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

could get no ammunition . A cannon was , however , soon brought out by the hastily gathered soldiers , and was ready to fire , when wiser counsels seemed to prevail ; tifteou or more wero killed or wounded ; 1 saw thom carried oft " , and the Rue Mont Blanc was red with blood . It did not last long ; in less than an hour a strong patrol of soldiers paraded the place , and tranquillity returned . " Stupid fellows , " said

an intelligent soldier to ine afterwards , "I was iu the front all tho time , they did not hurt us , but killed tho poor innocent lookers on . " Happily it soon ended , for ifc was soon rumoured that "in the interests of order" the Imperial spider had already telegraphed to the French troops near , and , as if by magic , the hotels seemed instantly crowded with French uniforms , evidently to favour any

pretence for intervention . It should bo explained , in order to illustrate the modern history of Geneva , that when tho French took possession of it after the great revolution of 1780—that they interfered but littlo with the municipal arrangements Calvin had instituted , and at the fall of Napoleon I . the Swiss troops were immediately welcomed back , and re-entered

Geneva amid general rejoicing , much as tho Italian troops recently entered Home , although no fighting was necessary , and a monument erected near tho lake still records the place of their landing . The Calvin constitntion then regained its full sway , and for 50 years again , until the now revolntion which brought back tho Napoleons , asserted its primeval hold upon the people .

A his was the signal for the advent of immigrants and refugees of all parties and from all parts , filoux , deserters , rogues , Italian , German , French , so that tho ordinary Genevan population of -10 , 000 soon becamo more than doubled . A revolution was inaugurated , and Calvin's constitution finally overturned . Liberty of conscience brought with it , if not all tho good , at least all the evil it necessarily entails . Thus

rendering Geneva , if ouly on a small scale and for a season , " The land of freedom and resort of crime . " Calvinism it is not my place or intention to discuss , but wo will take a passing glimpse of its successor , the Genevan Radical . Thero are different kinds . I went into a " Cafe " national on the evening of the strife , so as to learn at headquarters the news and feeling . On

sitting down , a respectable looking man offered me his newspaper , and made somo remark , to which I replied I did not like universal suffrage . He then said , " Then you would not have allowed Jesus Christ to havo a rote . " In response I said , "I don ' t know , bnt there was no Jesns Christ with yon to-day , my friend , or yon would not have fought , since he tells us in his writings , to live at peace with our neighbours . "

My friend , " Do yon believe in that stupid book , the Bible ?" "Yes , " I said , "and its morals aro most excellent . " My friend" How can that bo when it begins with a lie ? How did Cain get his wife , when just before we are told that Adam and Eve , beside himself , were the only existing beings . It is . a bad book ; au eye for an eye is its doctrine , a tooth for a tooth , and more desolations and

bloodsheds have its doctrines caused than man cau tell . I borrowed my neighbour ' s Bible the other day , —ho keeps it to write in the births of his children , and soon ; placing my finger on a verse , I said to him , ' Do you allow yonr children to read such wickedness as that ? it is enough to corrupt any one . ' " I replied that tho new French editions had modified many old aud objectionable expressions of tho

translators , and that what he referred to related only to the Levitica ! ceremonies , and not to its moral teaching , which was all that concerned us ; but , ho replied , "It was the origin of superstition , aud what was bad in its origin must be bad in it J fruit , and so it is . " " What ! " ho continued , "do you believe iu tho God as described in the Bible ? " ( then he proceeded to arguo ou the doctrine of which

Lucretius treats so fully , and which Lamarck and Darwin have modernised and rendered popular ) . "I believe what I see , and I believe nothing else . I have studied the doctrines of Brahma and Confucius , and Mohammed ; they all teach mo to do good to my neighbours , aud that is my doctrine . I daily see the evils of Christianity , and I would rather havo Mohammed than Christ . " I told

him I liked his philosophy of doing good to his neighbours ; he ought to go ono step further , however , ancl the Bible wonld instruct him , "Why we ought to do good . " The man had really been civil to me , so I asked him to join me in some wine , which bo did , changed the conversation , railed against Napoleon , and told me he was a Frenchman from old Armories

( Littlo Britain ) , as I was from Great Britain . So much for a Fhilosophical Eadical . Soon another scene came ou . Two men came into the room , fine tall fellows , almost giants , dressed in blouses , aud evidently labourers . " I tell you , " said one of thom , looking at me , " there must be a chauge , the rich must bo put down . How is a man to live on fifty sous

a day , and maintain his family ? on a hundred , perhaps , he might . " Now , if any one could have seen this man ' s manner as he stalked the floor of that long room , and have seen his countenance , ho would have had a true picture of the Jtcd Republican . He had just como in , wild with excitement , from the place where he had helped to kill and wound

the fifteen who fell . I became rather uneasy as I looked at him , so I begged him to do mo tho honour of accepting somo wino afc ray expense , aud soon slipped off . My philosophical friend Lad , however no predeliction for him , aud sneered at him iu every way so far as he fairly durst . Here , then , is an example of the Eed Republican Eadical .

Tho Philosophical Radical is a hollow , stupid follow at best , but ( ns I wrote at that time ) some day society will come face to face again with the Ited Republican , and with his question , '' How is a man to live on fifty sons a day ? " That is tho question which , in some way or other , in some form or other , will be tho upper one of social questions .

