"Il Tegame," Or A Mason's Holiday.

tho fountain . I got homo after eight hours of continuous hard hill walking , under a burning sun . Society iu Geneva is naturally divided much into cliques ; mutual friends associate iu what aro called " Cercles , " with admission much as in onr clubs . I was invited , for my stay , to one connected with the legal profession aud my name entered on tho books , thus I had the

advantage of thoir spacious library , reading rooms , & c ., supplied with the loading journals and reviews of Europe , whilst it further gave me opportunity of acquaintance and converse with the cultivated native classes . Ono thing I soon learnt , viz ., that tho abstentation of England from the affairs of Europe had greatly lessoned its prestige , and oven filled

them with alarm . England , thoy said , was formerly looked np to as tho defender of tho weaker states against the tyranny of the strong , bufc now to trust fco England would bo to build Chateaux ou Espagne ( castles in the air ) ; wo must , in Geneva , now trust only to ourselves , and sooner than Franco should havo ifc , wo would mako ifc a wreck without ono stone upon another . It was , however , generally

acknowledged thafc tho open demands of Napoleon I'll , wore less disquieting than the intrigues of Louis Philippe . This opinion was nob however general with tlio newly arrived tradesmen , who ou being asked , would reply , " Monsieur , ca no mo regardo pas , "—I don't caro which . It was here also I mado the acquaintance of a Russian gentlemen

who told mo ho had commanded tho advance body of troops in tho Russian invasion of Turkey in 1829 . " Now toll me , " I said to him , " why the Russians retreated so suddenly after the victory of Adrianop le ? Was the retreat caused , or not caused , by fearful losses in tho Russian army , and by tho breaking out of tho plgauo ?" Ho replied to me , " Certainly not ; I assure yon we could readily

have gone on to Constantinople , and the plaguo did not break out until after wo had retreated . Ifc was not tho policy or intention of Russia to do moro than sho did , whatever people may say thinking Russians do not desire Constantinople , ifc would dislocate the present condition of Russia , and render it a divided empire . IL-idwo really wished for Constantinople we could havo had it in 1829 . "

One day , when seated in the public garden overlooking tho Lake , a body of Polish political refugees , just arrived , were osteutatiously promonadiug . "Theso men , " ho remarked " are playing tho Patriot , but it was tho trust of tho Russian government iu Polish honesty that lod to the first rebellion . They had a Viceroy devoted to them , a separate administration and army , and wero treated rather as an

allied than as a subject nation , and rarely has such treachery been seen as was there exhibited . Tho ' ltahol' of Iho Polish nobles was always heavier than the Russian * ' Eubot , ' and tho serfdom more abject . Tho nobles , when they had a king , could not agree , for the people wero nothing , aud it was only when Poland became a ceutre of anarchy that Russia aud others assumed the government . "

1 recollect in a theological discussion to have mado a sad admission ou the doctrine of the Trinity , nnd only discovered my heterodoxy by referring on returning home to tho Athauasian Creed . Ho was , however , n kindly man , simple as au English gentleman , his general information wide , his judgment earnest and correct , his

only failing being that ho was ever making " Tartarean " jokes on Napoleon III . Politeness apart , Russia aud Franco can never bo permanent allies . I think , however , his word may bo taken as to tho contested point of tho condition of tho Russian army after the battle of Adrianople .

\\ lulst detained thus idly at Geneva , with injured feet from mountain climbing , the time was occupied as best it could be by promenading , " summa ililigautiu , " on the top of a diligence , aud especially by having produced a series of water-colour drawings of interesting spots—amongst them is a view of the mansion and church : —

" Of him who to the bane of thousands born , Built God a church , but laughed His word to scorn . " The house is just as ho left it , the little chapel also , tho front still bearing tho legend , " Deo crexifc Voltaire , " yet on entering by tho vestry door I found its present use to be that of a barn . Near to Fernez is also tho village of Bfwsy , where J . J . Rousseau spout part of his infancy , and of which ho tolls so amusing a talc in

that strangest ot all strange works his " Confessions . I might continue a narration of actualities without cud , but recommend rny Masonic friends ou visiting Geneva fco study expressly tho lovely lake , whose beauty cannot too much bo extolled . Its perpetual blucncss has that effect ou the eye that ifc never seems daw . led with its lustre , nor satiated by its sameness . Look at it by daylight or night-light , at morn or evo , it seems ever joyous , ever

new"Au endless fountain of immortal drink , Pouring unto us from high heaven ' s brink . " About this time I made a journey on foot to Mont Blanc , but must cut short tho narrative . The valley of Chamouiiix is grand , grand by day , grander us the shades of evening fall and night is anminr ? on .

1 had arrived ( next morning ) at the foot of the mountain , near the glaciers , aud sat down far from whore the river Arvc issues from its cavern of solid , nay eternal ice , and musing said , "I will now drink nt the source of thia , my friend , along whoso banks I havo travelled so many miles . " [ 'lacing my hat down , I rose and moved towards the stream—at the samo moment , with a noise of thunder , a largo

stone , of probably half a- ton , shooting down tho glaciers , aud striking tho stone ou which I had an instant before sat , glanced only a few inches from mo . I gave myself up for lost as ifc rebounded , but it passed harmlessly by . A gentleman iu ouc of the hotels was still iunerioib / e , a id in a state worse than death from a similar accident

two days previously . In the evening , the ' * Brigadier , " au Alsatian , called upon mo at tho hotel to sign the police visitors' book ; he spent somo hours wit :: mo , sipping coffee , aud told me his thoughts as a Frenchman aud Alsatian . Other Frenchmen , rich and poor , never forgot fcho glories of thoir

"Il Tegame," Or A Mason's Holiday.

