O lonely grave in Moab's land! O dark Beth-peor's hill! Speak to these curious hearts of ours, And teach them to be still. God hath his mysteries of grace, Ways that we cannot tell; He hides them deep, like the hidden sleep CECIL FRANCES ALEXANDER. HELPS TO STUDY 1. What do you know about the life of Moses? 2. Where was Moab? 3. Who dug the grave? 4. How silent was the funeral procession? 5. What are the only living creatures that might have seen it? 6. Select the passages that make you feel the grandeur of the funeral. 7. Compare the burial of Moses with that of other great men. 8. What is the lesson of his secret burial? 9. Why do you enjoy reading the poem aloud? What is unusual, in each stanza, about the line next to the last? For Study with the Glossary. Nebo, Moab, sepulcher, train, verdure, perchance, Beth-peor, eyrie, stalking, reversed, sage, bard, minster, transept, emblazoned, philosopher, pall, bier. After the burial of Moses, the Hebrews settled in the Promised Land and built at Jerusalem a beautiful temple. Years later the Chaldeans made war upon Jerusalem, and carried off the rich treasures of the temple, and also many captives. Daniel, a youth of noble birth, was one of them. He was taken to Babylon, the capital of Chaldea, one of the most magnificent of ancient cities. 5 BELSHAZZAR'S FEAST Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father 5 Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, and his wives might drink therein. Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king 10 and his princes, and his wives drank in them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. In the same hour came forth the fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the 15 plaster of the wall of the king's palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that his joints were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. 20 The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, "Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom." Then came in all the king's wise men; but they could not read the writing nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof. Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was 5 changed in him, and his lords were astonished. Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, "O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be 10 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 Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made 15 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 named 20 Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation." Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, "Art thou that Daniel which art of the children of the captivity of 25 Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry? I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee. And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the 5 interpretation thereof; but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing; and I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be 10 clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.' Then Daniel answered and said before the king, "Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. "O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: and for the majesty that he gave him, all 5 people, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was 10 deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him and he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; 15 till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; 20 and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, and thy wives have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the 25 God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: then was the |