RAMBLES ROUND THE WORLD.

£By the "Star's" Wandering Cox

Tiumrfftn.]

Tbe Latcran.

Mr next excursion was to tbe Latoran. I ascended the slope of tho Oolian by the Via S. Giovanni. The Popes of the middle age 3 had a horror of this route because of tbe historic scandal connected with it. With real or simulated pious indignation they avoided tho locality. There, according to common repute, tho female Pope, Joan, was seized with parturient pains and gave birth to a child while in procession from tiie Lateran. turn- tho ecclesiastical dignitaries must have stared ! The consternation which such an incident, if it actually occurred., must have produced, may bo easily imagined. The mere allegation of such a soandal is sufficient to account for the avoid ance of the polluted thoroughfare by the more legitimate occupants of the chair of St. Peter, whose sex placed them above suspicion of liability to a similar mishap. I am not going to discuss tho question of the truth of this legend. Its reality has been stoutly defended by the enemies of the Papacy, and as stoutly denied by historians who adliore to Kome. This much, however, may be said as an unquestionable historical fact. The nave of the cathedral of Sienna is adornod by terra cotta busts of the suc cessive Popes down to Alexander 111. Up to the year ICOO the head of Pope Joan oocupied its appropriate place, inscribed, "Jolumnas VIII., Femina dc Anqlia," but at the instigation of Clement VIII. the Grand JDuko removed it, and substituted the bust of Pops Zacbarius. In tho centre of the Piazza di Van Giovanni, stands a very'ancient obelisk. The Emperor Constantino removed it to Alexandria, from the Temple of the Sun, at Heliopolis, and it was afterwards brought to Rome by his son. Originally, it stood lv the Circus Maximus, and when dis covered, was broken into three pieces ; but in 1588 it was reconstructed—not, however, without the sacrifice of a piece of its length, —and erectod on the spot it now occupies? It is still the highest monument of the kind in Kome—lso feet from base to apex, and is 3&id to have no rival in respect to age. Modern interpreters of hieroglyphics assert that it v/as originally designed to honour tne maraory of Pharaoh Thothmes jfV., seventeen hundred and forty years before the Christian era. An inscription—more modem, of course—on the base tells us that Const/inline was baptised in the Church of St. John's Lateran. But Socrates, the historian, affirms that the Emperor did not receive Christian baptism until just before Ins doath at Nicomedia. I must leave archeologists to decide which testimony is to be believod. I first inspected the Baptistry, a separate building-, the exterior appearance of which is not attractive, but the interior well re pays a visit. It was built by Sixtus 111. TheFe are two entrances—one from the Piazza, and another from the court of the Church. This latter lias two very ancient porphyry columns. Eight pillars, also of porphyry, form a colonnade round the in interior, and above them is a cornice, from which spring smaller columns of white marble to support the dome. In the centra is a font of green basalt. Those who have read Lytton Bulwer's " Rienzi" will 10 ---member that "The Last of the Tribunes " bathed in this all but sacred font on the eve of his knighthood, thereby alien ating some of hi 3 former friends and sup porters, who regarded his act as a sacrilege. The cupola is ornamented with scenes from the life of John the Baptist, and round the wails ara large and spirited frescoes, illus trative of the life of Constantine. On op posite