The Red Cloud chief., 1891-02-06

d. Ta,mage On the Dowufhn az
Babylon.
Weo4ess - Tie Ancient CitylThe HanA.
WI1eaAG - The Wall-0ln's Banquet s>d
tt lnevitabls Resslt-PreParing
For the Last Nay.

Woooe4o q = Ancient Clty-The HanA
wraeahg - tie Wall-Sin,s nasqast s.d
Ios Inevitable Result-PreParing
For the Last Day.
In . recent sermon delivered a,
Brooklyn and New York Rev. T. d,
Witt Talmage took his text from Danic
v. 80: "In that night was Belshazzar
the King Of the Chaldeans, slain" Dr
Talmage said:
After the site of Babylon had beer
selected two million Of men were EN-
ployed for the construction of the wal
and principal works. The walls of ths
city were sixty miles In circumference
They were surrounded by q trench, on,
OF which had been dug the material fou
the construction of the city. There
IN twenty-five gates Of solid bras.
on each side Of the square city. Be
tween every two gates a great watch
tower sprang up into the heavens
From each of the twenty-five gates, on
either side, street ran straight through
to the gate on the other side, 70 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.
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 a bridge Of marvellous structure
was thrown, and under which q tunnel
ran. To keep the river from overflow
ing the city in times Of freshet, q great
lake was arranged to catch the surplus,
in which the water was kept as in q
reservoir until times of drought, when
it was sent streaming down over the
thirsty land. A palace stood at each
end of the Euphrates bridge; one palace
a mile and thrce-quarters In compass,
and the other palace seven and a half
miles in circumference. The wife of
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, having been brought
up among the mountains Of Media,
c6hld not stand il in this fiat country of
Babylon, and SO, to please her. Nebu.
chadncZzar had a mountain 400 feet
high builtjn 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 fiat 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. The earth here deposited was
SO deep that the largest trees had room
to anchor their roots. All the glory OF
the fiowcry tropics was spread out at
that tremendous height, until il must
have seemed to one below as though
the clouds were all in blossom and the
very sky leaned on the shoulder Of the
cedar. At the top an engine was con
structcd which drew the water from the
Euphratcs far below, and made it spout
mp amid this garden Of the skies. All
this to please his wife! l 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 a 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
talk with the stars. This EN-
censers, all of gold. One image weighed
200 Babylonish talents, which would
he equal to 81. 600, 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
mcnts. scenes of riot and wassail were
mingled in every street; goddess mirth
and outrageous excess and splendid
w~ickedness came to the Kings palace
10 do their mightiest deeds of darkness
A royal feast tonight at the Kings
palace. Rushing up TO the gates are
chariotS, upholstered with precious
cloths from Dcdan. and drawn by fire.
eyed horses from Togarmah. that rear
and neigh in the grasp Of the char
i~otecrs: while a Thousand lords dis
mount, and women. dressed in all the
splender Of Syrian emerald. and the
color blending of agate and the chaste-
ness IF coral. and the sombcr glory of
Tyrian purple and princely embroid-
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 go by with song. and dance, and
ovation, and let that Eabylonish tongue
be palsied that will moi say: 20. King
Belshazzar, live forever"
All! my friends. it was not n COM
mon banquet 10 which these great pco-
pie came. All parts Of the earth had
sent their richest viands to that table. |
Brackets and chandeliers flashed their
light upon tankards of FURNISHED gold.
Fruits, ripe and luscious in baskets of
cntwined with leaves plucked
from royal Conservatives Wine
brought from the royal watts, foaming
in the decanters and bubbling in the
chalices. Gorgeous banners unfolding
in the breeze that came through the
window bewitched with the per.
fume Of hanging gardens. Fountains
up from Enclosures Of ivory, in
Jets of crystal. to fall in Gathering rain
Of diamonds and pearls. Music, ming.
ling the thrum of harps. and the clash
of cymbals. and the blast Of trumpets
inone wave Of transport that went rip
ping along the wall, and breathing
among the garlands, and pouring down
the corridors, and thrilling the souls of
l 200 b~anqueters.
The signal is given, and the lords and
the mighty men and women Of
the land, come around the table. Hoist
every one his cup and drink to the sem
20 King Belshazzar. live for
Away with care from the palace!
Tear royal dignity to tatters! Pour out
wine! Give us more light wilder
music. swceter perfume! Lord shouts
10 lord. captain ogles to captain. Cob
let's clash. decanters rattle. There
in the vile song, and the drunken
hiccough, and the s~lavering lip, and the
of idiotic laughter. bursting
from the lips Of Princes, flushed. reel
bloodshot; while mingling with it
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