India.

LODGE EXCELSIOR ( NO . 1127 ) . —A regular meeting was holden on Tuesday , tbe 2 nd of June ; Bro . John AV . Brown , P . M . of Lodge No . 715 , presiding . Bro . Francis B . Henslowe , of lodge No . 1103 of England , was elected a joining member . LODGE SAINT LUKE ( KO . 848 , late 1150 ) . —A regular meeting was held on Wednesday , the 3 rd of June ; Bro . John AV . Brown , Honorary P . M ., presiding . Bro . AVarren , initiated on the 6 th of May , was advanced to the second degree by Bro . John AV . Brown .

China.

CHINA .

SHANGHAI . ROYAL SUSSEX LODGE ( NO . 735 ) . —At a meeting of this lodge , held on tlie 20 th of May , the following officers were appointedandiuvestedbv Bro . H . Murray , W . M .: —Bros . Loureirs , S . W . ; Parker , J . AV . ; 0 . K . Gordon , S . D . ; St . Croix , J . D . ; Sidford , I . G . Messrs . Holdsworth , Skeggs , Major , and Dickenson , candidates duly accepted , were admitted into the order , the ceremonial duties of the lodge being performed in a manner

arguing most favourably for its future prospects . INSTRUCTION LODGE OP . ASSIDUITY ( NO . 132 ) . —The regular assembly of this Lodge of Instruction took place on Saturday , the 23 rd May .. Present—Bros . C . Thorne , preceptor , and R . Gould , P . M . 's ; H . Murray , W . M . ; Royal Sussex Lodge ( No . 735 ) , and the following members as officers for the evening : — Bros . Ewing , D . A . C . G ., AA ' . M . ; Sidford , S . W . ; Parker , J . W . ; Maitland , S . D . ; Jamieson , J . D . ; Johnstone , I . G . ; also Bros .

Hockley , Dore , Major , Miennot , and Gordon . The ceremony of initiation was correctly gone through , and the working of two first sections of the first lecture by Bros . Gould and Thorne respectively , terminated tho proceedings .

Public Amusements.

PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS .

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA . After a campaign of four months , extending from April to August , and including over seventy performances , the Royal Italian Opera closed on Saturday week with a repetition of La Fiylia del Reggimenio , in which Madlle . Adelina Patti again sustained the character of Maria with peefect success . The sol 0

• verses of the National Anthem ( given after the opera ) were likewise sung by her , and at the final fall ofthe curtain she was ¦ honoured with a valedictory ovation , genuine as the enthusiastic applause of the entire house could make it . That all the promises of the official prospectus for the past season have been strictly kept it cannot be pretended ; but then

it must be borne in mind that the director did not pledge himself obsolutely and unconditionally to fulfilment . What Mr . Gye did say with respect to his programme was , that it ivould be " adhered to as strictly as possible ; " and , judging- from the liberality and good faith which have ever characterised that gentleman ' s management , it can only be inferred either that the

decided preference shown by the public for certain operas and performers kept others from the stage , or that insuperable difficulties prevented the production of expected novelties . No doubt the admirers of Signor Verdi wished to hear his newopera La Forza del Destine , and it is equally certain that Mr . Gye intended to bring it out ; hut then still greater curiosity

and interest had been more recently excited by M . Gounod ' s Faust , and so the director of the Royal Italian Opera thought it expedient to substitute the " latter for the former work ; and it is needless to say how magnificentl y he put it upon the stage , and how acceptable it proved to the subscribers and the general public .

The success of Masaniello , with a comparatively new tenor M . Naudin—the great and enduring attraction of that familiar opera , produced at the beginning of the season , could scarcely

have been counted upon . It certainly was an incomparably grand , gorgeous , and picturesque spectacle , such as could be witnessed in no other country in the world ; but the Masaniello of the Royal Italian Opera was already well known . Then the genuine " hit" made by Madlle . Fioretti was perhaps unexpected as her sudden secession from Mr . Gye's establishment . Another

disturbing cause was the advent of Mellle . Carlotta Patti ( not promised in the programme ) , whose singing enchanted th public so much as to justify an unusual form of entertainment , consisting of opera and concert . Fortunately , too , Madlle . Antonietta Fricci contrived to please in the character of Norma ; and the opera of that name being short , it could be conveniently

performed on the " Carlotta Patti nights . " Then there was the " state visit" occasion , followed hy several other attendances of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales , when the manager could scarcely be expected to select his own programme . - Mdlle . Adelina Patti , again prima donna assoluia , was

constantly before the public from her appearance in Za Souiiamlula ( May 7 ) to the closing night . She played in rapid succession Amina ( La Sonnanibula ) , Rosina ( II Barbiere ) , Zerlmi ( Don Giovanni ) , Enrichetta ( Maria ) , Leonora ( Il Trovatore ) , Ninetta ( La Gazza Ladra ) , Norina ( Don Pasrpiale ) , Adina ( L'Misir d'Amore ) , and Maria ( La Fiylia del Iteggimento ) . The

excellences displayed iu most of these characters by Mdlle . Adelina Patti , with the brilliant success which turned nearly every night of her performance into a fete , have been recentlydescribed . Those who predicted that this gifted young lady's artistic career would prove ephemeral will not be pleased with the stability of her attraction , as shown again very strikingly hy the history of the past season . That she is susceptible of improvement—that she ought to achieve , and probably will

achieve ( if not rendered indolent b overpraise ) , much more than she has hitherto accomplished—we are quite sure ; but those who have schooled her can never be her teachers . Madame Miolan-Carvalhe ' s talent was only exhibited in M . Gounod's Faust , a character which we think the lady misconceives altogether , although she looks it to the life , and sings the music like a tasteful and well-educated artist , as she is

wellknown to be . Fortunately , Madame Miolan ' s reputation in England did not depend upon this one performance . As a success plein d ' avenir , as our neighbours would say , we may record the debut of Mdlle . Pauline Lucca as A alentina in Les Huguenots . She should have come earlier in the season , but enough was shown to prove that Mr . Gye has found in her a young ,

fresh talent , which may hereafter be turned to most valuable account . Madame Dieliee maintained creditably throughout the season her old position as principal contralto . Signor Maria , who had shortly before the reopening of the Royal Italian Opera , been treated in a very rough manner by tho Parisian public , was received with open arms by his old

English friends and admirers when he reappeared upon the scene of former victories , and sang the music of Count Almaviva . Signor Grnziani was heard to the most advantage in the music of Count di Luna ( II Trovatore ) anel Plunkett ( Marta ); but M . Faure was the " favourite " baritone of the season . To him was given the lion ' s shave of the good parts , and both by Iris

singing and acting he justified the preference . A very important event was the reappearance of Signor Ronconi , who , after an absence of two years , occasioned by severe and dangerous illness , came forward once more to delight the London public by the display of his genius . M . Obin , a French basso , enjoying great reputation in Paris , made his debut on the English stage about the middle of the season as Roberto in ' Roberto il Diavolo ; but , after two performances , he returned to the Gallic capital ,