Clothed in unwonted gorgeousness, and radiant in her extraordinary beauty, but her heart, at that awful moment, scarcely able to realise the holy strength and trust which prayer had wrought, on the third day Esther stood in the dreaded presence of the king: and though uncalled, and therefore disobedient to the law of the Persian kings, God gave her grace in the monarch's sight; and, instead of displaying anger, he held forth his sceptre towards her, and she drew near and touched it, in sign that she implored a boon. In the Apocrypha we are told that faintness overpowered her, a natural portraiture of feminine weakness, and depriving her at once of all those attributes of a heroine, which would divide her from our sympathy as a being differently endowed to ourselves. Prayer had given her strength, else had she not thus stood uncalled before Ahasuerus; but the mind, strong as it may be, cannot always bear up its mortal shrine: and by the description of the deadly terror, depriving Esther of sense and speech, given by our ancient fathers, we see at once the awful struggle she was enduring.

Her beauty, her very terror, all strongly excited the king's affection; and, hastening towards her, he soothingly exclaimed, “What wilt thou, Queen Esther, and what is thy request? It shall be even given thee, to the half of the kingdom.”

How blessedly must these words have fallen on Esther's still quivering heart! Yet, not at that moment, dared she utter her request, fearful lest its boldness and extent should change the royal mood.