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Article CHIPS OF FOREIGN ASHLAR. ← Page 2 of 3 →
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Chips Of Foreign Ashlar.
tlie descendant of John Bull than the accepted type of a thin , long-visaged Yankee . A rather amusing circumstance occurred to Bro . Gregory . Below the Hotel is a cafe in front of which are seats and tables where , like Earl Russell , one
may " rest and be thankful , " with the additional ¦ comfort of refreshment combined . Sitting here , in earnest consultation , with his meerschaum pipe , Bro . Gregory was accosted by a Dundreary sort of individual , who commenced by asking if the
Captain was an Englishman , and concluded by calling for brandy , and asking our brother to join in the consumption thereof . Bro . Gregory laving declined the offer , the stranger finished his bottle and departed , Avhen presently the gargon
requested payment from the Captain , the stranger having ordered the liquor , and stated that his friend would pay ! It is needless to add that our "brother did not quite see things in that light , but very properly refused to be " done . "
Unfortunately , there are many such well-dressed schemers on the look-out for unwary strangers in Paris , and great caution is required in " picking up " acquaintances . In company with our Bro . Beaumont we went to a Bal Masque at the Jardin Bulier , familiarly
designated the " Student s Ball , because it is the rendezvous of young men " grinding " for the legal or medical professions . We have seen a good many masked balls up and doAvn the continent as Avell as in England , but to our mind the
scene exhibited at the Jardin Bulier surpasses even the festivities of the Grande Opera in singularity and interest . The dancing of the cancan is of course highly reprehensible , for not even Mr . Pumblechook could say upon this mode of
dancing , as that Avorthy did of porli , that it was " a subject profoundly suggestive of moral reflections . " The fun at these ba . ls waxes fast and furious , and one cannot help pitying the labours of the unfortunate dancers , but it is a secret
Avorth knowing , that those Avho work the hardest are regularly paid employes of the establishment . We watched the tripping of the "light fantastic toe " —eminently fantastic—for several hours , and then returned to our hotel with the
reflection that in " seeing life" we decidely preferred a quieter style of living . What must have been the " next morning" of the thousands who that night danced themselves into frenzy ? Bro . Beaumont accompanied us to the Rue
Cadet on a visit to the Secretary-General of the Grand-Orient , Bro . Thevenot . It is a pity that Bro . T . has not studied the English language , but he is , nevertheless , by no means ignorant of the progress of Freemasonry in Great Britain . He
received us kindly , and Ave were much interested in a discussion Avhich took place in our presence respecting the Grand-Orient , which both Brother 'Thevenot and Brother Beaumont agreed in pronouncing essentially " democratic . " We met in
the Rue Cadet Bro . Dr . de St . Jean , Knight of the Legion of Honour , and President of the Council of the Grand-Orient , whose . dignified manners and courteous welcome impressed us very favourably , and we also once more greeted Bro .
Barretta , who is permanently attached to the staff of the Secretariat , and never fails to bid us hearty welcome . To Bro . Barretta Ave are indebted
for copies of the Bulletin du Grand Orient , which we highly prize . In the library , Brother Barretta shoAved us a curious Masonic relic—the sword which the unfortunate Philip Fgalite used Avhen Grand Master of the Order . None could
view this sword without recalling a host of recollections of scenes gone by—of revolutions , bloodshed , and anarchy—above all , of the hapless Prince , once its owner , cradled in Royalty , and coffined on a scaffold .
Among other Masonic celebrities Bro . Beaumont introduced us to Bro . Favre , the learned editor of the Monde Maconnique . We saAV Bro . Favre in the midst of his household gods , and we were alike pleased by the man and his surroundings . Everything betokened the scholar and the gentleman . After an interesting conversation we
parted from Bro . Favre , carrying with us a copy of his Masonic writings , which we hope hereafter to consider at length . We cannot better describe the appearance of Bro . Favre than by saying that he very much resembles some of the portraits of
Balzac which we have seen . In mentioning- Bro . Favre it Avould be ungracious for us not to acknowledge the interest with which we always read the Monde Magonnique , a magazine which deserves to be better appreciated in England . It is characterised
by sterling literary excellence and sound progressive sympathies . With Bro . Beaumont we spent a good deal of time in the society of Bro . C . 0 . Delacour , Knight of the Legion of Honour , and President of one of the Councils of the 30 ° . Bro . Delacour has travelled extensively in India , and sometime
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Chips Of Foreign Ashlar.
