But mark, what diff'ring terms your fates allow, "OH, COME TO SEE ME." LINES ON A HAWTHORN TREE IN THE VICEREGAL GARDENS, WHICH IS PARTLY COVERED WITH Ivy. [1862.] Оí, come to see me, when the soft warm May In my bright season's transitory day, While my young perfume loads the enamoured air. Oh, come to see me, when the sky is blue, And backs my spangles with an azure ground, Then be the spring in all its pomp arrayed, The lilac's blossom, the laburnum's blaze; THE SECOND VISION OF DANIEL: PREFACE. In a very able and elaborate work lately published by Mr. Buckle, the first volume of the History of Civilization in England, it is much insisted upon that the greatness and happiness of nations increase in almost parallel proportions with their sceptical tendencies. I do not wish to fix upon the term of scepticism a more offensive im port than the author himself assigns to it; and if I can judge of myself aright, there can be nothing which I should more wish to avoid than any approach to dogmatism in the discussion of religious subjects, and still more especially of Scriptural Prophecy. I must further admit myself not to be aware how far critical research and investigation have been brought to bear upon the composition of the Book of the Prophet Daniel. It has long, however, appeared to me that if the eighth Chapter of this marvellous Book, of which, principally with the view of calling increased attention to it at the present period, I have attempted the following Paraphrase in verse, does really stand, as it is assumed to do in our Bibles, without addition, interpolation, or corruption, these three points are established. 1. The inspiration of the sacred text. 2. The immediate superintendence of Divine Providence in the order of events, and in the government of the world. 3. The high probability, when the Chapter is viewed in connexion with the associated Prophecies and Chronologies of the Books of Daniel and of the Revelations, that we are even now upon the threshold of great events, and of the close of our present economy. DANIEL, CHAP. VIII. 1 In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first. 2 And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai. 3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. 4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great. 5 And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. 6 And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power. 7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the rum out of his hand. 8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven. 9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. 10 And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the -host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. 11 Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. 12 And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered. 13 ¶ Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? 14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. 15 And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. 17 So he came near where I stood, and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision. 18 Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. 19 And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be. 20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. 22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power. 23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up, 24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. 25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. 26 And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. 27 And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it. THE SECOND VISION OF DANIEL. b In that still hour, when the declining sun, a "In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me." Daniel viii. 1. b B. C. 553. "And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes."-Daniel, ix. 3. "And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace.”—Ver. 2. "I was by the river of Ulai."-Ver. 2. The Eulæus. Susa was built between the rivers Eulæus and Choaspes, both famous for their delicious water. "Parthorum reges ex Choaspe et Eulæo tantum bibunt."-PLINY, H. N., 31. 21. "The drink of none but kings."-MILTON, Par. Reg. III. 289. "Thus the great palace at Persopolis contained inscriptions of Darius, Xerxes, and later kings."—Note to Rawlinson's Herodotus. "There stood before the river a ram which had two horns."-Ver 3. "The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia."-Ver. 20. h 'That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd.”—Isaiah, xliv. 28. "I saw the ram pushing northward . . . he did according to his will, and became great."-Ver. 4. › Croesus was taken prisoner by Cyrus, B. C. 549. k Southward. Babylon was taken by Cyrus, B. c. 539. Herodotus mentions the hundred gates. Flush'd with mad pride, behold Cambyses" run Yet from that West in turn more fierce alarms m Westward. n O'er subject provinces, and suppliant Kings. See" Media's elder diadem unbound! See Persia's loftier sceptre kiss the ground! Him, climes and tribes he knew not, learn to know, The Parthian arrow, and the Bactrian bow; Indus' his wat'ry barrier rolls aside, Hydaspes wafts him on his fabled' tide; Cambyses invaded Egypt, B. c. 525. • "An he goat came from the west, and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes."-Ver. 5. "The rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.”—Ver. 21. p" By a fatal imprudence the Persians permitted Alexander to carry over without opposition his grand army into Asia in the spring of 334 B. c."-GROTE, vol. xii., p. 104. q"Fulmen belli."-VIRG. Æn. vi. 841. "The goat came on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground.”— Ver. 5. Battle of the Granicus, B. c. 334. t Battle of Arbela, B. c. 331. u "The ram had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last."-Ver. 3. "And the goat came to the ram that had two horns, and ran unto him in the fury of his power."-Ver. 6. "The goat smote the ram, and brake his two horns, cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him."-Ver. 7. |