THE YOUTH'S VISION.

As I was meditating over the lettered page, "the iron tongue of midnight tolled" the hour of twelve. Startled at the advancement of the night, I hurriedly retired to my couch, and while wrapt in balmy sleep, methought the picture of my future life passed in a perspective view before my gazing eyes.

I was bending my wearied steps up a steep and rugged hill, whose summit in the "cloud cap'd top" was lost; and I observed that my path on each side was impeded by obstacles in appearance most appalling, almost, indeed, preventing any farther progress. These most hideous reptiles, for such they appeared to be, darted at me their forked tongues, and with fiery looks watched my motions, seeming determined to resist the desire I expressed to reach the pinnacle of the lofty height above me.

While hesitating whether to retrace my inauspicious path, or with renewed courage and persevering ardour, try once more to gain the portal of the "dome crowned temple," planted on the steep aloft; a voice, sweet as the gales of Elysium bowers, struck upon my almost deafened ears.

"Mortal!" it exclaimed, "long have I surveyed thy tedious progress, and with feelings that your fellow-mortals do not possess, to your rescue have I flown; the dangers with which thou art encompassed, cannot be overcome but by the help of a superior power, to whose service thy life should be in gratitude devoted."

At the sound of so much excellence, my thrilling soul was filled with fortitude and resolution to commence the struggling combat, but was deterred by the motions of my Mentor; for, having ceased to speak, he seized the heads of those infernal monsters, and slew them with resistless strength.

I stood gazing on in mute astonishment at a scene in which I yearned to take a part. The angelic being seemed to dive into my inmost thoughts; for, turning to me, he said, placing an instrument of destruction in my hands similar to a rifle, "Thou beholdest yon treacherous reptile, coiling on the branches of a sycamore tree, that one above all others stays your advancing footsteps." This roused my indignation to avenge the unjust injury; therefore instantly levelling the piece, I fired, and from the noise of the percussion awoke-the monster falling.

MORAL.-In endeavouring to elucidate the preceding dream, I am induced to suppose the rugged hill represented the path of life, and the serpents, those numerous enemies in the form of envious slanderers, whom we encounter in our progress through this transitory world, and who often, under the sacred name of friendship to our faces, pretend to serve us, but in reality, from envy or malice, endeavour to frustrate all our schemes and future hopes by calumnious and invidious reports, rendering it impossible ever to trace their source, from the subtle and flagitious manner in which they are propagated. The appearance of the celestial being at so critical a juncture, is a convincing demonstration, that a wise and just God watches over us, and that a sincere reliance in bis power will always extricate us from the most perilous and pressing dangers.

Nov. 22, 1824.

H. R. S.

COLLEGE MUSINGS.

BY LITHOURGOS.

THE IDLER AT PARIS.

(Continued from page 285, 1846.)

CHAPTER VIII.

MID-DAY I embarked on-board the steam packet to cross the straights of Dover. My eyes cast a wistful look on the fast receding shores of my native land, whilst quitting them for the first time in my life to visit a foreign shore; but the swift speeding vessel soon entering the harbour of Calais, my thoughts were quickly diverted into another channel. This is a strongly fortified place, and the numerous barriers one had to pass through in reaching the hotel, the importunate services of Le Commissionaire, and the sort of rubbing down at the Custom-house, were impediments to the free exercise of the limbs, rather astonishing to the impetuous spirit of youth, unaccustomed to such fetters upon his motions.

Sleeping one night at Calais, 1 pursued my route to Paris par Boulonge, Abbeville, and Beauvais. One incident at Calais wonderfully amazed me. I happened to stroll into the cathedral; the priest was performing mass, and in the middle of the ceremony the doors were thrown open, and in marched an entire regiment of the garrison, with drums beating and colours flying, and when within a few yards of the altar they halted, ground arms with a prodigious noise, and reverently bowed the knee at the elevation of the host. The scene had a strange mixture of the sublime and the ridiculous.

Well-a-day! as old Dominie Sampson would say, "pro-di-gi-ous!” Already one month at Paris contrary to a vow-not registered in heaven -but seriously made previous to leaving home, only to stay one brief fortnight. And such a plucking too! One vow I religiously keep, never again to enter Frascati! Four thousand francs at a sitting! no joke, youngster. But my fickle, wayward indetermination deserved it.

