could not long exist, and the different systems there were found inconvenient, they ultimately became amalgamated, and formed one union, entitled "The National Lodge of Switzerland," and installed its Master, St. John's day, 1822, in Berne. They adopt the form, manner and regulations of English Lodges. The arch enemy of Freemasonry, under the appearance of Roman Catholic Clergy, has been continually at work to strangle Freemasonry in its infancy, and has to a considerable extent succeeded in the Catholic portion of Switzerland. The Protestant division has suffered little to interfere with the Order; and excepting the disturbance caused by the French revolution, has kept the even tenor of its way.

DENMARK,

Being a Protestant State, presents no sudden alterations in the history of Freemasonry. A liberal policy of governing, and an insight into Masonic affairs, convince the ruling powers of the advantages to be derived from allowing men to meet for the purposes of science, charity, and recreation. Scottish Masonry was introduced into Denmark anno 1754, and it is with pleasure we find a proclamation so different to those we have recorded, an Order of Council that no Lodge would be allowed in Denmark except under the warrant of the Grand Master, Duke Charles of Hesse, avowing, that genuine not spurious, Freemasonry ought to be supported. In 1836, King Christian the Eighth accepted the office of Grand Master, having taken the appointment while heir to the throne, and retained it on his accession, which he publicly notified. Many Masonic anecdotes are told of this worthy, liberal, and excellent chief, and we hope some of our Danish Brethren will collect and transmit them.

SWEDEN.

We regret to find the neighbor of Denmark, Sweden, not so ready to profit by good work and example. A very few years after the introduction of the Order in 1736, from England, Frederick the First, forbidding it under penalty of death, a re-introduction took place seven years after, but not Freemasonry, a jumble of Templar Orders, Rosecrucian and Jesuitical Laws, the latter placing themselves at the head of the Craft, and working for the purpose of spreading their doctrines and interests; these, with Swedenborg's doctrines, caused a strange mixture of dogmas, known as the Swedish system, part of which Zinnendorf endeavored to found in Prussia with some success, as a number of Lodges were soon founded by the bigoted portions of the Prussians, who were necessitated to give way in many of their prejudices. To recur-the Swedish Masons-in 1753, founded and endowed the Orphan Asylum of Stockholm; we see now, however, that pure charity was not so much the object as the desire of the Jesuits to instil their views in the minds of their pupils, and by such means and spurious Masonry to disseminate private opinions. Few portions of Swedish history are more interesting than this period (Charles the Twelfth.) Gustavus the Third, having been initiated, used the Freemasons to assist him in his efforts against the nobles; and through his means the narrow-minded views of the system became altered. He appointed his brother Grand Master, and that naturally tended to improve the Order; but Charles_the_Thirteenth abolished the Templar Orders, and in their place permitted worthy Freemasons to wear publicly a jewel called the Order of Charles the Thirteenth. Besides the princes of the blood, thirty members received this distinguished honor. At present, Prince Oscar is at the head of the Craft. The Swedish working was known in England and in Russia.

RUSSIA.

Ask a foreigner any particulars of Russia, what will he answer? He does not know. We know less of Russia than of any other part of Europe, we might say the world. Who amongst us knows the language, the literature, poetry, religion, government, habits, products of Russia? Do the Russians themselves, ex

cept the most wealthy and travelled? We do not anticipate being enabled to give a very clear and voluminous account. We translate the following literally from the first number of Latomia, and would urge many of the Masters of our own Lodges to note the concluding remarks as worthy of their serious thoughts and considerations:-" Although it is known that in the year 1731, during the reign of the Empress Ann, I. Phillips, of the Grand Lodge of England, was appointed P. G. M., and founded a Lodge in Moscow; yet, so secret were the meetings, that (until, 1762, when the Emperor Peter the Third ascended the throne) nothing is known. The Empress, Catherine the Second, hearing of the Order, instituted rigid inquiries, and having made herself acquainted with all particulars concerning them, named herself their protector, and the Lodge Clio, in Moscow, received her especial favor. From this time all the buds flowered freely in the empire. In 1786, fifteen Russian Lodges were known to exist, and even in 1794, when the Empress (from information received that many political clubs had been formed who called themselves Freemasons) found it necessary to withdraw her countenance, the Lodges continued to assemble; every Russian nobleman was a member, and, on Lodge days, it was not unusual for her to be deserted by all the officers of State. When the Emperor Paul succeeded to the throne, and his love to the Order became proved, efforts were strenuously made, and the Masons essayed by every means to induce him to become the protector, and to raise their Order to the pinnacle of fame. But the Duke Littear, Knight of Malta at that time, in St. Petersburg, persuaded him to become Grand Master of his Order, and he succeeded on the 16th of December, 1798, and that caused, for the time, the downfal of the Craft. The Czar forbade the assemblage of any and all secret societies, without mentioning Freemasons; but the known heads of the Order pledged themselves to him not to open a Lodge without his assent first obtained, and, in return, he created them Knights of Malta. From that time Freemasonry slumbered, and only a few of the most wary and respected met in secret. In the year 1801, Alexander ascended to the Czar's place, and ratified Paul's edict against secret societies; but, in 1803, he allowed Bober, Director of the Corps of Cadets, to persuade him to withdraw Paul's Ukase, and to permit himself to be initiated to the Order after an inquiry. In 1811, several private Lodges proposed to establish a directory, to be called the 'Grand Directorial Lodge of Harmony' of Wladmer, of which Brother Bober was Master the first three years. All Lodges under its control adopted the Swedish working; but when the worthlessness of it was discovered, and tolerance for all methods demanded, the Brethren of the higher Orders refused, an unity of opinions was found impracticable, and it was decided to abandon the existing Directorship, and constitute two Independent Grand Lodges. One of these came into existence on the 30th of August, 1815, with the name of Astraa, and its fundamental rules were four.--1st. Admission of all known systems; 2nd. Every private Lodge to be equally represented in Grand Lodge; Srd. An annual election (uncontrolled) of every officer; 4th. The noninterference of Grand Lodge with the higher Orders. These regulations were approved by the Government. Thus the position in Russia was advantageous and honorable until Alexander's order to the Minister of the Interior, on the 12th of August, 1822, came suddenly upon the body, commanding the suspension of all Freemasonry. Every effort that time or ingenuity could suggest, has been tried in vain to ascertain the cause of this order. Upon the whole, it appears that education had not sufficiently progressed to admit the Russians generally into the Craft. The Lodges were for pleasure only, and Masonry became an expensive toy wherewith to kill time. The use of trinkets and ornaments, in the highest Orders of the Craft, served to embellish the persons of the superior classes. Candidates were admitted without sufficient inquiry and caution, and initiations were regarded as a necessary measure of FINANCE, which, indeed was carried to an enormous extent. Of latter times, we might expect the great spread of cultivation and refinement would have done something for Freemasonry; but, to the present, no fresh workings have taken place in this immeasurable empire."

