Page 77 - The Prophet-statesman a Drama of Daniel

but it soon became evident that they were entirely unable to produce the interpretation,
even when the dream had been told to them.

Finally the king summoned his Prime Minister and addressed him in these words:
“O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy
gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have
seen, and the interpretation thereof. Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I

saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. The
tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight
thereof to the end of all the earth: The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof
much, and in it was meat for all: the beast of the field had shadow under it, and the

fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it. I saw in the
visions of my head upon my bed, and behold, a watcher and an holy one came down
from heaven; He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches,
shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the

fowls from his branches: 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 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 dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar,

declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not
able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the
holy gods is in thee.”

Daniel listened intently as the king unfolded the contents of the dream, and as the
narrative progressed the usual placid expression of the Hebrew statesman gradually
gave place to a look of alarm. As the king concluded the story of the vision, Daniel
leaned his head forward and hid his face in his hands. In this posture he remained for a

long time in complete silence. The king respecting the reverie of the Prime Minister,
would not intrude upon it and in his turn maintained an unbroken silence. An hour
passed, punctuated by no sound save an occasional groan of distress from the Prime

Minister, before the king spoke. Mistaking the sounds emitted by Daniel as indicating
perplexity, he said in a gentle tone: “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation
thereof trouble thee.” Whereupon Daniel looked up and replied with a shake of his head:
“My Lord, the dream be to them that hate thee and the interpretation thereof to thine
enemies.” With these words he gave indication to the king that it was not the

interpretation of the dream that baffled him, but that the implications of the dream for
the king himself were so appalling that he could only think of them as happening to the