tlie descendant of John Bull than the accepted type of a thin , long-visaged Yankee . A rather amusing circumstance occurred to Bro . Gregory . Below the Hotel is a cafe in front of which are seats and tables where , like Earl Russell , one
may " rest and be thankful , " with the additional ¦ comfort of refreshment combined . Sitting here , in earnest consultation , with his meerschaum pipe , Bro . Gregory was accosted by a Dundreary sort of individual , who commenced by asking if the
Captain was an Englishman , and concluded by calling for brandy , and asking our brother to join in the consumption thereof . Bro . Gregory laving declined the offer , the stranger finished his bottle and departed , Avhen presently the gargon
requested payment from the Captain , the stranger having ordered the liquor , and stated that his friend would pay ! It is needless to add that our "brother did not quite see things in that light , but very properly refused to be " done . "
Unfortunately , there are many such well-dressed schemers on the look-out for unwary strangers in Paris , and great caution is required in " picking up " acquaintances . In company with our Bro . Beaumont we went to a Bal Masque at the Jardin Bulier , familiarly
designated the " Student s Ball , because it is the rendezvous of young men " grinding " for the legal or medical professions . We have seen a good many masked balls up and doAvn the continent as Avell as in England , but to our mind the
scene exhibited at the Jardin Bulier surpasses even the festivities of the Grande Opera in singularity and interest . The dancing of the cancan is of course highly reprehensible , for not even Mr . Pumblechook could say upon this mode of
dancing , as that Avorthy did of porli , that it was " a subject profoundly suggestive of moral reflections . " The fun at these ba . ls waxes fast and furious , and one cannot help pitying the labours of the unfortunate dancers , but it is a secret
Avorth knowing , that those Avho work the hardest are regularly paid employes of the establishment . We watched the tripping of the "light fantastic toe " —eminently fantastic—for several hours , and then returned to our hotel with the
reflection that in " seeing life" we decidely preferred a quieter style of living . What must have been the " next morning" of the thousands who that night danced themselves into frenzy ? Bro . Beaumont accompanied us to the Rue
Cadet on a visit to the Secretary-General of the Grand-Orient , Bro . Thevenot . It is a pity that Bro . T . has not studied the English language , but he is , nevertheless , by no means ignorant of the progress of Freemasonry in Great Britain . He
received us kindly , and Ave were much interested in a discussion Avhich took place in our presence respecting the Grand-Orient , which both Brother 'Thevenot and Brother Beaumont agreed in pronouncing essentially " democratic . " We met in
the Rue Cadet Bro . Dr . de St . Jean , Knight of the Legion of Honour , and President of the Council of the Grand-Orient , whose . dignified manners and courteous welcome impressed us very favourably , and we also once more greeted Bro .
Barretta , who is permanently attached to the staff of the Secretariat , and never fails to bid us hearty welcome . To Bro . Barretta Ave are indebted
for copies of the Bulletin du Grand Orient , which we highly prize . In the library , Brother Barretta shoAved us a curious Masonic relic—the sword which the unfortunate Philip Fgalite used Avhen Grand Master of the Order . None could
view this sword without recalling a host of recollections of scenes gone by—of revolutions , bloodshed , and anarchy—above all , of the hapless Prince , once its owner , cradled in Royalty , and coffined on a scaffold .
Among other Masonic celebrities Bro . Beaumont introduced us to Bro . Favre , the learned editor of the Monde Maconnique . We saAV Bro . Favre in the midst of his household gods , and we were alike pleased by the man and his surroundings . Everything betokened the scholar and the gentleman . After an interesting conversation we
parted from Bro . Favre , carrying with us a copy of his Masonic writings , which we hope hereafter to consider at length . We cannot better describe the appearance of Bro . Favre than by saying that he very much resembles some of the portraits of
Balzac which we have seen . In mentioning- Bro . Favre it Avould be ungracious for us not to acknowledge the interest with which we always read the Monde Magonnique , a magazine which deserves to be better appreciated in England . It is characterised
by sterling literary excellence and sound progressive sympathies . With Bro . Beaumont we spent a good deal of time in the society of Bro . C . 0 . Delacour , Knight of the Legion of Honour , and President of one of the Councils of the 30 ° . Bro . Delacour has travelled extensively in India , and sometime