Freemasonry In Russia.

FREEMASONRY IN RUSSIA .

ACCORDING to Findel , Freemasonry found its way into Russia as early as 1731 . Captain John Phillips is mentioned , in 1738 , as Provincial Grand Master , under tho Grand Lodge of England , and General Bro . J . Keith succeeded him , in 1741 , thongh it is said that as early as

1732-4 the latter presided over a Lodge in St . Petersburgh . At first the meetings were , in all probability , held very secretly , for the earliest existing Lodge is fixed in 1750 , when the Lodge of Silence was worked in St . Petersburgh , and that of the North Star was erected . During the veisrn

of the Empress Elizabeth the Craft became more in vogue , though the greatest secrecy was still observed . The Emperor Peter III . is said to have presented a house to the Lodge of Constancy , and even to have conducted the Masonic work at Oranienbaum . In 1765 , the Melesino

Rite , consisting of seven degrees , ancl so named after Melesino , a Greek by birth , ancl Lieutenant-General in the Imperial army , flourished . The degrees were , besides the three of the English system , ( 4 ) the Dark Vault ; ( 5 ) the Scotch Master and Knight ' s Degree ; ( 6 ) the

Philosopher ' s Degree ; and ( 7 ) the Grand Priest or the Spiritual Knighthood . But according to the Freemason ' s Calendar for 1777 and 1778 , the first regular Lodge was that of Perfect Unity , constituted in St . Petersburg in 1771 , most of the members being English merchants residing

there . In the following year a warrant was issued bv the Grand Lodge of England , appointing His Excellency John Yelaguin ( Senator ) to be the Provincial Grand Master for the Russian Empire , the result being eminently satisfactory to the Craft . In 1783 , twelve working Lodges formed

themselves into a Grand National Lodge , Bro . Yelaguin being the Grand Master . Under Bro . Von Reichel ' s guidance the Lodges adopted the Swedish system . In 1790 , matters changed for the worse . Divisions arose in the Lodges , things outside assumed a very threatening aspect ,

the Empress Catharine giving it to be understood by those around her that she did not approve of Masonic meetings . The majority of the Lodges were accordingly closed , thongh the Apollo , in St . Petersburgh , worked on silentl y till 1797 , and afterwards assembled its members twice

a year , on the feast of St . John and on the anniversary of its . erection . The Lodge afterwards known as the " Crowned Pelican " also held meetings of its members , but without working regularly . Paul I ., before he ascended the throne , had shown a favourable inclination towards Masonry , but

the Lodges remained closed notwithstanding , until more favourable circumstances seemed to justify their being opened ; but , contrary to expectation , a prohibition was , some time after , issued against the Craft . This prohibition , as against all secret societies , was renewed when

Alexander I . became Emperor , in 1801 . In 1807 , application having been first made in the proper quarter , the Lodge of the Pelican was opened , and so rapidly did the members increase in numbers that they separated into three Lodges , namely , " The Crowned Pelican , " the

" Elizabeth , the Patroness of Virtue , " and the " Peter , the Patron of Truth , " the operations being carried on in Russian , French , and German . In the Autumn'of 1808 , the Directory Lodge " Wladimir , the Maintainor of Order , " in St . Petersburg ( Swedish

Rite ) began to work , and , soon after , tivo BCAV Lodges working under French warrants ^ were ordered at the iinstigation of the Government to join this Directory Lodge , Bro . Bober , a Privy Councillor , being the Grand Master from 1811 to 1814 , and after him , Prince Mnskin Pnschkin .

In consequence of dissensions arising , owing , it is believed , to the dissimilarity of the two Rites , two Grand Lodges , with the approval of the Government , wero constituted , namely , the Astriia in St . Petersburg , and a Provincial Lodge , which remained faithful \ o the Swedish Rite

According to Polick , there were 23 Lodges under the Grand Lodge of Astriia , while only eleven worked under the Provincial Lodge . In spite of farther troubles ,

Freemasonry continued to advance rapidly iu prosperity , when , in the month of August 1822 , a decree was issued that all Freemason Lodges should bo closed , and no others be constituted . Great as was the grief at the issue of this mandate , it was faithfully observed by our Russian brethren .

Bro . Gen Garibaldi , writing , on the eve of his departure for Caprera , to Signor Luecbesi , whose villa he had been i nhabiting at Civita Vecchia , the General jays , " 1 hanks

Freemasonry In Russia.

to the miraculous thermal waters , ancl the kind attention received from you in your comfortable and pretty villa , I have substituted your stick for my crutches , which I leave vou as a souvenir . "

On the 1 st of October an exhibition of metropolitan cabs and cab-horses will be held at the Alexandra Palac % under the patronage of the Earl of Shaftesbury , the Lord Mayor , Cardinal Manning , the Royal Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals , & c .

