230 Belshazzar had spent his life in luxury and pleasure, thinking little of the welfare of his subjects, and not paying much attention to any of his duties. His mind too, was weakened by folly and intemperance, and his conscience now reproached him for past wickedness. He was, therefore, but little prepared for such a scene as this. "Meanwhile a messenger went for the queen mother Nitocris, who was a woman of too much dignity and propriety of character to be willingly present on such an occasion of ill-timed and intE II) perate festivity as this. She was accustomed to look difficulties and dangers in the face, and had, of course, more courage and presence of mind than her son. Hence, addressing him in the usualway, (Dan : v. 10-12) “Oking, live for ever;” she added, “let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed 1 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 ; also the king Nebuchadnezzar, thy father, made him master
