“This is a strange demand, indeed,” answered the alarmed astrologers. “There is not a man on earth that can grant thy desire, and show thee this matter. Be assured, O king, that thou requirest impossibilities at the hands of thy servants; and there is none other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not in the flesh.”
“And do ye not profess to hold intercourse with those gods?” answered the king, in a passion; “thus ye have proved yourselves to be a band of lying hypocrites. Begone from my presence, ye corrupt deceivers, and learn that your guilty career is near its close!”
So the terrified magicians were hurried from the presence of the passionate king, and by his orders were confined; and, moreover, a decree was issued, that all the wise men of Babylon should be put to death. Such was the unholy impulse of a king who had hitherto manifested, on most occasions, a commendable degree of self-possession.
The next day, while Daniel was walking in the vicinity of the palace, he was suddenly accosted by the captain of the guard, who informed him that it was his painful duty to apprehend him as an individual who was condemned to die by a late edict of the king.
“My worthy friend must certainly be mistaken in regard to the person,” answered Daniel, with a smile; “for I am happy to know that in nothing have I transgressed the law of my sovereign.”
“It would give me much pleasure on this occasion to find myself mistaken,” replied Arioch, “but I fear that it will prove otherwise. Art thou not Belteshazzar, of the captivity of Judah, and art thou not numbered among the wise men?”
“And what can be the nature of my offense?” asked the young Hebrew, nothing daunted. “If in anything I have offended, I ask not to be spared.”
“And hast thou not heard the decree?”
“No new decree has reached my ears.”
“Then I shall communicate to Belteshazzar all I know concerning the matter.” Which he proceeded to do.