ESTHER'S FEAST.

WHEN Haman appeared at the feast to which Esther had invited him, with the king, the latter begged to know what the request was which she proposed making to him, and which he had promised to grant, even though it should extend to the half of his kingdom. The queen then, to the astonishment of Haman, made her solicitation, which was, that her lord would spare the lives of her people, the Israelites, against whom the royal favourite had induced him to publish a decree devoting them to death. "Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so? And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen. And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath, went into the palace garden; and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king. Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face *." This was done to signify the king's indignation aginst him. The chamberlain, who had summoned his royal master to the banquet, having seen the gallows which Haman had prepared for Mordecai, who had saved the king's life, and having ascertained the purpose for which it had been erected, acquainted his sovereign with the circumstance. Ahasuerus gave immediate orders that the unworthy favourite should be hanged upon it, and his estate, which was very large, given to the queen. This was instantly

done.

Thus Haman expiated his crimes upon the gallows he had erected for an innocent man, and that man was promoted to the honour of being at once the queen's steward and the king's favourite.