A Mystic Legend Of St. John The Evangelist.

d-stiny brought before him , gave him the sublimated confidence of the hi gher life and , no doubt , inspired his soul with an ecstacy such as no exile ever realised before . Though not of his peculiar religion , his Illuministic brethren held many consultations in regard to his rescue . They believed him to be a good man and f aithf id to his obligations , and Avhat he was in his reli gious belief , they knew was his own ri ght as a manand on this account they made no difference betAveen him and brethren of other

, faith . It Avas this intelligent liberalism that the many did not comprehend , but this ancient body had learned that the light of true philosophy knew nothing either of the narrow boundaries of sectarianism or of the moral littleness of bigotry . Hence they acted on this enlightened faith and gave this example of charity , Avhich it would be well if the Avhole world followed . How and Avhen and by whom the good Evangelist was delivered has never been

definitely made known . It was enough that he was brought back again to the land of his birth , and was again among his brethren—the followers of the Nazarene ; Domitian was dead—his tyranny had hastened his murder—and the field of the beloved disciple Avas once more fully open for the fulfilment of his great mission . With John the Baptist his name has long been sacred among the Graft . For many ages the 27 th of December has been recognised as the anniversary of St . John the Evangelistas the

, 27 th of June is of John the Baptist . The light of the examples of these two distinguished Hebrews has been as the guiding poAver of the Craft for ages , and now , Avhile time may last , the Mystic Tie will never forget the Baptist and Evangelist .

A Sad Chapter Of French History.

A SAD CHAPTER OF FRENCH HISTORY .

BX XOED KOJSALD GOWEE . ITMIE folloAAdng most striking and warning paper which , under the head of "Dead - - Kings and Queens , " has appeared in the Christmas number of Vanity Fair , deserves to be read and thought over by all , who do not forget that history repeats itself . Some people say , " A quoi bon ? " We reply , " A very great deal indeed , " and thank Lord

Ronald GoAver for the reminder , hoAvever unsavoury in itself : — The other day I came across a somewhat rare little French brochure , Avhich , probably , few of your readers haA ^ e met with . Perhaps a short notice of its contents may be of interest . It is an account of the violation of the royal sepulchres at St . Denis during the First French Revolution , Avhen the Democrats , not content with killing their king and queen , tore from their graves all that was left of their former monarchsin order

, , I suppose , to celebrate the neAv reign of liberty , fraternity , and equality . The account of this proceeding is from the pen of one of the priests belonging to the cathedral . It is undoubtedly authentic , and in its simplicity is more eloquent of the vanity of human grandeur than all the sermons of Massillon , Bossuet , or Flechier . The Ai'ork of destruction and sacrilege commenced early in October , 1793 , and lasted , all the month . The first corpse found was that of Henri IV ., the once beloved

Henri de Navarre . Some curiosity , if not affection , still , seems to have lingered even among those patriots who had constituted themselves body-snatchers , and the Bearnais was propped up against the church Avail in his shroud , and became quite an attraction for the crowd . One of the Republican Guards even condescended to cut off the king ' s grey , upturned moustache , and place it on his lip ; another removed the beard , which he declared he would keep as a relic . After these marks of attention were exhausted , the

body was thrown into a huge pit filled with quicklime , into which successively followed those of its ancestors and descendants . On the next day the corpses of Henri IV , ' s wife , Marie de Medecis , that of his