Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-08-09

which is only n few miles distant. The
Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage, d. D., lectured
here yesterday, and to-day he preached to
uncouDted multitudes. The subject OF the
sermon was The Midnight Revel," and
the text was Daniel v, 30: ':In that night
was Belshazzar the King of the ChaldeanS
slain" DIR. Talmage said:
FEAsTING
has been known in all ages. 1t was one
of the most exciting times in English his
tory when Queen Elizabeth visited Lord
Leicester at Kenilworth Castle. The mo-
ment of her arrival was considered so i'm
pOrtant 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
to the gate with floating islands, and
torches, and the thunder of cannon, and
fireworks that set the night ablazc, and n
great burst of music that lifted the whole
scene into perfect enchantment Then she
was introduced in q dining hall, the luXu
ries of which aStOnished the world; four
hundred servants waited upon the guests;
the entertainment cost five thousand dol
lars each day Lord leicester made that
great supper in Kenilworth Castle.
Cardinal WolScy entertained the French
ambassadors ut Hampton Court. The best
cooks in all the land prepared for the ban
uuet: purveyOrS went out and travelled all
the kingdom over to find spOils for the Ia
BILE The time came. The guests were
kept during the day hunting in the kings
park, so that their appetites might be keen;
and then in the evening, to the sound OF
the trumpeterS, they were introduced into
a hall hung with silk and cloth of gold, and
there were tables a-glitter with imperial
plate. and laden with the rareSt of meats
and a-bluSh with the costliest wines; and
when the second course of the feast came
it was found that the articles Of food had
been fashioned into the shape of men, birds
and beasts, and groups dancing, and jOnst
ing parties riding against each other with
lances. Lords and princes and ambasSa
dOrs out of cups filled to the brim drank
the health, first of the King of England,
and next to the King of France. Cardinal
Wolsey prepared that great supper in
Hampton Court.
But my text takes us to
A MORE EXCITING BANQUET.
Night was about to come down upon
Babylon. The shadows of her two hun
dred aud fifty towers began 10 lengthen.
The EuphrateS rolled on, touched by the
fiery splendOrS of the setting sun; and
gates of brass, FURNISHED and glittering,
opened and shut like doors of flame The
hanging gardens OF Babylon, wet with
heavy dew, began to pour from starlit
flowers and dripping leaf, Il fragrance for
many miles around The streets and
squares were lighted for dance and frOlic
and promenade The theatres and CALLER
les of art invited the wealth and pOmp and
grandeur of the city 10 rare entertainments.
Scenes of riot and waSsail were mingled in
every street: and goddess mirth and out
rageOuS excess and splendid wickcdncss
came to the Kings palace TO do their
mightieSt deeds of darkness.
4 royal feast tonight ut the kings
palace! Rushing up TO the gates are char
lots upholstered with precious cloths from
Detlan and drawn by iire-eyed horses from
Togarmah, that rear and neigh in the grasp
of the chaPiuieeTs; while Il thousand lords
diSmOuut. and women dressed i'll all the
splendor of Syrian emerald, and the color
blending of agate, and the ChaStcncSS of
coral. and the sOmbre glory of Iyrian pur-
pie. and princely embrOideries brought
from aiar hy camelS across the desert and
bv ships OF 1arSish across the sea. Open
wide the gates and let the guests come In!
The chamberlains and cup-bearcrs are all
Iarly q tln.ar la nf ha silk
to the carol of the music. See the blaze Of
the Jewels Lift the banners! Fill the
cups, Clap the cymbalS! Blow the trum-
pets! Let the night 90 by with song and
dance and ovation; and let that BabylOpish
tongue be palSied that will not say: 20
King Belshazzar, live for eveP!'
All, my friends, it was
NOT ANY COMMON BANQUET
| 10 which these great people came. All
parts of the earth had sent their richest Vi
ands to that table. Brackets and chIndc-
liers flashed their light upon tankards of
| FURNISHED gold. Fruits, ripe and luscious,
! in baskets of silver, entwined with leaves
plucked from royal COnSorSatOcieS, Vases
/ inlai,l with emerald and ridged with cN-
auisite tracericS, filled with nuts that were
! threshed from forests Of distant lands
/ Wines brought from royal watts, ioaming in
decanterS and bubbling in the chaliceS.
/ Tufts of CaSSia and tranEincenSe waiting
their sweetness from wall and table. Cor
peous banners unfolding in the breeze that
! came through the opened window, be
witched with the perfume Of hanging gar
dens. Fountains raising up from Enclosures
of ivory in Jets OF crystal, TO fall IN clat-
tcring rain of diamonds and pearls Statues
of mighty men looking down nom inches in
the wall upon crowns and shields brought
from subdued empires. Idols of wonderful
work standing on pedeStalS OF precious
stones. EmbrOiderieS STOPPING about the
windows and wrapping pillars of cedar,
and drifting on floor inlaid with ivory and
agate. Music, mingling the thrum Of
harps, and the clash of cymbalS, ana the
blast of trumpets in one wave of transport
that went ripplmg along the wall and
breathing among the garlandS, and pour
ING down the corridors, and thrilling the
souls of a thousand banqueterS. The sig
nal is given, and the lords and ladies, 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 aud drink to the sentiment;
20 King Belshazzar, live for ever
Bestarred headband and carcanet
of royal beauty CLEAN to the upliited
chaliees, rs again and again and again they
are emptied. Away with care from the
palace! Tear royal dignity to tatterS!
Pour out more wine. Give us more light,
wilder music, sweeter perfume! Lord
shouts to lord, coptain ogles to captain.
Goblets clash, decanters rattle. There
come in the obscene song and the drunken
hiccough. and the slavering hip and the
guffaw of idiotic laughter, bursting from
the lips of princes, flushed, reeling, blood
shot; while mingling with it all | hear:
''huzza, huzza, for great Belshazzar!'
WHAT Is THAT ON THE PLAsTERISG OF
THE WALL?
| Is it a spirit? Is it a phantom? Is 1t God?
The music stops. The gOblets fall from
the nerveleSs grasp. There is thrill
There is q start. There is thousand