miel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together, fo set forward the workmen in the house of God ; the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brethren the Levites. And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord, after the ordinance of David king of Israel. And they sang together by course, in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid."

Ezra. iv. "Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel, then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you; for we seek your God as ye do ; and we do sacrifice unto him, since the days of Esarhaddon King of Assur, which brought us up hither. But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the Lord God of Israel, as king Cyrus, the king of Persia, hath commanded us. Then

the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building; and hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia ; and the writing of the letter was writter in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue; Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king, in this sort: This is the copy of the letter that they sent unto him, even unto Artaxerxes the king: Thy servants, the men on this side the river, and at such a time. Be it known unto the king, that the Jews, which came up from thee to us, are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations. Be it known now unto the king, that if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings. Now, because. we have maintenance from the king's palace, and

it was not meet for us to see the king's dishonour ; therefore have we sent and certified the king: that search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know, that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time for which cause was this city destroyed. We certify the king, that if this city be builded again, and the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river. Then sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and unto the rest beyond the river, Peace, and at such a time. The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me. And I commanded, and search hath been made, and it is found, that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedi-tion have been made therein. There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have rul-ed over all countries beyond the river; and toll, tribute, and custom, was paid unto them. Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not builded, until another commandment shall be given from me. Take heed now that ye fail not to do this: why should

damage grow to the hurt of the kings? Now, when the copy of king Artaxerxes's letter was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem, unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power. Then ceased the work of the house of God, which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius, king of Persia."

Josephus informs us, that Darius, while he was yet a private man, made a vow to God, that if ever he came to the throne, he would send all the holy vessels that were at Babylon, back again to Jerusalem; and it happened about the time of his accession, that Zerubbabel, who was a captain or prince of the Jewish captives, came from Jerusalem, to Darius, as well to solicit his protection against their adversaries on the other side of the river, as to watch a suitable opportunity of endeavouring to persuade the king to fulfil his promise. He had long been known to Darius as a man of great judgment and understanding, and was therefore taken into the king's confidence, and put into á particular trust, with two other great officers, as his constant attendants.

Darius, in the first year of his reign, gave a splendid and magnificent entertainment to the princes and nobility, and after they had retired

finding himself unable to sleep, he fell into discourse with his three favourite officers, to whom he proposed certain questions, telling them, at the same time, that he who should give him the most reasonable and satisfactory answer, should be clothed in purple, drink in a golden cup, wear a silken tiara, and a golden chain about his neck.

He then proposed this question: Which is greatest, the strength of wine, of the king, of women, or of truth? To this the first answered, wine is the strongest; the second, that the king was strongest; and. the third (who was Zerubbabel) that women were stronger, but above all things TRUTH beareth the victory.

On the following day the king assembled together the princes and nobility, to hear the question debated; and having placed himself upon the royal seat of judgment, he called upon them to make a public defence of their several opinions; whereupon the first began upon the strength of wine, as follows:

"O ye princes and rulers, how exceeding strong is wine! it causeth all men to err that drink it: it maketh the mind of the king and the beggar to be all one; of the bondman and the freeman ; of the poor man and of the rich: it turneth also every thought into jollity and mirth, so that a man remembereth neither sorrow nor debt; it