Посланье к Валтасару,
Иного он не знал...
Писавший к Валтасару
Начальным заключал
В той рукописи вечной
Веленьем совесть всем,
Чтоб без очков читалось
По откровенью стен...
(Коротко о подоплёке стиха 1453 (о Лотропе):
"Дочь некоего священнослужителя по имени К.Д.Лотроп
сбежала из дома своего отца, обвинив его в жестоком
обращении, и обратилась к соседям. Когда газета опубликовала
отчёт по этому вопросу, её отец подал иск против неё
за клевету. Дело было передано в суд, и было
вынесено решение против Лотропа.")
[David Preest:
The only letter that we know king Belshazzar
received was the one written by the
‘fingers of a man’s hand’ on the wall
opposite him as he sat at his banquet
(Daniel5:5.) But since the main point
in this letter, when interpreted by
Daniel, said, ‘Thou art weighed in the balances,
and found wanting,’ Emily adds that Belshazzar
may be the one who received the letter but
we can all in our Consciences read this
‘immortal’ letter as applied to us, without
needing to use our glasses to read it on
‘Revelation’s Wall.’
Emily sent a copy of this poem to Ned
with the postscript ‘Suggested by our
Neighbour,’ so it is probable that the
‘Belshazzar’ she had in mind was the Lothrop
referred to in poem 1453.]
**************************************
Belshazzar had a Letter -- by Emily Dickinson
Belshazzar had a Letter --
He never had but one --
Belshazzar's Correspondent
Concluded and begun
In that immortal Copy
The Conscience of us all
Can read without its Glasses
On Revelation's Wall --