TURKEY.

In European Turkey, efforts have been made to warrant Lodges, and in the house of the English interpreter, a meeting took place in 1748, in which some Turks were initiated. The Ministry at the Porte, on hearing it, commanded "at the next meeting to guard the doors and fire the building." We have not heard to the present time of the conflagration, but no Turks have been proposed or ballotted for since. The members of the various embassies in London and Paris have been admitted to the Craft. [To be continued.]

LAYING OF A CORNER STONE.

BR. MOORE :-I learn from the Charleston, S. C. Courier, that the Corner Stone of the new Military Hall about to be erected in that city, by the Board of Field Officers of the fourth Brigade, was laid on the 30th September, under the direction of the Grand Lodge of Ancient Freemasons, with military honors and Masonic ceremonies.

At 3 o'clock, P. M., a procession was formed composed of the three regiments in their rich uniforms,--the Citadel Cadets,--the Charleston Light Dragoons,-His Excellency Gov. Aiken and his staff,-the Major General and staff,-the Brigadier General and staff,-the Board of Field Officers of the fourth Brigade,—the officers United States Army and Navy, the Grand Lodge and Masonic Fraternity, the Architect and Builder, the Mayor and Aldermen, and the citizens generally. This procession marched, under the direction of Col. J. C. Blum; Capts. J. H. Taylor, J. T. Welsman and P. B. Lalane, as Marshals, from the battery, through Meeting Street, to the site of the new structure, in Wentworth Street. On the arrival of the procession the ceremonies commenced with the singing of a Masonic Ode, then a fervent prayer was offered by the Rev. John H. Honour, Gr. Chaplain. The Corner Stone was then laid, with appropriate Masonic honors and observances by the M. W. John B. Irving, Esq. Grand Master, with the assistance of the Fraternity. The M. W. Gr. Master, then delivered a very eloquent, interesting, and suitable address, after which the Fraternity joined in another Masonic Ode.

Major James Simons, a member of the Board of Field Officers, then delivered an address, happily adapted to the occasion, after which the Masonic Fraternity returned to the Hall in King Street, and the Grand Lodge was closed in ample form.

The services must have been highly gratifying to the great crowd of spectators on the occasion. We would have been delighted to have been present with our Masonic Brethren, listening to the address of the learned and eloquent John B. Irving-the very gentlemanly and popular Grand Master. A. C.

Name it no more! I give it up-for I

Have lived a Count, and I a Count will die.

CAROL. Then all our hopes are gone, and there's no way?
COUNT. I think there is.

CAROL. Yes! I will follow his advice, and try

The power of love, to gain a victory,

By frowns and tears soon is man overcome.

In vain resisting, soon must he succumb;
The lords of the creation quickly yield

When to oppose them woman takes the field.

Yet with what arms fights woman-guns or spears?
No! with her trusty weapons--frowns and tears.
See the proud man approach with haughty gait,
As if at once all foes to subjugate;

Observe his loud, tyrannical commands,
While silently before him woman stands ;

She strives not with herself-styled master, man,
What force effects not, artifice oft can.
While man relies on his authority,
And lords over patient woman, she

Causes salt tears to glide down from each eye,
And, slightly frowning, heaves a heavy sigh.
At first, 't is useless-for man heeds her not.
But she, still silent, stands in the same spot;
Man seems all her endeavors to defy,
And to be moved, neither by tear nor sigh;
Woman despairs not-and proud man soon hears
The heavy sigh, and sees the falling tears.
When he beholds her cheeks with tears bedewed,
He hesitates-begs pardon-is subdued-
But hold! Suppose the Baron should resist
And conquer me, must I then still persist?
And if the Baron all my arts withstand,
Must I then angrily refuse my hand?
Ah! no! I could not-for I plainly see

It could not grieve him more than 't would grieve me.

Yet I will try all that I can to find

This secret out, which harasses my mind.

I think I hear his footsteps-yes, 't is he;

Now for the secret of Freemasonry,

SCENE IX.

CAROLINE. THE BARON.

BAR. (Presenting some flowers to CAROLINE.) Fairest !

Accept these emblems of the Spring,

Which as a tribute to your charms I bring.

CAROL. (Coldly.) Why mention Spring, my lord, which nothing can

Resemble less than does the heart of man ;

Spring makes all flowers shoot, and bud, and bloom,

But man condemns all to a dreary gloom;

E'en the sun's rays which to all life impart,

Seem to be powerless on man's cold heart.

BAR.-Then you more pow'r than Phoebus' rays possess,