The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1891-02-11
BABYLON.
Writing Ever on the Wall. Which
All May Read
Gin Has Made Itself King In the Earth
Hat His Revels Are ShrOuded In
Robes Of Death-Dr. Tai
IMAGES Sermon.

IMAGES Sermon.
DR.. Talmage's text was Daniel v. 80.
Elm that night was Belshazzar, King OF
the Chaldeans, slain"
After the site of Babylon had been Sc
lected, two million men were employed
for the construction of the wall and
principal works. The walls of the city
were sixty miles in circumference.
They were surrounded by trench out
of which had been dug the material for
the construction of the city. There
were twenty-five gates of solid brass on
each side of the square city. Between
every two gates a great watch-tower
sprang up into the heavens. From each
of the twenty-five gates, on either side,
q street ran straight through to the gate
on the other side, so that there were
fifty streets, each fifteen miles long,
which gave to the city an appearance OF
wonderful regularity. The houses did
not join each other on the ground,
and between them were gardens
and shrubbery. From house-top to
house-top bridges swung, over which
the Inhabitants were accustomed to
pass A branch of the Euphrates went
through the city, over which bridge Of
marvellous structure was thrown, and
under which a tunnel ran. To keep the
river from overlooking the city
In times of freshet great lake was ar
ranged to catch the surplus, in which
the water was kept as in a reservoir
until times CT drought, when it was sent
streaming down over the thirsty land.
A palace stood at each end Of the Eu-
pirates Bridge, one palace a mile and
three-quarters in compass, and the other
palace seven and half miles in circum-
ference. The wife of Nebuchadnezzar,
having been brought up among the
mountains of Media, could not stand it
in this fat country of Babylon, and so,
to please her, Northumberland had a
mountain 400 feet high built in the midst
of the city. This mountain was sur
rounded by terraces, for the support of
which great arches were lifted. On the
top of these arches fiat stones were laid.
then layer Of reeds and bitumen; then
two rows of bricks, closely cemented;
then thick sheets of lead, upon which
the soil was placed. The earth here
deposited was SO deep that the largest
trees had room to anchor their roots.
All the glory of the flowery tropics was
spread out at that tremendous height,
until it must have seemed to one below
as though the clouds were all in bios
som and the sky leaned on the shoulder
of the cedar. At the top an engine was
constructed which drew the water from
the Euphrates far below, and made it
spout up amid 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 one-eighth of mile high, and on
the top of it an observatory, which gave
the astronomers great advantage, as,
being at so great a height, one could
easily talk with the stars This temple
was full of cups, and statues and CEN
Sors, all of gold. One image weighed a
thousand Babylonish talents, which
would be equal to $50, 100000. All this by
day, but now night was about to come
down on Babylon. The shadows of her
$50 towers began to lengthen. The Eu-
pirates rolled on, touched by the fiery
splendors of the setting sun; and gates
CT brass, FURNISHED and glittering,
opened and shut like doors of flame.
The hanging gardens of Babylon, wet
with the heavy dew, began to pour, from
starlit flowers and dripping leaf, fra
GRANGE for many miles around. 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 entertainments. Scenes
of riot and wassail were mingled
in every street; goddess mirth and
outrageous excess and splendid wick
edness came to the Kings palace to
do their mightiest deeds of darkness
A royal feast tonight at the Kings pal
ace! Rushing up to the gates are char.
lots upholstered with precious cloths
from Dedan and drawn by fire-eyet
horses from Togarmah that rear ant
neigh in the grasp of the charioteers
while thousand lords dismount, ant
women, dressed in all the splendors O.
Syrian emerald, and the color-blending
Of agate and the chasteness of cora
and the somber glory of Tyrian purple
and princely embroideries brought from
nfar by camels across the desert an(
by ships of Tarshish across the sea.
Open wide the gates and let the guests
come in. The chamberlains and cup
bearers are all ready. Hank to the rus
tie of the robes and to the carol of tn,
music! See The blaze Of the jewels
Lift the banners. Clap the symbols
Blow the trumpets. Let the night g,
by with song and dance and ovation
and let that Babylonish tongue be pal
sled that will not say, 20 King Belshaz
sar, live foreverr'
All! my friends, it was not any com
mon BANQUET TO which these great pee
Pile came. All parts of the earth hat
sent their richest viands to that table
Brackets and chandeliers flashed thei
light upon tanlIards of FURNISHED gold
Fruits, ripe and luscious, in baskets o
silver, entwined with leaves, plucket
from royal Conservatives. Vases, in
laid with emerald and ridged with ex
quisite traceries, filed with nuts tina
were threshed from forests Of distan
| lands Wine hroupht from, tho yova
watts, foaming in the decanters and but