The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1891-01-31
~BElSHAZZAR'S FATE.
DR.. Talnlage on the Downfall of
Babylon.
wonder Of the Ancient City-The Hand
writing ON the WaII-sin's banquet and
Its Inevitable Result-PreparIns
For the Last Day.

For the Last Day.
III a recent sermon delivered n,
brooklyn and New York Rev. T. DE-
witt Talmage took his text from DAME
v. Soi In that night was Belshazzar
h King Of the ~Chaldeans, slain" DIR
Talinage said:
After the site of Babylon had beer
selected two million of men were EN-
pioyed for the construction of the wal,
and principal works. The walls of the
CITY were sixty miles in circumference
1ney We're surrounded by a trench, out
OF which had been dug the material foi
the construction of the city. There
were twenty-five gates of solid brass
on each side of the square city. Be,
tween every two gates a great watch
owe sprang up into the heavens.
From each of the twenty-five gates, on
either side, a street ran straight through
to the gate on the other side, SO that
there were fifty streets, each fifteen
miles long, which gave the city an ap.
pearance Of wonderful regularity.
The houses did not join each
other on the ground, but between
them were gardens and shrubbery.
tron house top to house top bridges
swung, over which the inhabitants were
accustomed To pass A branch of the
Eaphrates went through the city, over
which a bridge of marvellous structure
was thrown. and under which a tunnel
ran. To keep the river from overflow
ing the city in times of freshet, a great
lake wa arranged To catch the surplus,
In which the water was kept as in q
reservoir until times of drought, when
1t was sent streaming down over the
thirsty land. A palace stood at each
end OF the Euphrates bridge; one palace
q mile and three-auartars In compass,
q tisa other palace seven and a half
n1lsest In circumference. The wife of
&ss@sAadnezzar, having been brought
up. Among the mountains of Media,
coeid moi stand it in this fat country of
Babylon, and so, to please her, Nebu-
chadnezzar had n mountain 400 feet
high built in the midst of the city.
The mountain was surrounded by ter
races, for the support of which great
arches were lifted. On the top Of these
arches fat stones were laid; then a lay
er of reeds and bitumen; then two rows
of bricks closely ccmented; then thick
sheets OF lead, upon which the soil was
placed. Tie earth here deposited was
so deep that the largest trees had room
TO anchor their roots. All the glory of
the howery tropics was spread out at
that tremendous height, until II must
have seemed to one below as though
the. clouds 3were all in blossom and the
vcrss sly lagped on the shoulder of the
rcedFr A 4he top an engine was con-
sffEsthb witch drew the water from the
EnEhfAtes sas. below, and made it spout
up zmM this garden Of the skies. All
this to please his wife! | think she
must have been pleased.
In the midst of this city stood also
the temple OF Belus. One of its towers
was ore-eighth of u mile high, and on
the topfof IL an observatory which gave
the astronomers great advantage, as
being at so great n height N could
easily talk with the stars. This tenn
pie was full ,of cups, and statues, and
censers, all Of gold. One image weighed
1000 Babylonish talents, which would
be equal to s52, 900, 900. All this by day,
but now night was about to come down
on Babylon. The streets and squares
were lighted for dance and frolic and
promenade. The theaters and galleries
of art invited the wealth and pomp and
grandeur of the city to rare entertain
ments. Scenes of riot and wassail were
mingled in every street; goddess mirth
and outrageous excess and splendid
wichedness came TO the Kings palace
TO do their Inightiest deeds of darkness.
A royal feast tonight at the Kings
palace! 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 char
i~oteers; while a thousand lords dis
mount, and women, dressed in all the
splender ~ Syrian emerald, and the
color bfel .sg of agate and the chaste-
ness of coral, and the somber glory of
Tyrien purple and princely embroids
cries, brought from afar by camels
across the desert, and by ships of
Tarshish across the sea.
Open wide the gates and let the guests
come in Fill the cups. Clap the Gym
balls. Blow the trumpets. Let the
night 60 by with song, and dance, and
o~vationtsand let that Babylonish tongue
he palsfAd thu will not say; 20. King
B~elsknz8s<. Hse ~forexcrf'
AM my fffsHds, il was o any eozn-
mon 5ahquet % which these great peo-
pie came, All parts of the earth had
sent their richest vinnds to that table.
Brackets and chandeliers flashed their
light npon tankards of FURNISHED gold.
Fiuite, ripe and luscious in baskets Of
silver entwined with leaves plucked
from royal conscrvatories. Wine
brought from the royal watts, foaming
In the deean3ers and bubbling in the
chalicess Gorgeous banners unfolding
in the breeze that came through the
open vindow hewitched with the per-
fume of hanging gardens. Fountains
rising up from Enclosures of ivory, in
Jets OF crystal. TO fall In gathering rain
Of diamonds and pearls. Music, ming
ling the .hruIp of barps, and the clash
of cyInbsis, and the blast Of trumpets
in one wave Of transport that went rip
ping along the wall, and breathing
among the gariands, and pouring down
the corridors, and thrilling the souls of
1000 banGuetsTs.
The signal 10 given, and the lords and
ladies', the mighty men and women Of
the land, come around the table. Hoist
every one his cap and drink to the SEN
timent: 30 King Belshazzar, live for
everl' Away with care from the p~alacei
Tear royal dignity TO tattersl Pour out
more Ssinei dive us more light, wilder
mn~sicsIseSates perfume! Lord shouts
To lorG. c#ptalst ogles to captain. Cob
lets clash dsfanters rattle. There
come "a the vile song, and tho drunken
hiccough, and the slavering lip, and the
guffaw Of idiotic laughter, bursting
from the lips Ut Princes, flushed, reel
ing, bioodshot; while mingling with it
all / hear: "Huzzal huzzal for great
Belshazzarl"
What Is that on the plastering on h
wall? Is Ii a spirit? Is II a phantom?
Is IL Gcd9 Out Of the black sleeve of
the darkness IA finger of fiery terror
trembles through the air Inc comes to
the wall, circling about as though it
would write, and then, with sharp tip
of fame, engrayes on the plastering the
doom of the King. The music stops.
The goblet falls from the n~erveless
grasp. There is a thrill. There is a
start. There is a thousand voiced shrek
Of horror. Let Daniel be brought in to
read that writing. He comes in. He
reads tt: weighed in the balance and
found wanting"
Meanwhile the Assyrians, who for
two years had been laying seige TO that
CITY, ook advantage Of that carousal