Istar of Babylon

ree parts-the entrance hall, the great hall of the sacrifice, and, at the farthest end of this room, the inmost shrine, or holy of holies, where the statue of the god

ere, each day, Istar was accustomed to sit for an hour, hearing many plaints, listening to many woes, learning much of the piteous side of the lives of men and women of the world. And from this place Istar had delivered many an oracle. Here, too, she cogitated painfully over the sins of mankind, which were all incomprehensible to her. She, who was alone of her race on eart

was the little room devoted to the person of the goddess. It was here that she was supposed to sleep by night when wearied with the labors of the long day. Istar's chamber on her ziggurat was rendered almost unapproachably sacred by the fact that here she had first been found; here she was supposed to have undergone her incarnation; and probably here she would resume intangibility, when her period of life on ea

y to-day. Babylon had just propitiated two of its great gods with a wholesale slaughter of animals, and the people doubtless felt that for a day, at least, they might rest from the continual roun

whole presence was as perfect a contrast to that of Charmides as could well be imagined. It was Belshazzar, who, since matters of government did not much hold him, had, in the last months become Istar's shadow. He lingered about the temple whenever she was there; he followed her over the city in his chariot when she went abroad; at sunset he ascended the ziggurat, to stand outside the curtained door of her sanctuary, unable to see her, but feeling her presence. When she was near him his eyes were not always upon her, yet her slightest movement never escaped him. And at such times a kind

obe to be laid over her shoulders, and then sent away the women, forbidding the temple to be lighted till she was gone from it, and commanding the dismissal of the two that prayed near the basin of the sea. So, pr

n her floating way to Belshazzar's side. There, a few inches from him

for a moment as with palsy. Then, raising both hands in

" she said, lingeringly, with a suggestion of hesitation. Aga

goddess asks," he answered, quick

man to walk beside her. He obeyed with an eagerness that was tempered by a peculiar, half-resisted reluctance whi

oded with sunlight, till they reached the foot of the ziggurat. Here Belshazzar halted with a quick

d, hardly knowing ho

t, swum the Euphrates lashed to the back of a wounded crocodile,

hat? I

nt hi

come thou an

ch-y

weet, where we shall be nearer the silver sky, thou shalt learn the purpose of my ea

at now and then she touched her feet lightly to the bricks. At the top, opening from the broad gallery that ran round the building of the tower, was the low door-way that gave entrance to the holy of holies, Istar's shrine. There was no one on the height to-day, though ordinarily at this hour several ascended the ziggurat to watch the ascent of

something of the divine radiance of its mistress. The couch in it, like the walls, was covered with plates of beaten gold, and piled high with the softest and costliest stuffs from the famous Babylonian looms. The throne and the two chairs, or tabourets, were of Indian ebony, inlaid with ivory; and the table and d

throne, motioned him to one of the lower seats. Belshazzar sat in her presence, and a silence fell between them: a silence that the prince could not have broken had his life been at

hy heart, tell me,

speak on impulse. Then he resisted; and when he did make answer the reply

said well. Yet it,

, O Istar

dess, Belti-

rvously to his feet.

Yet I am not sure. You came to eart

all

el, the One, the True, that I came hither from the upper realms of the great kingdom. I was what they call archetype. I was decreed to pass through the fire of the world and return not to my

ine, Lady

o me that

y. Still his eyes failed to pierce the wave of baffling light that flowed about her; and

not always known to themselve

ce more, not hopefully: "Your loves and hates, your joys and sorrows, y

e. I do n

hear, that

is for her and my fear for her enemies. As she is the greatest of all cities, so is she the most loved and the most

your secret heart, Belshaz

the twelve grea

s in you: this one, and

gely. "It is true," he said, at leng

econd life that

!" he sai

refo

ignoble for

m set apart, worshipped as one afar off, and true life is not laid before me. To teach your race the secret of the one god is forbidden. It is

other. But no immortal that cannot

n, become mo

rough the room, to flow out and away into the distant sky. The two in the sanctuary list

e cried, suddenly. "Leave

fear. I beseech thee, lady, spare me thy wrath. As a reed shalt thou bend me. As a twig shall I be brok

ases. His attitude, his expression, his demeanor, were perfectly sincere; yet, whether he himself were conscious of it

adding, afterwards

and held it for a moment to his lips. Its flame did not harm. Rather, it sent through his whole being a shock of vitality. Rising hurr

