Conviviality.

of spirit among the convives . They must be men animated by the same kind of feeling . They must have a common purpose in view , and that purpose must be what our Gallic friends describe as spiriiuel . This purpose must be a good one ; the feelings that animate them must

stand the fire of hostile criticism , for Conviviality hath nought iu common with what is evil or evil minded . Conviviality and austerity are the antipodes of each other . The former is simple and straightforward , assuming everything to bo what it seems till it is tried to be otherwise .

The latter regards everything and everybody with a stern , if not an evil regard , till they have been tried and found not Avanting . A convivial is a good man in tho fullest sense of the word . He is religious , for no men can appreciate what is good without possessing the sense of

thankfulness , and thankfulness is of the essence of religion . He he has in him , so to speak , the milk of human kindness . To live in concert with others implies a sense of friendliness for them . Solitude , which in some form or other pertains to selfishness , is impossible . He lives not with himself or for himself ; but with others and for others . He is ever on

the outlook to do good . The sense of pleasure he feels excites in him the desire to promote pleasure for others . Conviviality , in fact , implies not only social , but moral and religions excellence . But to pass to tho Conviviality which is most familiar to

us , and the comprehension of which is possibly less trying . The Convivial man , in common parlance , is a right jovial good fellow . He has been so always and everywhere . This is no slight praise . To dub a man jovial and good implies that he possesses some qualities that are admirable ,

though tho exact nature of these qualities may be somewhat loosely defined . But the sense we usually apply to this description involves no obscurity of meaning whatever . We should never think of so describing an ill-natured or unkindly man , one who could not find enjoyment for

himself , and was incapable , therefore , of promoting it for others . The right jovial fellow enjoys life , and makes a point of doing so . Better still , he is careful that others shall be in the same boat , or , at all events , follow in the same track . He loves enjoyment , not only for its sake ,

for his own sake , and for the sake of his companions ; but likewise as a moans to an end , so that he may help others to enjoy themselves . Hence , not unwisely perhaps , the banquet or other similar entertainment is most commonly the chosen opportunity for cultivating

this virtue . Some will insist , of course , that this virtue , or rather this particular development of it , savours very strongly of selfishness—the attainment of one ' s own pleasure first , and then the promotion of that of other people . Wo have already , to a certain extent , anticipated this

objection . Mere sensual enjoyment by no means constitutes , in our opinion , Conviviality . It may be an element in it , but it is very far from being the whole . Experience has taught us that good invariably results from the free intercourse of men with each other . They become , in the

first instance , more sociable , then more friendly amongst themselves , and so gradually towards others . The more frequent then these opportunities for cultivating these friendly relations , the better it is for all classes of men , for Conviviality is the declared enemy of prejudice , whether

it be one ' s own opinion or that of a class . Hence , again , the banquet has been fitly chosen , to inaugurate all meetings for charitable purposes . It is not the mere pleasures of the table which help forward the work of charity , but the free and friendly intercourse to which the

banquet gives rise . The liberal-minded man is confirmed in his liberality , the doubts of tho hesitating are removed . All the world over this virtue , whether in its narrowest or most extended meaning , and charity go hand-in-hand

together . Each helps the other forward . The Convivial man is charitable , the charitable man Convivial . No wonder then , in Masonry , as in all things else , the two are inseparable .

Assyrian Discoveries.

ASSYRIAN DISCOVERIES .

THE Daily Telegraph announces further important Assyrian discoveries by Mr . George Smith , its Special Commissioner . In a letter which our contemporary published on Thursday , this gentleman states that he has found important tablets , containing an account of the Creation and

Assyrian Discoveries.

