NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S DREAM.-DANIEL II.
By John B. Dymot
GREAT Nebuchadnezzar, the earth's mighty king,
When musing one night what the future might bring,
Fell asleep; when the future before him drew near,
And a dream filled his lion-like spirit with fear. A towering image, transcendent and bright,
Terrific it stood, like a king in his might.
Its head was of gold, and of silver its breast,
Its arms also silver; its sides brazen-dressed;
Its legs were of iron, its feet of the same,
But mingled with clay that had ne'er seen the flame. But see; what is this that the mountain descends?
A stone that unhandled, unerringly wends
Its way to the image, and strikes at its feet.
The gold, silver, brass, and the iron now meet
With the vile miry clay; and the terrible form,
Demolished, is borne from the king by the storm. Bewildered he stands while the triumphing stone,
Having image, and valley, and mountain outgrown,
Fills all the wide earth with its glorious sway,
Which never shall tremble, remove, or decay. The monarch awoke; but the vision had passed
From his awe-stricken sight. The daybreak at last
Inviting him forth, to his magi he said,
"Restore me the vision that from me hath fled,
Tell also its meaning; or surely I'll know
That liars you are; and your life-blood shall flow." Though failure their honor and lives would involve,
Not one of the magi the problem could solve.
But Daniel, a captive, young, beautiful, good,
Before the impetuous autocrat stood. "O king," said the captive, "though falter the wise,
There's a God in the Heaven who secrets descries." He afterwards told him of all he had seen—
That wonderful image—intended to mean
That four mighty kingdoms successive should bear
Unlimited rule: that the head, rich and fair,
Was Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar's own realm,
The first of these kingdoms the earth to o'erwhelm. As iron can batter gold, silver, and brass,
The fourth should these three other kingdoms surpass,
Subduing and breaking, till, as by the clay
The iron is weakened, its strength shall decay.
Divided, the empire its life shall prolong,
Being partially broken and partially strong,
Till God in the Heaven his right shall assume,
That empires may crumble and kings meet their doom.
His kingdom to foemen shall never be given;
And whence now come curses shall praise rise to Heaven.