sides are the chapels of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. Into these, female visitors are not allowed to enter. The bronze doors of the last mentioned chapel are said to have belonged originally to the baths of Carraculla, and to have been presented by Pope Hilary in token of his gratitude at kaving escaped the fury of the monks who endangered his life when he appeared at the aacond Council of Ephesus as legate of Leo. I. In the Chapel there is a statue of St. Johu, and the walls are covered with mosaics representing the Lamb in Paradise. Next to the Chapel is the oratory of St. Vernanzio, and further on the Cappella Borgia. Thia wa* once an open portico, but is now closed up and used aa the burial-place of the Borgia family. ° _ The Lateran derives its name from Plau tius Lateranus, a patrician who was put to death as an accomplice in the conspiracy of Piso. The family estates were confiscated bjr Nero, and became Imperial property. Afterwards a portion of the domain was bestowed on Fausta, the Emperor Constan tino's second wife : and he eventually trans ferred it to Pope Melchiades. The donation was confirmed to Sylvester, under whose auspices ths: first church was built in the year 32 i. It is said that Constantino played tbe part of masons' and bricklayers' labourer on the occasion. The building stoajl until the year S9G, when it was overthrow-S^by an earthquake. In tho interval between 004 and Oil the edifice waa rebuilt by Sergius 111., and dedicated to John the Baptist. The splendours of this second bacilica are celebrated by Dante in his " Paradise." In 130S a disaßtrous fire almost entirely con sumed the Church. Again it was restored, but only to be again devoured by flames in 1360. For several years after this the blackened ruins lay untouched, excitin" tho mournful expressions of Petrarch, who visited the ruins. To Urban V. is duo the honour of tho final restoration of the sacred edifice ; but it is not now as he left it. Modern additions and alterations—some call them mutilations—have considerably modi fied the original design. On the west facada : the pompous insciiption may still be road : —" Sacro santa Lateranensis cccelsia omnium tirbes ct orhis Ecclcsiarum Mater et Caput." The chapter of this Church takes precedence in rank, and every Pope comes hither to be crowned. I cannot pretend to give a minute description of the interior of this historic Church. Tho nave is of grand proportions, and is divided into five aisles, but all the ancient columns, except two near tho tribune, have been plastered over, and in front of thorn arc colossal statues of tho Apostles. The Tabernacle is said to con tain tho skulls of St. Peter and St. Paul, and the altar to enclose a portion of the wooden tablo on which Peter colebrated mass in tho house of Pudens. Those who are curious in such matters will find further details in "The Life of St. Pudontiana." The altar of tho sacrament has four Eu'.ed bronze columns, said to have been brought from Jerusalem by Titus. I wa« told by tho sacristan that they are hollow, and are filled with earth from Palestine. Many of the Popes were buried in this Church, and there is a story con nected with tho memorial slab of Sylvester 11. which may interest some of my readers. Martin Polouus do Corruza, an old chronicler, says ;—" This Pope was a kind o£ magician, who obtained, first, the arch bishopric of Rheims, then that of Ravenna, and then the Papacy by tho aid of the devil, to whom, in return, he promised to belong after death. When he ascended the throne he asked the devil how lon°