Ye gods and Stygian shades! Fool that I was to be cozened by a greater, though an older fool! Where are those airy castles, those enormous winnings, those irresistible, invincible systems, based upon the nicest calculation? crumbled into dust, all, all evaporated into emptyfaugh! I have no patience with myself for idly listening to such schemes of moonshine speculation. The master was an ass, and his dnpe a dolt. It was aggravating enough to lose the money-more galling to reflect how wastefully forfeited! But, by my troth, as Asmodeus swears, enough of it. I shall balance the loss with experience, and in the end it will turn out a profit.

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A renewal of my old complaint, the cacoëthes scribendi, has this dull morning prompted me to take up my pen, and pursue my original object! Here a puzzling query starts up: What was the original and primeval object of this journal? Mercury, thou god of invention, lend me thy ears! I come to reveal myself to myself. Was it rational? Doubtful. Was it irrational? No. Ergo, it was neither rational nor irrational. So much for the guiding rod of logic in the discovery of truth! So much for the perspicuity of syllogistic reasoning!

Pri'thee take a moral, young fellow, though from this brief episode in the drama of a young man's life, thrown upon the world's waters without any Mentor, but that which grace or a good heart might furnish to save him from being swallowed up in its numerous most insidious quicksands.

The vice of gambling cannot be too severely deprecated. It is a propensity of the most dangerous and subtle character. It is not alone the ruin of estates and property that is involved, but the sure contracting of a habit endangering the permanency of every moral attribute. Such is the conviction of him, who suffered himself no longer to be associated with such infatuated folly than he thought it necessary for the study of mankind. Bethink thee, young man, who reads this passing thought, he who now speaks to you speaks somewhat feelingly. Like one who has descended into the regions of fabled Pluto, and returns to tell the perils and hazards of the way, and the tortures and sufferings of the unhappy victims doomed to dwell in those cimerean abodes of wretchedness and horror; so he warns the inexperienced-uninitiated-raw, green, sanguine youth-to pause ere he make a debût at the gaming table, and learn the unequal hazardous odds it is determined he shall run to win, the oppressive torture of the mind to be endured in either gaining or losing, the despair created in losing yourself, or in them of whom you win; the pallid, haggard looks of most around you, who oft stake all, body and soul, on the last card, and then go forth to die by their own hand; the thousand indescribable evils which this hideous passion reveals to the contemplative eye, and if he possess one grain of understanding, he will take this practical caution in good part, and, if committed, without a moment's delay retrace his dubious steps; but if not, vigilantly avoid all such destructive demoralizing haunts. Unwittingly I am grown serious. But, indeed, serious things require serious consideration. This is a theme of vital import. It constitutes the preservation of families and of nations, deserving the attention of the wisest legislature. Perhaps had success attended my play (if success be ever permitted by the managers in the long run, whatever may seem to be your luck at first), I might have been tempted to have hazarded higher stakes. There is the danger to a neophyte. He wins trifling amounts; grows bolder by his success, designed by those whose eyes he does not perceive are watching him. At last, in feverish excitement, he lays upon the table a goodly sum, which is grabbed, his colour losing, of course, and in madness he becomes a ruined beggar, or a desperate suicide. O horrible life! Society would rise as one man, and put down those dens of rapine and iniquity, could they see and feel what I have seen and felt while visiting the most polished and gorgeous saloons. What must be the character in scenes of inferior note. The nature of the misery I beheld so disgusted me, that I made a vow, never during the residue of my life to touch a card. As an amusement it is trifling-as a business it is adventurous. Cards were originally invented for the pastime of a royal idiot, and are capable of affording no substantial satisfaction to the mind of a sensible individual.*

Midnight is the hour for reflection and meditation. At that solemn

* Since the above was written the government of France has wisely shut up the numerous gaming houses in Paris. A very patriotic act, as formerly a considerable revenue was derived

from them.

period of the solar day all nature seems hushed in tranquil slumber, while nought is heard to disturb the pensive serenity of the night but the rattling through the street of some distant vehicle conveying perhaps its dissipated owner from the bustle of some festive revel to a sleepless agitated couch. At this dread hour what fitful reveries flit athwart my brain! What strange events the passing day has brought to life! What griefs! What strifes its moody beams have witnessed! A curse rest on the soul of him who first invented gaming! How shall I mourn over the weakness, the rashness, the folly of a who, disregarding all natural sense, all social decency, all honourable feeling, could meanly stoop to insult a disabled by the ties of nature and of duty to defend himself from brutal outrage. Ah, lucre, filthy lucre, thou sower of the dragon's teeth, thou stirrer up of bitter ire, and fierce dissension, how paltry is thy recompense when weighed against the meannesses some submit to in acquiring thee!

