Page 125 - The Prophet-statesman a Drama of Daniel

The royal messengers took the command and hastened to carry it out. While they
sped on their way, a maid came into the apartment of Queen Rhea. Though far past her
usual hour of retirement, the dowager-queen agitated by some strange foreboding, had

not gone to bed. To attend the feast which she knew would be a drunken rout, she
steadfastly refused, nor yet did Queen Hanniel go.

The maid told the old queen of the strange phenomenon of the writing on the wall,

and that Belshazzar had sent to summon the astrologers. Chaldeans and soothsayers.
“They will be of no use whatever! This is a visitation from Jehovah, a
pronouncement upon Belshazzar for his wickedness and sacrilege and perhaps
foretelling the doom of Babylon. Only the Hebrew saint and prophet, Daniel, can read

it.” Thus spoke the old queen with assurance and finality as she began to attire herself
to go to the great hall.

Before she got there, quite a number of the wise men of various schools had

gathered and had already carefully examined the writing. After much low talking and
consultation among themselves, they admitted to Belshazzar their inability to read or
explain the writing: “Your Majesty, we have never seen such letters or read such
words as are inscribed there,” said their spokesman.

At this point Queen Rhea appeared in the banquet hall and advanced to Belshazzar
and spoke as follows: “O King live forever, let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor ley
thy countenance be changed: There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of

the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like
the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king, Nebuchadenezzar thy
father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers,
Chaldeans, and soothsayers; Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and

understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving
of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king names Belteshazzar: now let
Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.”
“Does anyone know where Daniel the Hebrew lives?” inquired Belshazzar.

“I know, Your Majesty,” spoke up one of the pages.
“Go then, and summon him,” commanded the king.

The page proceeded to the modest home where the elder-statesman now dwelt
alone. He had lately buried Mishael, the last of his three life-long friends. It was a
little while before the venerable gentleman could be aroused. When he opened the
door, the page informed him of the king’s summons: so he attired himself as promptly
as possible and accompanied the page to the palace.

Not since he had been cast out of office at the accession of Neriglissar, now nearly