The night was serene and calm. The glorious orb shone brightly in the
eastern skies and shed her silvery beams on the glassy lakes of Judea. In
the clear moonbeams, those lofty towers of spotless white stood forth in
majestic grandeur on the walls of the great metropolis. Nature, with
smiles of lovely innocence on her fair countenance, was hushed to sweet
repose; but not so the busy thousands that thronged the wide
thoroughfares of Jerusalem. This day was one of the anniversaries of
Jehoiakim's reign, and at an early hour the city presented a scene of
excitement. The king's vanity provided everything requisite for a general
display; and, although far from being loved by his numerous subjects, yet
because they could eat, drink, and be merry at the expense of others, the
streets of Jerusalem were thronged with those who cared far more for the
gratification of their appetites than they did for their vain sovereign.
The royal palace was thronged with the rich, the great, the gay, and the
giddy.
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