he could reign, and the devil, as his custom, answered by a double entendre —'If you never enter Jerusalem you will reign along time." He occupied the throne four years, one month, and ten days, when oaeday, as he was officiating in the basilica of S. Croco in Gerusalemme, he saw that he had passed the fatal threshold, and that his deatn was impending. Over whelmed with repentance, lie confessed his backslidings before the peoplo, and exhorted them to lay aside pride, to resist the temptations of the devil, and to lead a good life. After this he begged his attendants to cut his body in pieces after he was dead, as he deserved, and to place it on a common cart and bury it wherever the horses stopped of their own accord. Then was manifested the will of the divine Providence, that re pentant sinners should learn that their God preserves for them a place of pardon even in this life—for the horses went of their own accord to S. John Latoran, where he was buried. ;In allusion to this, Plntina adds the following : "The rattling of his bones and tha sweat, or rather tbe damp, with which his tomb becomes covered, has always been the infallible sign and forerunner of the death of a Pope." From the Church I followed the sacristan into the cloisters. A garden, mostly filled with roses, flourishes in the central space, and the well in the midst, I was told, was the well of the woman of Samaria. Tho paved, covered way is divided from the garden by arches supported by very curious and beautiful twisted and inlaid columns, and is full of marvels and architectural relics. It required a supple faith to believe the sacristan's story about the well in the centre of the garden, but there were mar vels to come making more trying demands. Walking leisurely along, my eye was attracted by a large porphyry slab. " What is that?" 1 inquired, "and where did it come from?" "That," said the sacristan, with' all solemnity, "is the slab on which the soldiers cast their dice to decide who was to possess the seamless vesture of Jesus Christ!" A little further on my attention waa drawn to several fragments of marble pillars. "What are these, and what is their history ':" " Those," rejoined my guide, "are the remains of some, columns that were shaken to pieces by the earthquake at the crucifixion." " And what is this upright slab sup ported on two pillars ?" " That is the standard by which the stature of the Lord Jesus Christ was measured." " And this fiat stono, with a circular hole in the centre, what of it ?" "Ah!" replied my veracious expositor, " that is a very remarkable stono. It once formed part of an altar in a church, but the officiating priest was a heretic. Ho did not believe, in his heart, in the doctrine of the real presence. While he was impiously uttering the consecrating words, " Ifoc est enim," &c, the wafer wrenched itself from his hands, passed through the altar, and disappeared ! And there 13 the hole remain ing to this day !" "Do you believe this?" I innocently in quired. With a significant shrug of his shoulders, and a peculiar twinkle in his eyes, the cautious old man answered evasively, " I did not see it." Leaving the cloisters and regaining the outside ot the Church, I went round to the portico that faces west. It commands a fine prospect, extending to the Alban Hills and Tabine mountains. The broad way be low the steps was the favourite promenade of the Popes in olden times. It was there that the celebrated Francis d'Assisi came to obtain audience of Innocont 111. Stephens, in his "Ecclesiastical Essays," thus da scribes the incident :—" The splendid Palace of the Lateran reflected the rays of the even ing sun as Francis of Assisi, with two or three of his disciples, approached it to ob tain the Papal sanction for the rules of his new order. A group of Churchmen in sumptuous apparel were traversing with slow and measured steps its lofty terrace —then called "The Mirror"—as if afraid to overtake him who preceded them in a dress studiously simple, and with a counten ance wrapped in earnest meditation. Un ruffled by passion, and yet elate ir-ith con scious power, that eagle eye and those capa cious brows announced him the lord of a dominion which might have satisfied the pride of Diogenes and the ambition of Alexander. Since the Turgurium was built on the Capitolini, no greater monarch had ever called the seven hills his own. But in his pontificate, no era had occurred more arduous than that in which Innocent 111. saw the mendicants of Assisi prostrate ft his feet. The interruption was as unwel come as it was abrupt. As he gazed at tho squalid dress and faces of his suitor.-?, and observed their bare and unwashed feet, his lip curled with disdain, and sternly com mandingthomto withdraw, ho seemeda^ain to retire from the outer world into some of the deep recesses of that capacious mind. Francis and his companions betook them selves to prayer; Innocent to his couch. There (says tho legend) ho dreamed that a palm tree sprouted up from the ground beneatn his feet, and swiftly shooting up into the heavens, cast her boughs on every side, a shelter from tho heat, and a refresh ment to tha weary. The vision of the night dictated the policy of the morning, and a?s ired Innocent that under his fostering care the Franciscan palm would strike deep her roots and expand her foliage on every side in the vineyard of tho Church." Too Palace. I went noxt to the Palace, or rather, tho modern structure which occupies the place of the ancient building in which, for near upon a thousand years, the successive Popes resided. But this structure, after under going many ravages, being- plundered by invaders and partially burnt, was finally demolished by Sixtus V., who had no rovor enco for antiquities. The only relics of the venerable edifice are tho private chapel of the Popes, and tho end wall of the apart ment that was once the dining-hall, now called theTrictinium. Thoro is, to b» sure, the celebrated mosaic—as to the ecclesiastical meaning of which much has bear* said and written. It may be thus briefly described:—The Saviour is represented surrounded by the Apostle.?, whom He is commissioning to go forth and preach the Gospel to the world. With one hand raised, He is in the act of bestowing His blessing ;in the other hand He holds a book, inscribed " Paxvobis." Beneath is another figure of our Lord in a sitting posture. Pope Sylvester kneels on His right, and tho Empor«r Constantine on His left. To the Pope the Saviour is giving the keys, and to the Emperor a banner emblazoned with the Cross. In another group, on the opposite side, Peter is seated; before him are Pope Leo 111. and the Emperor Charles in n kneeling posture. Peter himself holds the keys, but gives tho pallium to Leo, and a banner to Charles. Tho inscription reads :— "Beatus Petrus dona vitam Leoizi P.J J. ct vicloriam Caritlo rer/idona," and over all are the words— "Gloria in cxcclsis Deo, el in terra pax Jiominihus bonae voluntalis." In the rear of the Trictinium is a building containing the Scala Santa, or holy stair case, said to have belonged originally to the official residence of Pilate, and to be the identical steps up and down which the