Fall of Man . Tho Assyrian story is much fuller than that of Genesis , and it appears to be an earlier version . Mr . Smith is extremely fortunate . We have not forgotten that he was lucky enough to find the remaining fragments containing the story of the Deluge , long after the discovery

of the earlier portion of the same tradition . We most sincerely hope that these additions to our knowledge of the ancient world may prove to be as important as we are led to believe them to be . Mr . Smith is a very able man ,

and no one doubts his scholarship , but he may be deceived . We do not say that he has been imposed upon by a practical joker , but the coincidences connected with his discoveries are so remarkable that we shall be

glad to hear that the tablets have been submitted to a closer examination by a competent committee of Archteologists specially skilled in the cuneiform characters . If , after due inquiry , it should be proved that the Chaldeans had a tradition of the Creation and Pall , and of the

Deluge , we shall be glad to welcome these astounding additions to our knowledge , though we confess that we shall require some time to digest the facts . As our readers aro doubtless interested in a question of this kind , we subjoin an extract from Mr . Smith ' s letter : —

"The first series , which I may call' The Story of the Creation and Fall , ' when complete mnst have consisted of nine or ten tables at least , and the history upon it is much longer and fuller than tho corresponding account in the Book of Genesis . With respect to these Genesis narratives , a furious strife has existed for years ; every word

has been scanned by eager scholars , and every possible meaning which the various passages could bear , has been suggested ; while the age aud authenticity of tho narratives have been discussed on all sides . In particular , it may be said that the account of the fall of man , tho heritage of all Christian countries , has been the centre of this

controversy , for it is one of the pivots on' which the Christian religion turns . Tho world-wide importance of these subjects will therefore give the newly-discovered inscriptions , and especially the ono relating to tho Fall , an unparalleled value , and I am glad , indeed , that snch a treasure should have resulted from your expedition .

Whatever the primitive account may have been from which the earlier part of the Book of Genesis was copied , it is evident that the brief narration given in the Pentateuch omits a number of incidents and explanations—for instance , as to the origin of evil , the fall of the angels , the wickedness of the serpent , & c . Such points as these are

included in tho Cuneiform narrative ; but of course I can say little about them until I prepare full translations of tho legends . The nai'rative on the Assyrian tablets commences with a description of the period before the world was created , when there existed a chaos or confusion . The desolate and empty state of the

universe , and tho generation by chaos of monsters are vividly given . The chaos is presided over by a female power named Tisalafc and Tiamafc , corresponding to tho Thalatth of Berosns ; but as it proceeds tho Assyrian account agrees rather with tho Bible than with the short account from Berosns . We aro told , in the

inscriptions , of the fall of tho celestial being who appears to correspond to Satan . In his ambition ho raises his hand against the sanctuary of the God of heaven , and the description of him is really magnificent . He is represented riding in a chariot through celestial space , surrounded by the storms , with the lightning playing before him , and

wielding a thunderbolt as a weapon . This rebellion leads to a war in heaven and the conquest of the powers of evil , the gods in due course creating the universe in stages as in the Mosaic narrative , surveying each step of the work and pronouncing it good . The divine work cnlminates in the creation of

man , who is made upright and free from evil , and endowed by tho gods with the noble faculty of speech . The Deity then delivers a long address to tho newly-created being , instructing him in all his duties and privileges , and pointing out tho glory of his state . But this condition of blessing does not last long

before man , yielding to temptation , falls ; and the Deity then pronounces upon him a terrible curse , invoking on his head all the evils which have since afflicted humanity . These last details are ,

as I have before stated , upon the fragment which I excavated during my first journey to Assyria , and the discovery of this single rolic , in my opinion , increases many times over the value of The Daily Telegravh collection . "

Athleticism And Masonry.

ATHLETICISM AND MASONRY .

THERE is nothing apparently in common between these pursuits , yet in the earl y part of last century a Lodge was established in London , whose very name is sufficiently suggestive of a connection between athletics and the Craft . This Lodge is still in existence , standing No .

45 on the list , and holding its meetings at the Old Jerusalem Tavern , St . John ' s Gate , Clerkenwell . As the origin of an early Lodge cannot be otherwise than generall y interesting to our readers we subjoin the following particulars , for which we are indebted to a well known

source . About the year 1730 , the attention of that eminent Mason , Bro . Desaguliers , was attracted by the frequent