“Thou art punctual, Belrazi.  The king is well pleased to meet thee.  Thy frank sincerity yesterday was an additional proof of thy worth.  I have seen fit, since we parted, to bestow some thought on the subject on which we conversed.  It is of the utmost importance to the well-being and security of the empire that the people have unbounded confidence in their king in all things—­in matters of religion as well as in matters of state.  Now, in order to expel all doubts from the minds of my nobles in regard to my fidelity to the gods of my fathers, I have thought of a measure which, I trust, must prove successful.  It is this:  Let an image of our god Bel be made of gold.  Let it be of large dimensions, and far superior to any image heretofore seen in any country.  Let it be set up in some favorable spot; and on the day of its dedication, let all who hold office under the government, be commanded, by a royal decree, to appear on the spot, and, at the appointed hour, fall down and worship it; and let the penalty of disobedience be death.  Let those who dare set at naught the will of the king be taken and thrown into the burning fiery furnace.  What thinkest Belrazi of this?”

“O king, live forever!  Thy goodness is unbounded.  Thy design is dictated by that wisdom that cometh from the gods.  The measure shall be hailed throughout the empire with shouts of rejoicing, and the day of its dedication will be a day of days in the future history of Chaldea.”

“Let no time be lost, then,” replied the king.  “Let my head goldsmith be called, and from the lips of the king let him receive instructions in regard to the making of the image.  This is my desire.  Let the measure be known but to a few, until the proclamation shall go forth.”

The head goldsmith was soon in the presence of the king, and after much deliberation the exact dimensions of the great image were settled upon; and, moreover, it was agreed, that by a certain day it should be completed.

According to the direction of the king, no publicity was given to the measure.  Few of the king’s confidential friends were apprised of it.  In the meantime, no pains were spared by the chief goldsmith to have everything in readiness by the time appointed.  Hundreds of the craft were called together to speed the great undertaking; and, even before the time agreed upon, the idol was ready to be set up.  Word was sent to the king, and immediately the proclamation was trumpeted far and wide, throughout the length and breadth of the vast empire: 

“Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, to all his Princes, Governors, Captains, Judges, Treasurers, Counselors, Sheriffs, and all rulers of his provinces:  Ye are hereby commanded to appear on the twenty-third day of the eighth month, at the third hour of the day, in the plain of Dura, within the province of Babylon, to witness the dedication of the great image which I have set up in honor of Bel, the god of the Chaldeans.  Ye are, moreover, hereby commanded, at the hour appointed, to fall down and worship the golden image.  Disobedience will be punished with the utmost rigor.  Those who shall refuse to bow and worship shall in that same hour be taken and thrown into a burning fiery furnace.