Saviour trod on his way to and from tlio Judgment Hall. Tho stairs are of marble, but thoy have been encased with wood. Aj.ertures have bsen left here and there, through which the marble can be seen. In one or two places dark stains arc visible. These are said to have been caused by the blood that trickled from the brows of the Lord. No human foot i.s allowed to touch these sacred stairs ; not even the wood with which they are covered. The faithful ascend upon their knees. At the bottom are two sculpture?, One representing the J£cce Homo, and the other Judas betraying his Lord and Master with a kiss. While I was there, some eighteeu or twenty devotees —amongst whom were several priests and monks—were slowly wriggling up the steps, occasionally pausing toj-epeut a prayer and kiss the place on which they kneeled. Numerous indulgences are granted to those who thus ascend. There is an anecdote of Luther connected with the Scala Santa. When he visited Rome, in the flush of his faith and enthusiasm, heeommenced to make thotoilsome ascent. But when hegothalf way up, he fancied ho heard a voice whisper in his ear, "The just shall live by faith." He roße to his feet, walked down the steps—no doubt greatly to the horror of the custodian —and went his way. There are side stair cases by which ordinary visitors may ascend in the usual manner to the Sancta Sanctorum, a chapel considered so sacred that only the Pope may officiate at the altar. None but the clergy are allowed to cross the threshold, and than only on the morning preceding Palm Sunday, when the canons of the Lateran come to worship in grand procession, with candles and a veiled crucifix. Through a grated opening I gazed into the interior, but could not see very much ; the glories of the place were but partially visible in " the dim, religious light." The altar is in a recess, with two porphyry columns, and above it a silver tabernacle in which is preserved tho relic that invests this chapel with its special sanctity—a portrait of the Saviour called " Acheiropfieton," or " the picture painted without hands." It was commenced, they say, by St. Luke, but being left by him un finished, an angel came down from heaven and finished it, making it a faithful like ness. Besides this there is a relic chamber, in which are the sandals worn by the Lord Jesus Christ, and a portion of the real cross on which he suffered. • Pilgrims who ascend the holy stairs on their knees leave their offerings on the sill in front of the screen, and there is generally a good show of coin. The modern palace of the Lateran is no-w chiefly interesting as a museum. Tho cold, cheerless gallerios have an ill repute. It is said that the seeds of the dreaded Roman fever are often implanted in the systems of those who incautiously expose themselves to the sudden transition from the genial warmth of the exterior atmosphere to the low temperature of the Museum. But with proper caution not to enter while heated from previous exercise, there in not much danger, and many hours may ba spent in examining the vast collection. I cannot pretend to give a description in detail. The ground Boor is devoted to antiquities found in Home and its vicinity. There are sixteen rooms full of interesting objects. The Christian Museum and Picture Gallery are on the first floor. In the entrance hall is a remarkable statue of Christ by Sonowsky. While conscious that in point of resemblance it is entirely a:i artistic creation, it is impossible to study the noble figure without being impressed. There are many sarcophagi, and the corridor is full of inscriptions taken from the Cata combs. From a gallery, access to which is gained by stairs leadino from a corner of