THE THREE HOLY CHILDREN IN THE FIERY FURNACE ARE PROTECTED BY AN ANGEL.

Nabuchodonosor in alarm exclaims, "Did we not cast three men bound into the fire? Behold I see four men loose and walking in the midst of the fire, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."

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midst of the furnace like the blowing of a wind bringing dew, and the fire touched them not at all, nor troubled them, nor did them any harm. Then the three with one mouth praised, glorified, and blessed God in the furnace, saying: "Blessed art thou, O Lord the God of our fathers: and worthy to be praised, and glorified, and exalted above all for ever: and blessed is the Holy Name of thy Glory: and worthy to be praised, and exalted above all in all ages."

Then Nabuchodonosor the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and said to his nobles: "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire ?" They answered the king, and said: "True, O king." He answered and said: "Behold I see four men loose, and walking in the midst of the fire, and there is no hurt in them, and the form of the fourth is like the son of God."

Nabuchodonosor, overcome by the miracle of their deliverance, cried aloud and said: "Blessed be the God of Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, who hath sent his Angel, and delivered his servants that believed in him and they changed the king's word, and delivered up their bodies that they might not serve, nor adore any god, except their own God. By me therefore this decree is made, that every people, tribe, and tongue, which shall speak blasphemy against the God of Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, shall be destroyed, and their houses laid waste: for there is no God that can save in this manner."

§ 63. Nabuchodonosor's madness and humiliation.

Nabuchodonosor had a second dream which troubled his spirit, and which none of his wise men could interpret except Daniel. Daniel interpreted the dream to the king, "that the Most High would afflict him with madness for seven years, during which he would be cast forth from among men, and his dwelling would be with cattle, and among wild beasts, and he should eat grass like an ox, and be wet with the dew of heaven, "till," said Daniel, "thou know that the Most High ruleth over the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will." Daniel added a counsel: "Wherefore, O king, redeem thou thy sins with alms, and thine iniquities with works of mercy to the poor, perhaps the Most High will forgive thy offences"; to which warning the king gave no heed.

At the end of twelve months, Nabuchodonosor was walking in the palace in Babylon. And the king said, "Is not this the great Babylon, which I have built to be the seat of the kingdom, by the strength of my power, and in the glory of my excellence ?" And while the word was yet in the king's mouth, a voice came down from heaven: "To thee, O king Nabuchodonosor, it is said: Thy kingdom shall pass from thee, and they shall cast thee out from among men, and thy dwelling shall be with cattle and wild beasts; thou shalt eat grass like an ox, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will." The same hour the word

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was fulfilled upon Nabuchodonosor, and he was driven away from among men, and did eat grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven: till his hairs grew like the feathers of eagles, and his nails like birds' claws.

Nabuchodonosor at the end of seven years recovered his senses, and in the records of his kingdon it was written:

NABUCHODONOSOR GIVES GLORY TO THE GOD OF HEAVEN.

Now at the end of the days, I Nabuchodonosor lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my sense was restored to me; and I blessed the most High, and I praised and glorified Him that liveth for ever: for His power is an everlasting power, and His kingdom is to all generations.

And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing before Him for He doth according to His will, as well with the powers of heaven, as among the inhabitants of the earth: and there is none that can resist His hand, and say to Him: Why hast thou done it?

At the same time my sense returned to me, and I came to the honour and glory of my kingdom: and my shape returned to me: and my nobles, and my magistrates sought for me, and I was restored to my kingdom: and greater majesty was added to me.

Therefore I Nabuchodonosor do now praise, and magnify, and glorify the king of heaven : because all His works are true, and His ways judgments, and them that walk in pride He is able to abase.

64. Baltassar's profane banquet.

Baltassar, the grandson of Nabuchodonosor, was now upon the throne, and he made a great feast to all his nobles. In the midst of the feast, being drunk, he bethought himself to command all the gold and silver vessels which Nabuchodonosor had brought away from the temple of Jerusalem, to be placed on the table, that he and his guests might drink out of them. Whereupon they praised their gods of gold and silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and stone. But the same hour there appeared fingers, as it were of the hand of a man, writing over against the candlestick upon the surface of the wall of the king's palace: and the king beheld the joints of the hand that wrote. Then was the king's countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees struck one against the other. And the king cried out aloud to bring in the wise men, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spoke, and said to the wise men of Babylon : Whosoever shall read this writing, and shall make known to me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with purple, and shall have a golden chain