The wise men gazed in silent astonishment on the writing, cast solemn glances at one another, and at last frankly confessed that it was written in a language with which they had no acquaintance—­peradventure, understood only by the gods.

“What shall I do?” cried the king, in deep agony.  “I fear some awful calamity is about to befall me!  A curse upon you pretenders’ Depart from my presence!  O ye gods, what shall I do?”

The great fear of the king had been made known to the queen-mother, the famous Nitocris, wife of Nebuchadnezzar.  She hastened to the banquet chamber, where she found all in the greatest consternation, especially the king.

“O king, live forever!” cried the queen-mother.  “Let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor thy countenance thus be changed in the presence of thy mighty lords, lest hereafter they despise thy fear.  There is a man in thy kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and, in the days of thy grandfather, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him, whom the king, Nebuchadnezzar, thy grandfather—­I say the king himself—­made master of the magicians, astrologers and soothsayers; and this was a sure sign of his superior wisdom.  This great man is not found among thy nobles.  Since in thy great wisdom thou didst see fit to deprive all Hebrews of office, this mighty Daniel, whom thy grandfather called Belteshazzar, has been seen but seldom.  But be it known to thee, O king, that he is not utterly forgotten.”

Without delay messengers were sent to the house of Daniel, and in a short time a venerable person, with his hair silvered over, slowly marched into the banqueting hall, and, without the least embarrassment, stood in the presence of the pale and trembling Belshazzar.

“Art thou that Daniel who art of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my grandfather brought from Judah?  I have even heard of thee that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellence are 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 interpretation thereof; but they could not show the interpretation of the thing.  Now, if thou canst read the writing and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shall 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 to the king, and make known unto him the interpretation.