I may , however , remark that I met my red friend afterwards in a more sober mood ; ho told ma he was a Savoyard , and had fought through all the campaigns which had expelled the Austriaus from Italy ; he complained that his education , now so important , had been neglected by the government , and that- is what wc chiefly wanted there , and which , said he , is to be had here at Geneva . Things will , no doubt in time , arrange themselves , but Victor Emanuel will soon

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

find that in leaving Savoy ho has changed bis white bread for black bread . I have endeavoured here to reproduce the actual conversations , and except for condensation have not varied a word . But to begin again ; tho next day , or rather evening , I recommenced my excursions iu tho environs , aud got as far ns Veyrier , a

pretty frontier village near the bridge which crosses the river Arvo , and lying just beneath tho Grand barrier of Frauce formed by tho Grand and Petit Saleve . There , at au anberge , seeing somo gentlemen seated outside tho door , I saluted thom , aud , taking my seat , called for somo wine . Introducing myself as u stranger aud a doctor , I soon got into conversation with

a proprietor of the neighbourhood who was in company , the all-absorbing theme being the recent election . The election excitement was stilt extant , and at this moment a largo party of horse and foot , with a band of music and banners , strode triumphantly along . Wo all saluted them ; it seemed , indeed , an English rural celebration ; yet how strange it appeared beneath tho

frowning barriers of France ! Wo were comparing tho English Volunteers with tho Swiss army . " We aro all soldiers here , " said my friend , turning to a gentleman dressed in uniform then entering ; " and here is our doctor with as : none aro exempt . " I found the doctor a very nice follow , simple-minded , bufc wellinformed ; wo talked of Netaton and Velpeau aud Lawrence ( alas . '

now all departed ) , and drank a health to all those who bled for their country . Tho conversation again became more general ; iu England wo talk much of the three R ' s , but in travelling tho throe W ' s are moro iu vogue—the wine , tho wars , and the women . Of the latter all I can say is , that where the ladies aro truly virtuous , they are always truly beautiful ; and that where tbey are truly beautiful , they

are always truly virtuous . As the evening draws on , ifc is strange to observe tho dark , heavy shadows , which these rocks , tho frowning barriers of old Savoy , rising afc one bound to the height of Cader Ideris—4 , 000 feetproduce ou all around and on the observer . Fortunately , as their evening shadows lengthened and darkened , tho moon arose , and I

returned to Geneva with pleasant reminiscences of the evening thus passed . Having thus made so far an exploration , I resolved two days afterwards to ascend this mountain , the Grand Saleve , forming- n hill of the grand chain uf the Voirons , and iu duo course again arrived ac Voyrier , tho scene of my evouing ' s chat , four miles from Geneva ;

crossed the bridge with some little diflicnlty , and traversed the broken ground which intervenes between the bridge and the Pas d'Eoholles , or ladder path , by which ono mounts the rock . The Pas d'Echelles resembles a plank placed edgeways against a house , and turning at certain angles to mount to the roof . Ifc is very steep and narrow , and soon wearies even a resolute pedestrian .

About half way up it enlarges afc one place , aud there tho Lord of the country , as Bunyuu would say , has placed somo pleasant seats for travellers to sit and muse over the wonderful panorama spread out beneath one's feet . Here I was joined by a countryman , who pointed out to me the different Commuues ,. Catholic or 1 ' rotestnub , whioh lay around . "Ah , " suid he , "in 1815 , Geneva might have had ail

threo Communes , which wished to bo united to it , but it would not havo them because they wero Catholics , and when they so much wanted us , at the giving up of Savoy to France , ifc was all too late , and now iu Geneva itself half or more of tho people are Catholics . " Ho was a labourer from one of tbe Communes , and by no means destitute of intelligence , it was burning hot , and near the top of the Pas I w : is

rejoiced at finding a little fountain , led with water springing from the rock , bright as the fountain of Blandusia , when I gladly refreshed . I strongly , however , adviso all persons travelling in Switzerland to bo cautious of hill fountains , and never to travel without a pocket filter . At the termination of the Pas d'Echelles one arrives at the Grand Gorge , on the left the Petit Saleve , ou tho right the Graud Saleve ,

which gorge opens into a protty plain containing the village Mounetiet . Here a woman in a cottage balcony was singing a pretty song , something liko " Traveller , rest , thy wanderings o ' er ; " but finding ifc was au aubergo I passed on , exclaiming excelsior . A littlo further brought mo full iu view of tho Moub Blanc range , so inquiring the right path I mounted higher , when , at every fresh turn , tho prospect becamo move extended , especially ou the Genevan side ,

ami bore again bus the Lord of tbe country provided amplo seats , iu good places , from which you may seo below Lake Lcman , with its brilliant blue and placid surface ; the steamers and boats , with white sails as in miniature ; trace the courses of tbe Awe and of the Rhone , aud make out tho sices of towns aud villages for many miles . Again I mounted , and coming afc length to an undeniable view of Mont Blanc , felt rewarded .

" My parched tongue , my wanderer ' s lot , My aching feet wero all forgot . " Thero it stood , white and venerable , like tho ancient of days ; insensibly I took oil' my hat , and exclaimed" Moot Blanc is the monarch of mountains , They crowned him long ago , ( His vassal hills around him ) With a diadem of snow . " Ifc was a bright day for my first actual recognition , since although Iliad dimlv imagined its outline , both from Lyons and from Mount

Conis , 1 had never actually made its acquaintance ; but now all was clear and plain , its venerable head and coronet of feathery mist , aud ils vassal hills all wove there , distinct and clear , at a few leagues distance . It is lonely here in ( his lofty spot , the silence wonderful ; no lu ' nls

are to be heard , only the cicada chanting irs cricketty song , all else was still as a wilderness ; aud having accomplished my object , prepared to return . On getting to Monnetier again I obtained some goat ' s milk , fearing to take wine , and as I went on forgot not to refresh at my old friend