to collect the fairest maidens of the realm, that another queen might be selected. The kingdom comprising an hundred and twenty-seven provinces, and a prize so resplendent being at issue, the court of Ahasuerus would soon exhibit a great assemblage of female charms. But superior in mind as in person, a young Jewess, named Hadassah, had the good fortune to captivate the monarch: the royal crown was placed on her head, and amidst rejoicings and feastings, and gifts to his servants, and the release of tribute to the provinces, she was declared queen instead of Vashti ! Hadassah was the orphan niece of Mordecai, a Benjamite, who had adopted, and brought her up. He seems to have held some office about the court, for he is said to sit daily" in the king's gate," whilst he waited with anxiety to know the fate of his fair daughter. CHARLES. Was Ahasuerus ignorant of the country of Hadassah, that he took a wife from a conquered people. MRS. M. Princes were not so nice in those days as to require a descent from a long line of kings. Personal charms in a consort were very often the single object of their choice; yet Mordecai had charged his neice" not to shew her kindred," and perhaps for this reason she was now called Esther, a Persian word, which signifies "secret, or hidden." Not long after the advancement of Esther, Mordecai had an opportunity of rendering a service to the king, no less than the preservation of his life. Associating daily with the officers about the court, he became acquainted with a conspiracy to assassinate the monarch, of which he immediately apprised him through the queen; the conspirators were crucified, and all the circumstances were recorded in Persia; but Mordecai the chronicles, or public register of sat unrewarded at the king's gate! ever, the virtuous deeds of men will find their due reward; already was one prepared in the mysterious counsels of Providence for this faithful servant, by the hand of a man, not only his personal foe, but the enemy of his nation. About this time, the royal favour was lavished with unbounded profusion on Haman, an Amalekite. Elevated above all the nobles of Persia, he received the willing homage of the crowd; for the friendship of princes is the sure path to the obsequiousness of the populace. All bowed to Haman except Mordecai, whose steady virtue would yield no mark of respect to a base and imperious man, though the favourite of a powerful king. Enjoying all the honours of a luxurious palace, Haman might well have spared the passing reverence of Mordecai, but his heart swelled with indignation, and determined on revenge. But the ruin of an obscure individual was a satisfaction too mean for his lofty pride, it was therefore settled in a consultation with his friends, that the whole nation of the offender should perish together with himself! The daring scheme, however, was not to be undertaken even by this council of demons without due caution: lots were therefore cast for the discovery of a day, whose auspicious aspect might ensure their success, and the choice fell on the thirteenth day of the month Adar, the twelfth month of the Jewish calendar. This point being settled, Haman proceeded boldly to his royal patron, and with an affected anxiety for the prosperity of his kingdom, represented the unoffending Jews as a dangerous class of subjects, who ought to be wholly and at once exterminated-offering, at the same time, to pay from his own purse ten thousand talents in silver into the treasury. CHARLES. A princely gift indeed for a subject to present ! MRS. M. Incredible indeed, with us-but gold and silver in their days were amassed with comparative facility: the monarch, however, at once declined the offer, and delivered up the poor Jews, to be dealt with according to the pleasure of the petitioner; and in token of his acquiescence, equally barbarous and weak, the royal ring was put on the hand of the vile Amalekite. Exulting now in the success of his horrible artifice, Haman speedily dispatched letters to the officers of every province in the empire, commanding them " to destroy all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, and to take the spoil for a prey." Comparatively but few of the Jews had availed themselves of their liberty to return to Jerusalem, a vast number were yet scattered throughout Asia. It would be superfluous to describe the sensation produced by the king's letters, the words of the sanguinary edict are a sufficient exposition of their deplorable case. In Shushan, and its vicinity, where the greater number, perhaps, were to be found, the mournful wailings of the wretched sufferers, and the deep sympathy of the inhabitants, spread an universal gloom! Mordecai himself put on sackcloth, and with ashes on his head, presented himself before the palace; for in this mourning habit he might not take his accustomed place within the royal gate. All this while the fair Esther, shut up in her apartments, knew nothing of the perilous condition of her kindred; but the appearance of Mordecai, and the consternation of the city, at length reaching her, she sent out, to enquire from her venerated uncle himself into the cause. This was the opportunity he had ardently sought, and now the whole story was laid before her, with a copy of the decree, and the name of its vile projector; accompanied by a solemn injunction from Mordecai, to go in to the king, and make supplication for her people. But what could poor Esther do?-By a law of the realm it was death to approach the prince without a special summons, nor could she, more than others, presume on his clemency at this interesting moment-inasmuch, as she had not been called into his presence for the last thirty days! With this perplexing intimation, she sent back her chamberlain to Mordecai: but he bade him return, and tell the queen plainly, that "even her exalted station would not protect her from the determined malice of their enemy; that she too was doomed to fall with her father's house-that God would, in some manner, deliver his people, and for aught she knew, his providence had put the means into her hand." This appeal to the piety of the queen was conclusive: "Go and tell Mordecai," she replied, " to gather all the Jews that are in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also, and my maidens, will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to law and if I perish, I perish." The command of Esther was obeyed, and on the third day, she herself prepared to execute her heroic resolution. Dressed in her royal robes, she ventured, yet trembling, into the inner court, and stood opposite to the throne on which Ahasuerus sat, with the golden sceptre in his hand. No fatherly yearning had touched his heart, when his profligate minister had asked the destruction of a nation-but love was stronger than compassion, the beauty of Esther was irresistible-the extended sceptre pronounced her pardon, and the encouraging voice of the monarch anticipating a request, assured her of its success-even to the half of his kingdom! Strengthening her interest, perhaps, by exciting his curiosity, she merely entreated that the king would come, with his favourite Haman, on the following day, to a banquet which she had prepared. The banquet was accordingly attended; no business was mentioned by the queen, but the invitation repeated for another day, when she added, she would present her petition. FANNY. Was Haman yet ignorant of Esther's near relationship to Mordecai? the MRS. M. It is probable he was; for no misgiving surmises interrupted the triumph with which he boasted to his family in the evening, of this addition to his gloriesthat no man but himself had been invited with the king, to the queen's banquet. Something, however, disturbed repose of Ahasuerus-on that night he was unable to sleep; wearied at length of a restless bed, he commanded his attendants to amuse him, by reading to him the chronicle of his reign. Passing unnoticed the events as they occurred, until the reader came to the detection of the conspiracy by Mordecai, his attention was at once arrested. What honours, he enquired, had Mordecai received, for this instance of his loyalty? and the answer, "there is nothing done for him," filled his mind with compunction and shame. Impatient then to expiate his inexcusable neglect, he enquired who waited in the outer court, that orders might be given on the instant. At this critical mo |