A Tale Of Venice In 1781.

A TALE OF VENICE IN 1781 .

BY BRO . W . A HUNDRED years have passed away , full of the most stirring events which , perhaps , the world has ever seen , and which stand out so wondrously vivid and enduring in the annals of time , since two young Englishmenin the striking dress of the last century , were standing on the Place

, of St . Mark at Venice . They were both , as I said before , young ; , both were also good-looking , well dressed , and evidently " thorough-bred , " and they seemed to be alike amiable and intelligent , interested in all they saw , if genuine children of the far little island , cultivated citizens of the world . Venice had then , as it still has , and probably ever will have , the deepest and most abiding claims on the student and the virtuoso . Something hadhoweveroccurred to move

, , them greatly , for they were discoursing in low tones to each other , and despite the loveliness of the weather and the charms of the locale , were apparently absorbed in some special matter of personal interest or private anxiety . I must also let my readers into a secret , that not far from them two other very ill-looking men seemed to be watching their movements , in connection with others at a greater distance , with the most scrupulous and intense attention .

What then , kind readers , was the subject of their serious concern ? Was it a Venetian lady ? or a picture of Tintoretto ? or some precious antique ? or some exquisite manuscript ? No , it was none of these things , interesting as they might be , and still are to many a fellow mortal . The two young men , one Sir Henry Callender , the other " Squire Harley , " as he was called in his patrimonial acres , were " Freemasons , " and had

attended , two nights before , a lodge meeting at Venice . At this time there were several' lodges in Venice , and many Masonic works were published there about 1780 , though they are now scarce , and prized by book collectors accordingly . For some reason the Council of Ten had latterl y grown jealous of the Freemasons , and as their spies were everywhere , they soon found out the names of the greater part of the members of the Venetian lodges , as well as of their visitors , but not , happily , as will be seen later , of all the " members of the lodge at which our two friends had been visitors .

The Lodge of " St . Mark of Venice" had become suspected specially by the authorities , and they had determined to arrest all its known members . So that very evening , when our friends were rowing along in the moonlight , indolently and happily in a gondola , they were run into by another gondola , and were taken out and carried blindfolded to a prison , which , from its earth y and damp smell , seemed to be subterranean . Not very long after they were

removed by masked attendants , and found themselves in a small room before a table covered with red cloth , at which five persons in red robes were sitting . Their accusation was read . They made the best defence they could , pleaded ignorance of any breach of the laws of the country , and told the judges that in England the English Royal Family was at the head of the Order , and the Prince of Wales the actual Grand Master . This fact seemed to strike the

live gentlemen in red very much indeed , and , ordering onr friends to withdraw , they were turning to each other , when one of them unperceived gave our friends a Masonic sign , and both recognized him as one of the brethren of St . Mark . This seemed to them of good omen , and they retired in better spirits than they had entered ; and not very long after , a civil person , clothed