National Republican., 1886-08-09

MoNoNA, WIS, Aug. s.-A great out
door meeting was held here today. Thou
sands attended IL from the city Of Madison,
which is only q few miles distant. The
Rev. T. Dewitt Talmagc, ID. d., lecturod
here yesterday, and to-day he preached 10
uncounted multitudes. The subject of the
sermon was "The Midnight Revel,n and
the text was Daniel ", 30: "Ih that night
was Belshazzar, the king OF the Chaldoans,
slain" DIR. Talmage said
Feasting has been known in all ages. IL
was one OF the most exciting times In En-
glish history when Queen Elizabeth visited
Lord Leicester at Kenilworth Castle. The
moment OF her arrival was considered so
important that all 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 at the
gate with floating islands and torches, and
the thunder Of cannon, and fireworks that
set the night ablaze, and great burst Of
music that lifted the whole scene Into per-
feet enchantment Then she was intro
duced into a dlnlng.hall, the luxurles Of
which astonished the world four hundred
servants waited upon the guests; the enter
tainment cost 81, 600 each day. Lord Lei
cester made that great supperin Kenilworth
Castle.
Cardinal Wolsey entertained the French
ambassadors at Hampton Court. The best
cooks in all the land prepared for the ban
quet Purveyors went out and travelled all
the kingdom over to find spoils for the
table. The time came. The guests were
kept during the day hunting In the kings
park, 80 that their appetites might be keen,
and then, In the evening, to the sound OF
the trumpetere, they were introduced into
hall hung with silk and cloth Of gold, and
there were tables aglitter with imperial
plate and laden with the rarest of meats
anA aIl al, tuit tutp apH
when the second course Of the feast came
r. was found that the articles Of food had
been fashioned into the shape OF men, birla,
and beasts, and groups dancing, and joust-
ing parties riding against each other with
lance: Lords ana princes and ambassadors
out of cups mled to the brim drank the
health first OF the king OF England aud
next to the King of France. Cardinal VOL
sey prepared that great supper in Hampton
Court.
But my text takes us to more exciting
banquet. Night was about to come down
upon Babylon. The shadows Of her two hun
dred and fifty towers began to lengthen. The
Euphrates rolled on, touched by the fiery
eplendors Of the setting sun; and gates OF
brass, Furnished and glittering, opened and
shut like doors Of flame. The hanging gar
dens of Babylon, wet with heavy dew, be-
gun to pour from starlit flowers and drip
ping leaf fragrance for many miles
around. The streets and squares were
lighted for dance and frollc and promen-
ade. The theaters and galleries OF art In
yited the wealth and pomp and grandeur Of
the city to rare entertainments. Scenes OF
riot and wassall were mingled in every
street, and goddess mirth and outrageous
excess and splendid wickedness came to the
kings palace to do their mightiest deeds Of
darkness.
A royal feast to might at kings palace !
Rushing up TO the gates are charlots up
holstered with precious cloths from
Dedan, and drawn by fire-eyed horses from
Togarmah, that rear and neigh In the grasp
Of the charioteers; while thousand lords
dismount, and women dressed In all the
splendor Of Syrian emerald, and the color
blending OF agate. and the chasteness Of
coral, and the somber glory OF Tyrian pur-
pie, and princely embroideries brought
by ships OF Tarshish across the sea. Open
wide the gates and let the guests come inl
The chamberains and cup bear ers are all
ready. Hark to the rustic Of the silks aud
to the carol Of the musicl See the blaze of
the jewelsl Lift the bannersl Fill the
trumpetsl Let the night 90 by with song
and dance and ovation; and let that Babylon
ish tongue be palsled that will not say: 40
King Belshazzar, live for ever | +"
Ah, my friends, II was not any common
banquet to which these great people came.
viands to that table. Brackets and chande-
liers flashed their light upon tankards Of
FURNISHED gold. Fruits, ripe and luscious,
In baskets Of silver entwined with leaves,
plucked from royal conservatories. Vases
inlald with emerald and ridged with ex-
quisite traceries, filled with nuts that were
threshed from forests Of distant lands.
Wine brought from the royal vats, foalning
in the deoanters and bubbling in the
chalices. Tufts OF cassia and frankincense
waiting their sweetness from wall and
table. Gorgeous banners unfolding in the
breeze that came through the open window
bewitehed with the perfume OF hanging gar
dens. Fountains rising up from Enclosures
of ivory in Jets OF crystal, to fan In clatter-
ing 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 or wonderful
work standing on pedestals Of precious
stones. Embroideries STOPPING about the
windows and wrapping pillars OF cedar, and
drifting on floor inlaid withivory and agate.
Music, mingling the thrum of harps and
the clash Of cymbals, and the blast Of
tIumpets In one wave OF transport that went
ripping along the wall and breathing
among the garlands, and pouring down the
corridors, and thrilling the souls Of thou,
sand banqueters. The signal is given, and
the lords and ladies, the mighty men and
women OF the land. come around the table.
Pour out the winel Let foam and bubble
kiss the riml Hoist every one his cup aud
drink to the sentiment, 80 King Belshazzar
live foreyerp Bestarred headband and car.
canet Of royal beauty CLEAN to the uplifted
chalices, as again and again and agaiI
they are emptied. Away with care from
the palacel Tear royal dignity to tatters
Pour out more winel Give us more light
wilder music, sweeter perfume! Lord
shouts to lord, captain ogles to captain
Goblets clash, decanters rattle. There
come In the obscene song and the drunken
hiccough, and the slavering lip, and the
guffaw OF idiotic laughter, bursting from
the lips Of princes, flushed, reeling, blood
"Huzza, huzsa, for great Belshazzarrp
What is that on the .plastering OF the
wallS Is It a spirit9 Is It phantomV Is 1t
Cody The music, stops. The goblets fall
from the neryeless grasp, There Is
be brought In to read that writing. II,
comes In. He reads 1t: "Weighed In the
balances, and art found wanting.n Mean
while the Assyrians, who for two years hae
been laying siege to that city, took ad
vantage 4 OF that carousal and came in.
hear the feet OF the conquerors on the pal
ace stairs. Massacre rushes In with q
thousand cleaning knives. Death burst
upon tho scene; and / shut the door o
that banqneting hall, for do not want h
look, There is nothing there but torn ban
Ders, and broken wreaths, and the slush O
upset tanksrds, and the blood of muir
dered women, and the kicked and dtumblel
carcass Of a dead king, For sin that nigh
4 was Belshazzar slain,p
/. learn from this, that when God write
anything ON the wall man had better reat
1t Ss it Is. Daniel did not misinterpret o
modify the handwriting on the wall. It l
allfoollshness TO expect a minister OF tn
gospel to preach always things that tn
II people like or the people choose Wha