one of the rooms, I looked down upon a mosaic pavement of great extent, which was found in the colos sal baths of Carracalla. It represents twenty-eight athletes—boxers and wrestlers —some of them having their names at tached. It is not a pleasing picture, but in spite of the repulsiveness of the subject as a work of ancient art, it excites wonder and admiration. The Picture Gallery consists of nine rooms. Strango to say, in the second room, by the side of representations of the Annunciation, the Assumption, and other kindred subjects, there hangs a por trait of "The First Gentleman in Europe !" Ho is evidently out of place. It would bo difficult to assign a reason for associating George IV. of England with a Christian Museum ! i rom the Lateran I proceeded to The CSinrch S. Slarla Mag&iore, one of the oldest and in some respects most celebrated of the many churches in Koine. The Virgin, so runs the legend, ap peared simultaneously to a devout Roman noble and Pope Liberius in their dreams, commanding them to build a church on the spot where they would find a deposit of snow. Accordingly, the next morning, on the sth of August, Liberius and •John sallied forth, and found the snow where the church now stands. The .structure they raised was called Basi lica Libsvian, but was afterwards renamed by Scxtus 111. S. Maria Mater Dei. The legend of the snow is consecrated and preserved by a farciful ceremony on the oth of August every year. During the celebra tion of 'nigh mass, showers of white rose leaves are made to fall upon the heads of the people from two holes in the roof of the Boyhese Chapel. The Church is 120 yards long and 50 yards wide, divided into three aisles by thirty-six columns of white marble of tho lonic order. These arc surmounted by a prize of mosaics representing scenes from the Old Testament. The pavement is exquisitely beautiful: of variegated marbles worked in the style technically called Opus Alexandrinum. The mingling colours contrast vary strikingly witlT the white and gold all around. The roof is flat pannelled, carved, and richly gilded.' Tho first of the gold obtained from South America was presented by Feridinand and Isabella for this purpose. The high altar is a large urn of porphyry covered by a marble slab, supported by four angels on gilt bronze. The canopy rest 3on four columns of porphyry surrounded by gilt palms. In front of the high altar, and descending beneath the pavement, is a splendid chamber lined with alabaster and coloured marbles, designed as the receptacle for the remains of Pius IX. But when he died intermural burials were con trary to the law of the kingdom of Italy. The proud old man forbad his successor to ask leave of tho Government, but by will directed his body to be buried in the Church of St. Lorenzo amidst the poor. In the Boyhese Chapel, which is gorgeously ornate, is preserved one of the picture's said to have been painted by St. Luke. It is specially revered because it was the means of arresting the plague that devastated the city in the time of l'elagius 11. ; and subsequently was instru mental in overthrowing tho Moorish dominion in Spain ! There is also the sumptuous Sistine Chapel, the Baptistry, ■with an ancient font of porphyry, tho Chapel of the Holy Sacrament, of the Patrizzi family, and of Santa Croce. All these are superbly decorated, but I cannot enter into details. The chief relic and curiosity of S. Maria Maggiore, however, is the Santa Culla, or cradle in -which tho infant Jesus was carried into Egypt. It is preserved in a reliquary adorned with statuettes and bas reliefs in silver. There are numerous hand some monuments, including one to the memory of SiStus V,, who from herding

