CHAP. vi. THE STATUE AND THE STONE. 107 



own vast bulk and the shadow which it projected a 

 large space of ground. It was in human form, but 

 terrible in its exaggerated proportions and fierceness of 

 expression. It was composed of various metals the 

 head of pure gold, the breast and arms of silver, the 

 belly and thighs of brass, the legs of iron, and the feet 

 part of iron and part of clay. It reflected from its 

 polished surface a radiance that dazzled the eyes. 

 Gazing upon this monstrous embodiment of grandeur 

 and terror, he saw from a neighbouring mountain-side 

 a small stone cut out from the quarry, raised from its 

 place and flung by viewless hands with tremendous 

 force against the colossal image ; which immediately 

 fell with a loud crash to the ground, and was broken to 

 atoms and swept away by the rising wind caused by its 

 own fall, like the chaff of the summer threshing-floor. 

 The stone that effected this amazing destruction then 

 grew larger and larger before his eyes, until at last it 

 became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. 



With the general interpretation of this remarkable 

 dream given by Daniel we are all familiar; but there 

 are some most interesting details of contrast between 

 the statue and the stone, upon which it may be 

 profitable to meditate. The first point of contrast is 

 the enormous bulk of the statue, as compared with 

 the smallness of the stone. Man estimates the import- 

 ance of things by their size and appearance. Vast 

 proportions produce a feeling of awe; and primitive 

 races strove to minister to this feeling by building 

 gigantic structures which would exalt the idea of human 