towards the graven images of the gods. And now, for the first time, the significance of all these things came to her definitely. She perceived how they were baffling her purpose, and the thought caused her deep disquiet. There seemed to be but one way of opening life to her immortal vision. It was through the person of Belshazzar, who dared, before her, to keep his individuality. This way, however, as she had told him, she feared. What the fear was, when it had come or why, who could tell? Not Istar. Now, for so long a time the prince had been part of her wearisome, objective existence that, up to to-night, she had been more inclined to regard him as something spiritual than as a

f these many things, she did not know. But when finally she straightened, t

curtain hid it from her gaze, and, with an oppressive sadness in her heart, she crossed to the door-way and lifted the curtain-folds, to encounter the piercing gaze of a man who stood more than half-way a

advantage and intruded farther, till he also was inside. Her face was indistinguishable to him, for the light-waves

wherein I may hold speech with you

cted by the fanatical appearance of the man, put his presence on a level with

O Daniel, and I wi

me!" he sa

men's

heir h

hearts! Oh, thou man of Jerusalem, ca

ning. Then, taking courage, he replied: "Men's hearts!

Thereupon she covered the door-way with its curtain, turned without any sign of haste, and seated herself once more on the high throne,

he child of Yaveh

or not

o answer

any minutes, silent and motionless, while Istar waited serenely for him to speak;

nt of the devil?-archangel, as some say, or arch-fiend, as many think?

s creation. I came from space. Into it, in time, I shall return again. My missio

ce up and down the little room. He walked nervously. His brows were knitted, his shoulders drawn up, his head sunk between them in an abstraction that Istar never thought of disturbing. When, at length, he look

heavenly being, an archangel. God despatched you to earth for an unknown purpose, a purpose that, in its fulness, hath not been confided to you, but

Babylon waxed great and strong in her wickedness off the fat of many captive lands and peoples. Long have we been without hope of salvation. But now Nebuchadrezzar, the fierce ruler, is dead many years since. In his kingdom are sown the seeds of dissension and strife, and, in the weakness of her strength, she shall reap bitter fruit. For Babylon, even as Nineveh before her, must fall. At the hands of her captives

el. She sat before him radiant, wavering with light, motionless, unmoved, inscrutable, showing no desire

he voice of the Lord crying from the high places that thou art here as a sign of His protection. And I and thou are destined to lead the children of Jerusalem out of bondage. Mine is the hand that will strike down the weak and faltering king of Babylon-Nabu-Nahid, the foolish one. At our hands priest and noble, citizen and soldier, yea, mother and infant o

infamo

blaze of light her two eyes glowed like burning coals upon the insignificant creature cowering below her. Beyond her exclamation, Istar found no words to say. The two confronted each other in palpitating stillness, and as they stood, Daniel, inch by inch, beg

unto you that the streets of Babylon shall run with the tyrant's blood. There shall come a night when Babylon shall burst into flames; when Nabonidus will be no more; when Belshazzar's life shall be taken by the hands of his o

lack eyes, Daniel flung back the curtain of the sanctuary and slunk away, with

of the evening envelop her, her senses swam. In the midst of it all, in the midst of that terrible vision that the Jew had conjured up before her, there was one thing that stood out before all else

ing sleep. The sound came gratefully to Istar's ears. Here were no battle-cries, no shouts of attack, no wails of the dying. Beltishazzar surely lied. Nay, over her senses began to steal a sensation of subtle delight, of exquisite content, of f

there became visible a darkly opaque shape upon which Istar fixed her eyes. It became more and more definable. Suddenly, from the head, there flashed forth five points of diamond light; and at the same instant Allaraine, star-crowned, emerged in mortal semblance from the melting glory. The moon-daughter rose from her couch, and silently the two greeted each other, looking eye into eye with all the companionship of divinity. While they stood thus, Allaraine touched his lyre, and the chords of the night-song of stillness a

You bring again the bre

, Is

ness looks upon me fro

d for you. It is as a messenger knowing litt

sage? Wha

of pain, of sin, of death, and of love, shalt thou in the end know ma

that were to him a mystery; and Istar listened, wondering, a dim forebodi

tal!

. Istar, the

y, Alla

in pain, in s

, love reigns over men. Love is from the central fire of God, as we are but its outer rays. Love walks through all the earth, passing to and fro among men, making them to forswear sin, to forget suffering, to overcome death. Those that love are happy in spite of all things. This muc

ilt gladly

ghts and troubled days, thou, a

r-that ma

l lose the music

e lost. You enter into th

rstand so much, realized nothing. At last, lifting her head he

f your own will,

y, this very night I as

yours whenever of your own free will you renou

tal one-I shall remai

aid: "Of that I do not know. I have brought

te pity, infinite ignorance, lifted up his lyre once more, and, by the magic of his power, Istar's spirit quickly fled to the land of dreams. There Allaraine left her to awai