Obituary.

literary baggage and the contradictions of his public life . Ho himself recounts in the following terms , his vote against the Empire , one of the important acts of his long career : — " I could have answered ' Yes , '" said he , " as the wise ones did ; or' What matters it to me ? ' as the indifferent

, ones . My reason was for the latter course . My devil of a character made me say ' No , ' and my advancement was ruined . " Thus Captain Yiennet had not voted from conviction , but out of a spirit of contradiction which he regrettedthat is to say he regretted his advancement thus ruined . In another place the subject is the Republic of 1848 , of

the " Constituante , " as Bro . Yiennet terms it , " la petite Gonstituaute" —in a word , the Revolution . These are the counsels given by the Academicia" to his literary colleagues : — " Men of letters who have mixed themselves up with political changes are beginning to see what they have gained . A long time ago I told them that their sole property consisted in the superfluity of the rich ;

and , as they hold to their wish , I advise them to stop , if it were possible , this poor human race which they have put in motion . If Republicanism should be established , I cannot tell who will buy books or who will pay for his seat at the play . " That which precedes is printed or reprinted in the preface of the complete fables of Bro . Yienett , published

by Hachette in 1865 . To these counsels we will add no commentary ; it is sufficient to cite thom . Eor some years , and in consequence of tho energy with which Bro . E . Yiennet , seconded by the rest of the Scotch lodges and the majority of the Gr . A ., had defended the independence and duty of the S . C . against Marshal Magnan , he gained some sort of popularity . It was a surprise

to find so much vigour in an old man . But the conflict over , the heroic resistance of the Grand Master was soon forgotten . His death in an instant brought Bro . F . Yiennet into

renewed favour and , singular coincidence , it was again through his connection witli Freemasonry . The Catholic clergy , which excommunicates Freemasons , which also refused them admittance to their churches , were anxious to seize the last breath and the body of our deceased Grand Master . Around the deathbed a combat took place which reminds us of those

pictures of Epinail , representing , in the form of an old man , a poor soul held on one side by a good angel , with white wings and sky-blue body ; on the other side a great green devil , with horns . The Eternal Father is present at the battle , but to all appearance indifferent as to the result . It is not shown to whom victory is accorded , whether to the good or to the evil genius . Thc

salvation of our former Grand Master is equally uncertain . M . the Cure Lancien , supported by le 2 Ionde , l'Union , VUniversc , affirms that Bro . Yiennet renounced all his errors ; that he wished to die in the bosom of the Apostolic Roman Catholic religion . Le Steele contradicts this , and F . Genovay , who should be better informed

than the Cure Lancien , reports a conversation between Bro . Yiennet and himself , which supports the Steele . There remains a circumstance which Las not been sufficiently insisted on , and which proves M . tho Cure Lancien has spoken on insufficient grounds . Every one who knew Bro . Viennct for the last ten years , is aware that he was subject to deafness , which increased every

day , and in the end ivas almost complete . The writer of these lines was commissioned four or five years back to speak beforo the Grand Master of the 0 . 0 ., Ec , and and to thank him , in the name of the lodges of the rite , for tho energy ho had displayed iu repulsing the pretensions of Marshal Magnan . Although tho speaker was , on this occasion , placed very near ' to the

Grand Master , he is thoroughly convinced that he ( the Grand Master ) did not hear a single word of his little improvised speech .

Obituary.

M . the Cure Lancien whilst affirming " the Christian end" of Bro . Yiennet , expresses himself thus , " When I asked him if he maintained his profession to die in the Catholic Faith , Apostolic and Roman , he answered 'Yes . '" We should not be surprised if Bro . Yiennet , who had just published a- work adverse to the pretensions

of the Roman court , did really understand that they asked him if he maintained all that ho had written in his book , and that he immediately answered " Yes . " However , what signification , what importance can be attached to the retraction of an old man of ninety-one years , a few hours befere his death , when both will and intelligence had already left his weakened body , taking

into consideration the acts of his whole life ? Would Bro . Yiennet during a long lifetime have been less the enemy of the government of priests , seeing that he did not spare either criticisms or satires ; in fact , the author of the famous TSpitre an Gapuchin ( Letter to the Monk ) and tho Grand Master of the rite E . A . A ., that is to say , a chief of the excommunicated ? The Cure Lancien

assures us that Bro- Yiennet made " a Christian end . " We admit this , Monsieur Abbe ; take the body—we retain the spirit ( mind ) which animated the form now insensible . This mind is embodied iu the works of the deceased ; it is living in the memories of a long and honourable life , almost entirely consecrated , as it has been shown elsewhere , with an evidently ironical

intention , but we accept its conclusion ; to vulgarise that eternally true thought , borrowed from the Dictionnaire Philosopliiqae , of Voltaire , that " in all ages , the sacerdotal power has had a terrible influence over the world . "

The Late Bro. Thomas Powrie.

THE LATE BRO . THOMAS POWRIE .

The death of Bro . Thomas Powrie , the eminent actor , is announced . This sad event took place at Edinburgh , on the 26 th ult- Bro . Powrie had been suffering for some time from congestion of the lungs ; but his illness was aggravated by au attack of British cholera . He made his first appearance last year at Drury Lane Theatre as " Rob Roy , " and was unfortunate enough to

injure his foot on the first night of his appearance , and which entirely precluded his again appearing during the season . Bro . Powrie was much esteemed in private for his amiability and sterling good qualities .

Metropolitan Lodge Meetings, Etc., For The Week Ending September 12th, 1868.

METROPOLITAN LODGE MEETINGS , ETC ., FOR THE WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 12 th , 1868 .

MONDAY , September 7 th . —Lodges : St . Lukes , 144 , Pier Hotel , Cheyne Walk , Chelsea ; Joppa , 188 , Albion Tavern , Aldersgate-street . TUESDAY , September Sth . —Lodge : Wellington , 548 , White Swan Tavern , Deptford . WEDXESDJVY , September Oth . — Com . Royal Masonic Ben . Institution at 3 . Lodges : Union Waterloo ,

1-3 , Masonic Hall , William-street , Woolwich ; Vitruvian , 87 , White Hart , College-street , Lambeth ; Doric , 933 , Mason's Hall , Basinghall-street ; Montefiore , 1017 , Freemasons' Hall . THURSDAY , September 10 th . —Lodges : Lily Lodge of Richmond , 820 , Greyhound , Richmond ; Capper , 1076 , Marino Hotel , Victoria Docks , AVest Ham ; Royal Jubilee Chapter , 72 , Anderton ' s Hotel , Fleet-street . SATURDAY , September 12 ch . —Lodge : Caveac , 176 , Radley ' s Hotel , Bridge-street , Blackfriars .

To Correspondents.

TO CORRESPONDENTS .

* * All communications to be addressed to 19 , Salisbury-street , Strand , London , W . C . WE are again compelled to postpone the publication of several important letters and lodge reports . BRO . R . Y . begs us to give his compliments to Bro . Hughau and to express his regret that he has no Masonic works to exchange , as the few he possesses are solely for reference .