own provinces ; they are provincials first , and Frenchmen afterwards ; but the Gorman origined Alsatian was like a bird who had quitted his nesfc and had forgotten all in his newly found human sympathies . Ho was kind and friendly in his manner , yet Waterloo was his theme—a theme , however which Sadova has finally banished from French recollection . He explained , however , tho mystery of tho stone , for hearing

of tho accident to tho gentleman , ho had ascended tho glaciers , and pushed down all tho boulders ho could find . Thia incident cooled my courage to ascend tho extreme heights , so I clomb tho monster to its icy sea , and then desisted . Tho remainder of my journey in La haufco Savoy was interesting but too long for narration . They assented to the then recent chano * o

of government with pain , but resignation . One lady said to me , " Ifc was very hard ; wo who wore always so loyal to tho House of Savoy ; it has cut us to tho heart" ( " Ca nous a donne sur lo ccoar " ) . But human ties aro nofc for over ; oven friends may part . Talk as wo will , however , of French occupation , ifc has not been without its benefits . Its influence on Germany was most salutary ;

ovou Northern Italy owes it much , and had French occupation endured in Spain for twenty years , Spain would havo become a regenerate nation . But holidays , liko all things else , must como to au end , and with thom tho finale the retrospect . AVhafc changeable beings we are ? Twelve months ago , almost to

tho day , I was kneeling at tho sacred shrine of Genuario ancl kissing his miraculous blood , and indeed it needs a week of calm retreat in somo Calvin ' s library to recover one ' s self from the follies of Southern heathenism . Yet , let any one visit Italy , with Virgil , Horace , and Dauto for text-books ; let him visit old temples , recovered cities , chambers of Venus when sho sprang immortal

from tho waves ; tombs of poets ; let him visit towns founded before Ulysses , and carry himself back to tho wars of Troy ; wander aboufc fields where . / Eneas roamed , whore Hercules strangled the giants ; burn his feet at descents into hell , and drink of tho waters of its river . Let him give his fancy tlighb into tho region ol fablo over all theso things , aud in six weeks ho is fit for a lunatic asylum .

All seems so known , so new , so true , so passing wonderful . Now , there is to bo found in many southern cities a horrible pit , opened each night , into which aro thrown naked the dead bodies of the poor of all ages , all sexes , headlong . In one of theso cities I was at that ; time seized with fever , and whilst half delirious a kindly attendant , to

amuso me , gave mo tho narration , with all its horrible details . Thou , through nights of delirium , with a tasto of blood in my mouth , did I roam iu imagination theso fearful abysses , theso valleys of tho shadow of death , with no Beatrice , no heavenly guide to direct my steps . May God in his mercy deliver all I love from such another time .

How different now scorned the calm of Calvin ' s library . Yielding to the genius lcci , I entered tho beautiful Gothic church , formerly tho cathedral of its ancient bishops , aud there received tho sacrament at the hands of Calvin ' s successor . " Sunt ccrta piacnla , que to Potcrunt recreare . "

W . Vi . vEit L ' KDOhFE , M . D ., P . M . 1 , 129 1 'ho New Athencum Club , Suffolk Street , Pall Mall , W . ( To be continued . )

Meeting Of The Lodge Of Benevolence.

MEETING OF THE LODGE OF BENEVOLENCE .

'j 'HE September meeting of tbo Lodge of Benevolence was held - * - ou Wednesday evening , at Freemasons' Hall , Bro . Joshua Nunn , Senior Vice President , was in the President ' s chair ; Bro . James Brett , Junior' Vice President , in the chair of Senior Viae President ; aud Bro . C . A . Cottebrune , Past Grand Pursuivant , in tho chair of Junior Vice President . Bro . John Hervey , Grancl Secretary , being

away on his holiday , his duties were performed by Bro . H . G . Buss , Assistant Graud Secretary . Bros . A . A . Peudlcbury and Neville Green wero also in attendance . Among tho other brethren present wero Bros . S . Rawson Past District Grand Master of China , Col . H . S . Somerville Burney , H . Garrod , W . H . Ferryman , C . F . Hogard , 11 . Massey , W . Stephens , Louis Hirsch , W . Mann , J . Knight Smith , J . U . Matthews , John Lee , J . Smith VV . M . 1158 , J . N . Hall , A . J .

Timothy , Allan 0 . Wylie , T . Edmonstoti , and Bro . Henry Sadler Grand Tyler . After confirming recommendations to tho Graud Master made afc tho last meeting , to the amount of £ 155 , the brethren proceeded with the new cases , and oat of eighteen which wero on fcho list made recommendations of grants to lit ' tcon of them , to tho amount of £ ' 3 ' Jt ) . Two cases were deferred , and one was dismissed .

Jamaica.

JAMAICA .

A very interesting coremouy took place on Monday , llth August , afc tho Friendly Masonic Hall , Hanover-street , Kingston , when Mr . Rudolph do Cordova , of University College , Loudon , was , as a Lewis , initiated iui . otuo mysi . eries of Frcjm . isjury by his father tho R . W . Bro . Aitamoat do Cordova P . M . of tho Friendly Lodge aud Deputy District Grand Masfcot * of East Jamiija , There was a lar" 0

attendance ot tne members ot thj Lodge under VV . Bro . Moses Delgado , and among the Visitors wero W . Bro . Dr . Allen of tho Jamaica Ljdge , W . Bro . Dr . 0 o'ili-ie of St . John ' s Lodgo S . C , VV . Bro . Captain Portlouk Dadson , District G . Deacon , of tuo Jamaica Lodge , Bro . 1 . W . Anderson , M . D ., of the Jamaica Lodge , and several others fro m tbe various Lodges iu the Island .