nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth: let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him. This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men."

This, says Dr. Hales, was a merciful warning to this great prince, when at rest in his house, and flourishing in his palace, to break off his sins, especially his inordinate pride, and his iniquities; especially his capricious cruelty, by showing mercy to the poor, that it might be a lengthening of his tranquillity, according to the sage and honest advice of his chief counsellor Daniel, after the king had told his dream, and the prophet had given the interpretation thereof from God.

The tree denoted the monarch himself, and his extensive dominions: the holy watcher, who came down from heaven, and commanded to hew the tree down, but to bind the stump of its roots that was left in the ground with a band of iron and brass, that it might be wet with the dew of heaven, and have its portion with the beasts of the field, until the expiration of seven times, or seven years, signified the decree of the Almighty, for depriving him of his reason, and banishing him from human society, to associate with the beasts of the field, until he should acknowledge the supremacy of God, who “ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will," Dan. iv. 4—27.

It was thus that Daniel interpreted the dream, and thus that the dream was fulfilled. At the end of twelve months, as he was walking in his palace, and admiring the beauty and magnificence of Babylon, he exclaimed, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?" While the word was in his mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, “O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever

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he will." In the same hour his understanding departed from him; "he was driven from men, and ate grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like the claws of a bird," Dan. iv. 28-33.

The malady by which the Divine judgment punished the pride of Nebuchadnezzar, is a subject on which opinions are much divided. Without adopting any, the following is transcribed, as one of the most probable, from the "Medica Sacra" of the learned and pious Dr. Mead. He says: "All the circumstances of Nebuchadnezzar's case agree so well with an hypochondriacal madness, that to me it appears evident that Nebuchadnezzar was seized with this distemper, and under its influence ran wild into the fields; and that, fancying himself transformed into an ox, he fed on grass, after the manner of cattle. For every sort of madness is the disease of a disturbed imagination; which this unhappy man laboured under full seven years. And through neglect of taking proper care of himself, his hair and nails grew to an uncommon length; whereby the latter growing thicker and crooked, resembled the claws of birds. Now the ancients called people affected with this kind of madness, 'wolf-men,' or 'dog-men,' because they went abroad in the night imitating wolves or dogs; particularly intent upon opening the sepulchres of the dead, and had their legs much ulcerated, either from frequent falls, or the bites of dogs. In like manner are the daughters of Protus related to have been mad, who, as Virgil says,

'With mimic howlings filled the fields,' Ecl. vi. 48.

For, as Servius observes, Juno possessed their minds with such a species of fury, that, fancying themselves cows, they ran into the fields, bellowed often, and dreaded the plough. Nor was this disorder unknown to the moderns: for Schenckius records a remarkable instance of it in a husbandman of Padua, who, imagining himself a wolf, attacked and even killed several people in the fields; and when at length he was taken, he persevered in declaring himself a real wolf, and that the only difference consisted in the inversion of his skin and hair. But it may be objected to our opinion, that this misfortune was foretold to the king, so that he might have prevented it by correcting his morals; and therefore it is not probable that it befel him in the course of nature. But we know that those things which God executes, either through clemency or vengeance, are frequently performed by the as

sistance of natural causes. Thus, having threatened Hezekiah with death, and being afterwards moved by his prayers, he restored him to life, and made use of figs, laid on the tumour, as a medicine for his disease. He ordered king Herod, upon account of his pride, to be devoured by worms. And nobody doubts but that the plague, which is generally attributed to Divine wrath, most commonly owes its origin to corrupted air."

It was thus that Nebuchadnezzar spent full seven long years; an awful example of the madness of pride and ambition. At the expiration of that time, his reason returned. In the language of Holy Writ, he lifted up his eyes unto heaven, and blessed the Most High; he praised and honoured Him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation; confessing, that all the inhabitants of the earth are as nothing before him, and that he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?"

The courtiers of Nebuchadnezzar now sought to him again; he was restored to his throne, and became greater and more powerful than before, inasmuch, as humbled and instructed by his sufferings, he gratefully acknowledged the signs and wonders which the most high God had wrought towards him, and praised and extolled "the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment," and who is able to abase those that walk in pride, Dan. iv. 34-37.

