrice hail to Bel." They rose; when all at once Such sound was heard, as when the roaring winds Burst from their cave, and with impetuous rage Sweep o'er the Caspian or the Chronian deep. O'er the devoted walls the gate of heaven Thunder'd, a hideous peal; and, lo! a cloud Came darkening all the banquet, whence appeared A hand (if hand it were, or airy form, Compound of light and shade) on the adverse wall Tracing strange characters. Belshazzar "Then be it so; haste, Arioch, lead him here," Belshazzar cries; "if he interpret right, Even though my soul in just abhorrence holds His hated race, I will revoke their doom, And shower rich honours on their prophet's head." Nor long he waited, when with graceful step, And awe-commanding eye, solemn and slow, As conscious of superior dignity, Daniel advanced. Time o'er his hoary hair Had shed his white snows. Behind him stream'd A mantle, ensign of prophetic powers, Like that with which inspired Elisha smote The parting waters, what time on the bank Of Jordan from the clouds a fiery car Descended, and by flaming coursers drawn Bore the sage Tishbite to celestial climes, Maugre the gates of death. A wand he bore That wand by whose mysterious properties The shepherd of Horeb call'd the refluent waves O'er Pharaoh and his host, with which he struck The barren flint, when from the riven cliff Gush'd streams, and water'd all the thirsty tribes Of murmuring Israel. Through many Art thou that Daniel, whom Nebassar brought From Salem, whom the vanquish'd tribes adore, In wisdom excellent? Look there, look there; Read but those lines," the affrighted monarch cries, "And clothed in scarlet wear this golden chain, The third great ruler of my spacious realm." He spake, and thus the reverend seer replied: "Thy promises, and threats, presumptuous king, My soul alike despises; yet, so wills That spirit, who darts his radiance on my mind (Hear thou, and tremble), will I speak the words Which he shall dictate. thy realm, 'Number'd is And finish'd; in the balance art thou weigh'd, Where God hath found thee wanting: to the Medes And Persians thy divided realm is given." Thus saith the Lord: and thus those words import, Graven by his high behest. See'st thou this wand? Ne'er has it borne, since first it left the trunk, Or bud or blossom: all its shielding rind The sharp steel stripp'd, and to dry winds exposed The vegetative sap; even so thy race Shall perish from thy barren stock shall rise Nor prince nor ruler; and that glittering crown, Won by thy valiant fathers, whose long line In thee, degenerate monarch, soon must end, Shall dart its lustre round a stranger's brow." "Prophet of evils! darest thou pour on me Thy threats ill-ominous, and judgments dark?" Incensed the monarch cries: "Hence to thy tribes; Teach them obedience to their sover eign's will, Yet such a potent virtue doth reside Of measure, or of solid weight impair. Wilt thou that I revoke thy destined fate? Devoted prince, I cannot. Hell beneath Is moved to meet thee. See the mighty dead, The kings, that sat on golden thrones, approach, The chief ones of the earth. 'O Lucifer, Son of the morning, thou that vaunting saidst, "I will ascend the heavens; I will exalt My throne above the stars of God; the clouds Shall roll beneath my feet," art thou too weak As we? art thou become like unto us? Versed in historic lore, shall mark the site Of desolated Babylon." Thus spake The seer, and with majestic step retired. W. H. ROBERTS (1745-1791). BELSHAZZAR'S FEAST. Joy holds her court in great Belshazzar's hall, Where his proud lords attend their monarch's call. The rarest dainties of the teeming East Provoke the revel and adorn the feast. And now the monarch rises.-"Pour," he cries "To the great gods, the Assyrian deities! Pour forth libations of the rosy wine. To Nebo, Bel, and all the powers divine! Those golden vessels crown, which erewhile stood Fast by the oracle of Judah's God, But why, O king! Why dost thou start, with livid cheek?why fling The untasted goblet from thy trembling hand? Why shake thy joints, thy feet forget to stand? Why roams thine eye, which seems in wild amaze To shun some object, yet returns to gaze, Then shrinks again appalled, as if the tomb Had sent a spirit from its inmost gloom? Awful the horror, when Belshazzar raised His arm, and pointed where the vision blazed! For see! enrobed in flame, a mystic shade, As of a hand, a red right-hand, displayed! And, slowly moving o'er the wall, appear Letters of fate, and characters of fear. In deathlike silence grouped, the revellers all Fix their glazed eyeballs on the illumined wall. See! now the vision brightens,-now 'tis gone, Like meteor flash, like Heaven's own lightning flown! But, though the hand hath vanished, what it writ Is uneffaced. Who will interpret it? In vain the sages try their, utmost skill; The mystic letters are unconstrued still. "Quick, bring the Prophet! - let his tongue proclaim The mystery of that visionary flame." The holy Prophet came, and stood upright, With brow serene, before Belshazzar's sight. The monarch pointed trembling to the wall: "Behold the portents that our heart appall! Interpret them, O Prophet! thou shalt know What gifts Assyria's monarch can be stow." Unutterably awful was the eye |