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Did mine ears deceive me? or was it but the delusion of a dream? Would to heaven it were a dream! Alas, it is too true-the indignant throbbing of my heart replies! My character odiously stigmatised— my honour grossly impeached-my filial esteem attributed to mercenary motives-my whole conduct arraigned with the most opprobious epithets -yet ring loudly in my ears pealing a doleful truth to doubting incredulity.

The inquiry which instantly suggests itself is, did I merit the tirade of abuse the violent and brutal attack-which was made on my finest feelings? No, Conscience wholly acquits me of any malicious view in protesting against the liberty that had been taken with my name to assist the circulation of a document whereby my reputation might ultimately be sullied. Nothing, therefore, can justify those ill-timed virulent censures; nor shall they be forgotten to the latest hour of my existence, nor the confidence they have helped to forfeit ever be restored. My immediate determination is to quit this inauspicious city and my evil genius with all his nefarious chimeras, to the keen remorse of a distracted mind and the perpetual condemnation of the "still small voice within."

This morning found me ardently expatiating upon the immorality of gambling. Now a fresh topic presents itself to illustrate the foibles of

anger.

The mind of man under a state of violent irritation becomes, as it were, ignited by the smallest spark of opposition, and, like the sudden explosion of a magazine of combustibles, blazes forth with all the impetuosity and terror of ungovernable rage. I know not if the remark has ever been made before, but a man in a state of intoxication and a man under the influence of passion are much in a similar condition. In each case the individual loses the power of reason, giving utterance to whatever rises uppermost in his thoughts, From this circumstance I contend that a man, in either state, will most probably speak the real sentiments of his heart; and truth, spontaneous truth, will involuntarily burst out unrestrained by the check of cool, calculating reason. judgment of the mind is necessarily relaxed, interest and selfishness for the moment lose their sway, and the victim of either passion, be he drunk or mad, rashly offends, unconscious of the irreparable mischief he has committed against his own interest, until sober reflection reveals

The

the painful sequel, by thus prematurely, though unintentionally, opening the eyes of the deluded party to the real opinion entertained of him. Thus the miserable wretch not only exposes himself to the scorn and pity of the person whom he designed to cajole, but also perhaps, be forced to endure through his passionate ebullition of candour and openness of mind, innumerable privations and distresses, rendered doubly aggravating from the sensation that they sprung out of his unpremeditated, undesigned, intention to disclose the truth.

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It would puzzle a conjuror to divine what share of happiness is allotted to a being who, like myself, rarely tastes it in any large or lasting proportion. Here I am still at Paris, contrary to my own wishes, with the prospect of academical duties coming fast upon me, but feeling almost incompetent to meet them, doling away my time in slothful inactivity. Upon my faith, the contemplation of fresh literary labours with the downright certainty of having to overcome many obstacles in prosecuting my future profession perfectly enervates me, annihilating every latent effort to throw off this indolent lethargy. Indeed, I have partly formed a resolution to invest the remnant of my fortune in the purchase of some classic retreat where I can shut myself up, sequestered from the empty professions of a deceitful world, and enjoy the unsophisticated innocence of rural simplicity and the taciturn communion of my books.

(To be continued.)

FREEMASONRY IN THE IRISH COURTS OF LAW, 1808.

AT the assizes for the county of Tyrone, held at Omagh, an action was brought by Alexander Seton, Esq., a Barrister-at-law, against a Mr. William F. Graham, of Dublin, and which was tried before Judge Daly and a special jury.

The declaration was opened by Counsellor T. Macklin, who stated that the plaintiff brought his action against the defendant for defamation, and the publication of three libels;-the first, a resolution, dated 2d April, 1807, of the Grand Lodge of Freemasons in Ireland, stating, that Alexander Seton had been expelled the Grand Lodge and Masonry in general; the second, cautioning the Brethren against receiving or sanctioning certificates signed A. Seton, dated since 1st May, 1806, as he had not held any office under the Grand Lodge since that period; and the third, being the resolutions of the Grand Lodge of England, dated London, September 2, 1807, stating that the Grand Lodge of England would not on any account receive or acknowledge any certificate issued by or under the hand of the said Alexander Seton, dated any time subsequent to the 5th of June, 1806, nor should any person, by virtue of such certificate, be thereby received into any Lodge under the Grand Lodge of England. The plaintiff laid his damages at £2,000, and the defendant pleaded the general issue.

The case was stated on the part of the plaintiff by Counsellor Rolleston, who at great length expatiated on the injury done to the character and property of the plaintiff, by thus stating to the public his expulsion from so ancient and respectable a society, and the natural ignominy and

VOL. V.

H