The Earl of Aylesford will , says the Birmingham Fost , accompany the Prince of Wales to India as Equerry to his Royal Highness .

Sir Moses Montefioro has started on his return from Jerusalem . According to the Jewish World , Sir Moses left Jerusalem on the 17 th inst ., ancl embarked at Jaffa on the 20 th , en route to Naples and Marseilles , but he will not arrive in England for nearly another month .

The great half holiday fete of the year at the Alexandra Palace , will be held to-day , Lecocq ' s opera , " La Fille de Madame Angot , " with the Opera Comique Company , in the theatre at 2 . 45 , and a special evening promenade concert in the central hall at 6 . 45 , after which the largest firework display of the season will take place .

The British Museum will be closed on Wednesday , tho 1 st of September , and re-opened on the following Wednesday .

Burmah And China.

BURMAH AND CHINA .

IheKuigof Burmah , in whoso presence the British Ambassador had to take off . his boots , has addressed a letter to the Eraporor of China , tho text of which is given in a lato number of tho Peking Gazette . His Majesty calls himself " Tho Great , Glorious , and most Excellent Majesty who reigns over the Kingdoms of Thunaparanta aud Tampadipa , aud all tho Umbrella-bearinsr Chiefs of tho Eastern

country , the King of the Rising Snn , Lord of tho Celestial Elephants , Master of many White Elephants , tho Great Chief of Eighteousnoss , the King of Burmah , " but acknowledges himself to be a vassal of China . lie sends tribute and presents , including five tamo elephants , some ivory and jewellery , piece goods , gold and silver leaf , aud fifteen peacocks' tails . " Your vassal , " he writes

to tho Emperor , "would with all humility set forth that under the universal sway of his Holiness the streams and hills are all objects of his fostering care , the kingdoms of tho distant ocean become converted to his civilising rule , and as tho sunflower bows before tho sun , so does all mankind turn with adoration towards tho Imperial person . Succeeding to your barren ancl far oil dependency

of Burmah , your vassal is impressed with tho deep favours conferred by yonr Heavenly Dynasty when permittinghis country to be enrolled amongst the territory of Yu ; and in offering up , according to rule , the tribute prescribed the land of Burmah is thns included in the heaven of Yan . Tho letter concludes with tho hope that the Emperor will "deign to receive ancl graciously lend ear to tho

feelings of obedience , respect , and submission entertained by his vassal . " It is rather singular that while we are treating with Burmah as an indepoudant kingdom , the monarch of it should be acknowledging himself a vassal of China . The Lord of the White Elephants possibly expects that tho Celestial Emperor will assist him in case of hostilities with England . It is only upon such an assumption that he would pay tribute . —Globe .

THOMAS CAKLYLE . —Whatever else may be true of Thomas Carlylewhatever may bo taught of his especial system of philosophy or of his policy for the world ' s good governance—it must be allowed that he , moro than any other Englishman of his century , has coloured and modelled English thought . If Dr . Samuel Johnson be excepted , it is probable that no man has ever more distinctively stamped the

image of his own genius upon tho literary feeling of his time . Ha lias bequeathed to us no new faith , lie has evolved no new system . The influence exerted by him has been , and is , almost purely idiosyncratic . It would bo possible to express in a dozcu or so of the wise saws of antiquity tho whole of the Carlyle . an philosophy . Yet ho has oroved himself one of the moat original—one of the newest and

freshest of men Tho pecial characteristic of Carlylc ' s genius is probably its intensify , lie is for ever enthusiastically in earnest . He is the very Homer of prose , but he never permits himself to slumber . It is obviously impossible for him to over-inform tho expression of his opinion . But for this his literary stylo might occasionally bo called exaggerative .

It is not so , because he is nitensereven than his language , and because language has no tone more piercing than that in which he himself is inwardly addressee ! . He is terribly in earnest in all things , because to him the universe is in all things so terribly in earnest . When he speaks , it is as if necessity were laid upon him . He has a fine riiipacitv for scorn , and ho scorns few things more emphatically' than

lillctautism , the science of elegant ease and graceful indolence . In tho keenness of his sa ' . ' nr , tho splendour of his eloqamo ? , and the al'imst volcanic nature of bis denunciation , he is very like Byron ; But his satire and his denunciation have never lost point or force—as Byron ' s ilid—by being merely the outward sign of a discontented egotism .- — From " Cassell's National Portrait Gallery " for August .