Having thus humbled the pride of this mighty monarch, God was pleased to show that he did not need his services here; for shortly after this, B. c. 561, Nebuchadnezzar died, and was succeeded by his son,

or Ilvarodam, in Ptolemy's Canon, whose first act was the enlargement of the Jewish king Jehoiachim from his prison, whom he treated kindly all the days of his life, setting him above all the other kings that were at Babylon. See Jer. lii. 31-34; 2 kings xxv. 27-30. But the reign of Evil Merodach, or "foolish Merodach," was brief. According to Xenophon, on his accession to the throne, he set himself to form a powerful confederacy of the neighbouring states, the Lydians, Cappadocians, Phrygians, Carians, Paphlagonians, and Cilicians westwards, and the Indians eastwards, against

the Medes; alleging, that by their union with the Persians by marriage and alliance, they were grown great and powerful, and unless they were opposed with the united force of the confederates, they would be finally subdued, separately. But the designs of Evil Merodach were frustrated. Cyrus, who was appointed general of the combined army of the Medes and Persians, by Cyaxares, his uncle and father-in-law, anticipated the threatened invasion, attacked the Babylonians, routed and pursued them to their camp, and slew Evil Merodach, B. c. 558. He was succeeded in his kingdom by

BELSHAZZAR,

his son, the common accounts of whom appear to combine with what is said of the Neriglissar of profane historians.

By the prophet Isaiah, who represents the Babylonian dynasty as the scourge of Palestine, Nebuchadnezzar is styled "a serpent," Evil Merodach "a cockatrice," and Belshazzar, "a fiery flying serpent," which is the most evil and destructive of all, Isa. xiv. 29.

The character of Belshazzar, as described prophetically by Isaiah, and the accounts of Xenophon, are found to agree. According to that writer, his barbarity was such as is rarely recorded in the annals of history. A wanton sporting with the lives and persons of his subjects, appears to have ever inflamed his breast. Thus he slew the only son of Gobryas in a transport of rage, because, at a hunting match, he hit a bear with his spear, and afterwards a lion, when the king had failed in the attempt.

The whole life of Belshazzar appears to have been one continued scene of riot and intemperance. His last, and most heinous offence, was the profanation of the sacred vessels belonging to the temple of Jerusalem, which even his grandfather and father had respected. At a great festival he made a feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before them. While at the board, surrounded by parasites and concubines, he had the audacity to send for these holy vessels, for the purpose of prostituting them to debauchery. And to aggravate sacrilege by ingratitude against the Author of all their enjoyments, he and his nobles, etc., "praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone."

But this desecration was marked by the eye of God, nor did their impiety escape punishment. As they were indulg

ing in their mad revelry, the finger of God penned the monarch's doom upon the wall opposite his seat. His eye caught the part of the hand which wrote, and, alarmed at the apparition, and the mystical characters, he called aloud for the magicians, of whom he required an explanation, and an interpretation of the writing.

But none could read, and none interpret, and confusion prevailed in the palace, and an awful uncertainty in the bosom of all its inmates. At length, however, the queen-mother reminded her son of the eminent wisdom of Daniel, who had been long despised, and he was sent for into the royal presence.

The prophet came, and the king offered him the highest rewards and honours if he would interpret the inscription. But Daniel knew too well the empty nature of sublunary honours to be dazzled by such an offer. This his answer to the monarch proved: "Let thy gifts be to thyself," said he, “and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation."

Before the prophet did this, he boldly charged the monarch with the impious deed of profaning the holy vessels of God's sanctuary, and of committing a flagrant act of rebellion against the Majesty of heaven. He then read aloud, and interpreted to this terrified auditory the mystical writing, a view of which has thus been taken by Dr. Hales.

MENE

MENE

THE INSCRIPTION.

TEKEL [PERES] UPHARSIN

"Number Number Weight [Division] And Divisions."

THE INTERPRETATION.

MENE "God hath numbered thy reign," and

MENE" Hath finished it." The repetition emphatically signifying that the decree was certain, and should shortly See Gen. xli. 32.

come to pass.

TEKEL-"Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting." See Job xxxi. 6; Rev. vi. 5 PERES "Thy kingdom is divided."

UPHARSIN-" And given to the Mede and the Persian" [Darius and Cyrus.]

Belshazzar heard this dreadful sentence, and however unwelcome it was to him, he nevertheless bestowed upon Daniel the promised rewards: he caused him to be clothed in