Poetry.

It dawned in the time , when tho grand eastern clime , AVas thrilled with a voice divine ; AAlien the heart and tho soul first owned the control , Of the arts that exalt and refine . Then a Structure was reared—thus early revered , Devoted to friendship ancl love ; Sweet Charity smiledheaven ' s best beloved child ,

, From her mansions of beauty above . Then pledge to the Craft—the brave old Craft , That hath rul'd in the world so long ; And still may its worth illumine the earth , When ten thousand years are gone . Though stiles have decayed , and the laws they have made

Are lost in the shadowy past ; Unf-ided hy time , in its grandeur sublime , Still our Order stands firm ancl fast . And still to Man's heart if the truth doth impart , He should be to his brother kind ; That honour and worth , brightest gems ofthe Earth , In his bosom should ever be shrin'd 1 Then fill to the Craft—the brave old Craft

, That hath ruled in the world so long ; And still may its worth illumine tho Earth , AVhen ten thousand years are gone . AA'ith feeling sincere he should wipe the sad tear , From the sorrowing mourners' cheek ; His mission is blessed to protect the oppressed ,

And to comfort the lone and the weak . The Great Architect's eye , from his throne in the sky Looks down _ u \ d approves of OUY plan ; For Faith shall be pure and I ' eligion secure , While Masonry teacheth Man . So fill high to the Craft—the bravo old Craft That hath ruled in the world so long ; May the Sun of its worth still illumine the Earth , AVhen ten thousand years are gone .

The Week.

THE WEEK .

THE COURT . —Her Majesty and family continue at \ A indsor . The Prince of Wales was introduced into the Privy Council on Tuesday . GENERAL HOME NEWS . — Lord AA oilclionse , who was sent to St . Petersburg , as English Minister , at the close of the Crimean war , and who has since held tho office of Under Secretary for

Foreign Affairs , has been selected to proceed to Copenhagen , on a special mission , to congratulate King Christian on his accession to the Danish throne , and—as it is semi-officially hinted—to make His Majesty " thoroughly acquainted with the views of the British Government respecting his rights , his duties , ancl the spirit in which he should assert the one and perforin the

other . " A storm of wind unexampled in its violence for many years past burst over the metropolis ou Thursday of last week , and was felt throughout tho country . The anemometer affixed to the Royal Exchange indicated a pressure of 30 \ b . on the square foot about eleven o' clock in the forenoon . To the unscientific reader it will afford a more lively illustration of the

fury of the gale to be told that several people were literally blown away , that branches of trees were broken off , and iu some cases the trees themselves uprooted , that laden barges were sunk in the river , and that several stacks of chimneys were blown down . One of these in a small street near the Elephant ancl Castle fell on the roof of the house , smashed in the ceiling ,

and killed one of four children that were in the room , the others being seriously injured . The gale has told more disastrously at sea than upon the land . Ou tho south ancl west coast the reports of wrecks are numerous . In the neighbourhood of llolvhead there was melancholy loss of life , and the vicinity of

the Goodwin Sands was only saved from similar disasters by the intervention of the life boats . In the river the casualties , and even the wrecks , are numerous ; and one splendid vessel , with a cargo of tea valued at £ 50 , 000 , afcer making a prosperous voyage from China , ran imminent risk of total shipwreck at . the gates of the dock she was about enter , and within sight of

London-bridge . From Yarmouth we have a long list of fatal casualties at sea , and we have also tidings of the loss of a German emigrant vessel , which appears to have gone down with 250 of her passengers and crew . A dreadful accident occurred on the Great Northern Railway , near Peterborough . Before daybreak a pilot passenger engine left one of the railway sheds ,

at a place called Xew England , for the purpose of proceeding to Peterborough . It was soon followed by a heavy goods engine , which ran into it , killing a guard , and throwing off the driver ancl stoker . The pilot engire , thus freed from control , dashed on at the rate of < 10 miles an hour , and coming up with a goods train , nearly completely smashed the brake-van . The guard in

the van sustained injuries , which , it is feared , will prove fatal The cavecv of the pilot engine was stopped by the second collision . Another change in the condition of the cotton operatives is shown in the weekly report presented by Mr . Farnall at the meeting of the Central Relief Committee . In 1-1 unions there has been a total decrease of 1 , 373 in the number of

persons receiving parochial relief , while in 13 unions there has been an increase of 639 . Thare is thus , taking the whole 27 unions , included in Mr . Famuli's returns , a net increase of 739 , —a change , no doubt , owing to the employment afforded to the operatives by the commencement of public works . On the other hand , we read in Mr . Maclure ' s report that "during the present month there is reason to expect that , owiiis to the effect which the condition of the money market

may probably have upon the price of cotton , there will be a considerable decrease of work in tho mills of the district . " An important discussion took place on the Public Works Act , and Lord Darby stated the result of his representations to Sir George Grey respecting the expense at present attending applications for loans under the act . We have it on the high

authority of the Inspector General that the volunteer force has maintained its numbers , and certainly is progressing in efficiency . The great metropolitan agricultural gathering ofthe Sniithfield . Club Cattle Show assembled on Monday , for the second time , at its new and capacious home—the Agricultural Hall , Islington . In the morning ids Royal Highness the Prince

of Wales and the Crown Prince of Prussia visited the building ,, and inspected the show with much interest . At two o'clock the building was opened to tho public on the payment of five shillings , a price which did not prevent many thousands from gratifying their love of viewing the finest specimens of cattle of all kinds that can be seen in the world .

The rest of tiie week has been shilling days , and the attendancein no way short of that of last year . Sales were brisk , and every visitor appeared pleased with the accommodation , which afforded a marked contrast to that from which the public solong suffered at Baker-street . The annual meeting of the Sniithfield Club was held on Tuesday , for the first time under

the new constitution . Earl Spencer was elected president , to succeed Lord Walsinghain . At the meeting of the City Commission of Sewers , some interest was excited by tiie revival of a . proposal to widen the eastern end of the Poultry by removing Lubbock ' s old hank , opposite the Mansion House . It is said that tho projected improvement may cost £ 17 , 500 , or at the

rate of more than a million and a half per acre . It was resolved that the project should be carried out if the Metropolitan Board would share the expense . It is stated that the law