French Masonry.—The Sanctuary Of Memphis.

unites this numberless brotherhood ; it is benevolence , goodwill , kind acts , beneficence—which is not virtue , but without which virtue could not be . Beneficence is an emanation from the divinity , ancl , like a fertilising dew , it prepares the soul to receive the seed of wisdom . Every being who suffers has a sacred claim upon thee . Do not wait until the piercing cry of misery importunes and pains ; anticipate and reassure the

timidity of misfortune ; do not poison by the ostentation of thy gifts the springs of that living water in which the unfortunate have a right to slake their thirst . Do not seek the recompense of thy beneficence in vain applause , but in the tranquil suffrage of thy conscience . If a bountiful Providence has granted thee somewhat of a superfluity , instead of making a frivolous or criminal use of it , that same Providence wills that , by a free and spontaneous movement of thine

own generous soul , thou shouldst render less sensible and less felt the unequal distribution of this world ' s goods . Rejoice in this prerogative . Never permit avarice— -that sordid passion—to abase thy character . May thy heart be ever exalted above the arid and pitiless calculations which it would suggest . May thy benevolence be active but discriminating , circumspect but compassionate , but above all enlightened by a prudent and comprehensive wisdom . Thy heart mi ght wish to compass the needs of all humanity—thy intellect must choose the most pressing and important .

Benevolence does not consist alone in bestowing a little gold . Man lives not solely by bread . Look at the powerless misery of infancy—it cries out for thy assistance . Ponder on the fatal inexperience of youth—it solicits your counsels . Make it th y happiness to preserve youth from the seductions which menace it ; excite , as much as in thy power lies , in those young hearts the sparks of the divine fire of genius and of virtue ; aid in developing them for the benefit and the happiness of the world . Shame to him who desires to hide

his light under a bushel ! Make use of the sublime gift of speech—that outward sign of the domination of man over nature— -to meet the wants of others in advance , and to fan in all hearts the sacred fire of virtue . In turns instruct , protect , bestow , console . One day without doing a good action was mourned as a loss by Titus . Have the noble pride of resembling the illustrious Ca ? sar , whose true renown commenced when his victories as a warrior had ended .

In giving way to the impulses of this sublime passion , an inexhaustible source of rejoicing shall spring up for thee , thy soul shall expand , and every moment of thy life shall be worthily occupied . If thou feelest thy inability to accomplish alone the good which thou wouldst wish to perform , come then into our temples , bring a branch to that sacred bundle of good deeds which binds us together . Make thyself acquainted , according to your ability and faculties , with the useful plans and establishments which the Masonic Institution shall present to thee . Thou shalt soon learn and appreciate the fruits of the combination of forces , and of their concentration upon the same object .

May thy goodness and thy kindly regards extend to all nature . Even the insect which is noxious has a right to live . Never crush it without a cause . Do not then be cruel to animals : on the contrary , compassionate their sufferings , and never fear ridicule in defending them against stupid brutality . Let thyself not be taken aback by the programme of duties now disclosed to thy view . Nature and society impose other duties still towards men th y not less sacred than the

equals ; they are foregoing ; they are furthermore indispensable to thy personal happiness and well-being . Be affable and obliging to everyone ; edif y by thy example ; love thy neighbour ; participate in the happiness of others ; never permit envy to arise for an instant in thy breast . Wert thou to do so thy soul would soon be a prey to the darkest and saddest of the Furies . Thou must needs have a friend : choose him early , for life is short . Let him be the most worthy amongst those whom thou well knowest : he will become thy Mentor . God guard thee from his descending to play the part merely of a complaisant and obsequious companion !