Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-09
THE MIDNIGHT REVEL."
INTERPRETING THE HANDWRI-
TING ON THE WALL.


Heavenly Banquet to Which All are
Lnvited,
MoNoNA, WIS, Aug. S.-A great out
door meeting was held here to-day.
Thousands attended it from the city OF
Madison, which is only a few miles dis
tant The Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage, ID.
D., lectured here yesterday, and to-day he
preacned to uncOunted multltudes. Inc
subject of the sermon was "Tbe Midnight
Revel," and the text was Daniel ", 80:
sin that night was Belshazzar the King
of the Chaldeans slain" DR.. Talmage
said:
Feasting has been known In all ages.
Ii was one of the most exciting times In
English history when Queen Elizabeth
vi sited Lord Leicester at Kenilworth Cas-
tie. The moment OF her arrival was con-
81 dered so important that ali the CLOCKS
OF the castle were stopped, so that the
hands might point to that one moment as
being the most significant OF all. she was
greeted to the gate with floating islands,
sind torches, and the thunder of cannon,
and fireworks that set the night ablaZe,
sind a great burst of music that lifted the
whole scene into perfect enchantmept.
Ihen she was introduced IN dining hall,
the luXuries Of which astonlshed the
world; four hundred servants waited
VII ION the guests. The entertainment cost
~ 900 each day. Lord Leicester made
Il LAT great supper in KenilwOrth Castle.
Cardinal WOlsey entertained the French
Ssm ba ssadOrs at Hampton Court. The
ts,st cooks in all the land prepared for the
BANQUET; purveyOrS went out ana traV-
eied all the kingdom over to find sp0lls
for the table. Tue time came. Inc
guests were kept during the day hunting
In the kings park, so that their appetltes
might be keen; and then in the evening,
TO the sound of the trumpeters, they were
Introduced into hall hung with silk and
uloth of gold, and there were tables
aglitter with imperial plate, and laden
with th g rarest OF meats, and ablush with
the costliest wines; and when the second
course of the feast came 1t was FOUND tnat
the articles of food had been fashioned into
the shape OF men, birds and beasts, and
groups dancing, and jOusting parties rid
ing against each other with lanoes. Lords
and princes and am bassadors out OF cups
filed to the brim drank the health first of
the King of England and next to the
King of France. Cardinal Wolsey pre-
pared that great supper in Hampton
Court.
But my text takes us to a more excit-
ing banquet. Night was about to come
down upon Babylon. The shadows OF her
two hundred and fifty towers began to
Iengthan. The Euphrates rolled on,
touched by the fiery splendors of the set
ting sun; and gates of brass, FURNISHED
and glltterIng, opened and shut like doors
of flame. The hanging gardens of Baby
lon, wet with heavy dew, began TO pour
from starlit flowers and dripping leaf a
fragrance for many miles around. The
streets and squares were lighted for dance
fr9G
and galleries of art invited the wealth
and pOmp and grandeur OF the city to
rare entertainments. Scenes OF riot and
Wassail were mingled in every street !;
and goddess mirth and outrageous excess
aud splendid wickedness came to the
Kings palace to do their mightlest deeds
OF darkness.
A royal feast tonight at the kings
palacel Rushing up to the gates are
chariOts upholstered with precious cloths
from Dedan and drawn by fire eyed horses
from TOgarmah, that rear and neigh In
the grasp of the characters; while thOus-
end lords dismOunt. and women dressed
in all the splendor of Syrian emerald, and
the color blending of agate, and the chaste-
ness of coral, and the sombre glory OfTy-
rian purple and princely embrolderles
brought from afar by camels across the
desert and by ships of Tarshish across
guests come. in! The chamherlains and
cup bearers are all ready. Hark to the
rustic OF the silks and to the carol of the
music! See the blaze of the jewels! Lift
the bannersl FIJI the cups! Clap the
cymbalsl Blow the trumpets! Let the
night go by with song and dance and oVa-
tion: and let that Babylonish tongue be
palsied that will not say: 30 King
BelshszZar, live fOreverW
fri w n n
banquet to which these great people
came. All parts of the earth had sent
their richest viands to that table. Brack-
cts and chandeliers flashed their lights
upon tankards of FURNISHED gold. Fruits,
ripe and luscious, IN baskets of silver, en-
twined with leaves plucked from royal
conservatOries. Vases inlaid with eme-
raid and ridged with exquisite traceries,
filled with nuts that were threshed from
forests of distant lands. Wine brought
from the royal watts, foaming in the decan-
ters and bubbling in the chalices; tufts
of cassia and trankincense, waiting their
sweetness from wall and table. Gorgeous
banners unfolding in the breeze that
came through the opened window, be-
wItched with the perfume Of hanging gar
dens. Fountains rising upfrom Enclosures
of ivory IN Jets of crystal, to
fall in gathering rain of diamonds
and pearls. Statues OF mighty
men looking down from inches in
the wall upon crowns and shields brought
from subdued empires. Idols of wonder
full work standing on pedestals OF pre-
ciOus stones. EmbTOiderles STOPPING
about the windows and wrapping pillars
OF cedar and drifting on floor lnlaid with
ivory and agate. Music. mingling the
thrum OF harps, and the clash OF cvmbals,
and the blast of trumpets in one wave OF
transport that went ripping along the
wall and breathing among the garlands,
and pouring down the corridors. aud fill
ing the souls of thousand banqueters.
The signal is given aud the lords and la
dies, the mighty men and women Of the
land. come around the table. Pour out
the wine! Let foam and bubble kiss
the rim! Hoist every one
his cup and drink to the sentiment: 80
King Delsbazzar, live forever" Be.
starred beadbaDd and carcsnet Of royal
beauty CLEAN to the uplitted chalces, as
again and again and again they are emp
Tied. Away with care from the palace!
Tear royal dignity TO tattersl Pour out
more winel Give us more light, wilder
music, sweeter perfumel Lord shouts TO
lord. captain Ogles TO captain. Goblets
clash. decanters rattle. Then come in
the obscene song, aud the drunken hic-
cough, snd the slaverlng lip, and the gut
faw OF idiOtic laughter, bursting from the
lips OF princes, flushed, Keeling, hloodshot (;
while mingling with it | hear: "HuZZa,
huZZa, for great BelshnZzarr
What is that on the plastering OF the
WALTZ Ia il "A spiritf Ig il "A phantOm9 Is