swine in his youth was raised to the proud position of head of tho Church.

Several interesting historical events are connected with S. Maria Maggiore. It was here that Hildebrand was attempted to be seized by Cincius, a turbulent noble. In Stephens's "Lectures on Ecclesiastical His tory " the incident is thus related: "On Christmas Eve, 1075, the city of Rome was visited by a dreadful tempest. Darkness judgment was about to dawn. In this war of the elements, however, two processions were seen advancing to the Church of S. Maria Maggiore. At the head of one was the aged Hildebrand, conducting a few Sriests to worship at the shrine of the Virgo leipara. The other was preceded by Cencius, a Roman noble. At each pause in the tempest might be heard the hallelujahs of the worshippers, or the voice of the Pontiff pouring out benedictions on the little flock which knelt before him—when Cencius grasped his person, and some yet more daring ruffian inflicted a wound on his forehead. Bound with cords, stripped of vestments, beaten, ond subjected'to the basest indignities, the venerable minister of Christ was carried to a fortified mansion within the wails of the city, again to be re moved at daybreak to exile or death. (To be Continued)

Keep the Children Happy.

Invest evory possible amusemont to keep your boys at home in the evenings. Never mind if they do scatter books and pictures, coate, hats, and boots; nerer mind if they do make a noise around you with their whistling and hurrahing ! We would stand aghast if -we could hare a rision of the young men gone to ntter destruction for the very reason taat, having cold, disagree able, dull, stiff, firesides at home, they sough* amusement elsewhere. The infiueuce of a loving mother or sisters is incalculable. Like the circle formed by casting a stone into the -water, it goes on and on through a man's whole life. Circumstances and worldly pleasures may weaken the remembrance for a time, but each touch upon the chord of memory -will awaken the old-time music, and her face, her voice, and her bring words will come up before him like a revelation. The time will come, before you think, when you would give the world to have your house tumbled by the dear hands of those very boys ; when your heart shall long for the noisy steps in the hall, and their ruddy cheeks laid up to yours ; when you would rather have their jolly whistle than the songs of Neilson; when you would gladly hare dirty carpets, aye, live without enrpets a» all, but to have their bright, strong form 3 beside you once more. Then play with and pet them. Praise Johnny's drawing, Betty's music, and baby's first attempt afc writing his name. Encourage Dick to jx>t severe in Quaking hia rabbit hutch. If one shows a talent for figures, tell him he is your famous mathematician ; and if another loves geography, tell him he is sure to make a good traveller or foreign minister. Go with them to see their young rabbits, and chickens, and pigeons. Havo them gather your mosses, and grasses, and flowers to decorate their room. And you will keep yourself young and fresh by entering into their joys.

How Scotchmen Help Each Other.

I K4.D got orer abou* one-third of the dis tance to my tent when I heard steps as if in pursnit. This made me struggle harder' but in spite of my frantic efforts the foot atopa sounded nearer and nearer eTery second, until at last they seemed to be close behind me, and alnsoat at the sam« time a hand touched me on the shoulder, and a melodious Scotch ro:ce saluted me in the following words ; " Bide a wee, an' I'll halp ye. Tin Sir Colin'3 servant, an' saw ye tak' tho log, an* I thochfc to myael' that ye maun be sstir putten ta'et when ye'd do tho liko, sac Ire jist brocht ye anither log, an" I'll carry't tao yer tent for yo." This was a relief indeed, and my fiiond and I plodded on side by side until wo reached my tent. I offered him a tip, of course, but he put aside my hand, saying, "Na, na, I canna tak' it; for am I no yer am namesaka? And what for suld ac clansman rob anither ?" He quite forgot apparently that both he and I had just robbed a countryman, but probably thought that a namesake and a clansman had a prior claim on his loyalty and consideration to one who was simply a countryman and hia master for tho time. It is said that wherever Scotchmen raoefc they are over ready to hold out the hand of brotherhood and assistance to each other. The story I have just told confirms tho saying, and so does the following one, and, though it U not a reminisconco, strictly speaking, connected with my military ser- Tice. It occurred in London someyears ago, and was as follows : —I wanted a couple'of ash leaping-poles for my boys, and after searching for them for several days without success, was at last informed that they might be procured at a certain shop. On arriving at the shop, I found it was an ironmonger's, and not a likely place in which to find what I required. Entering the shop, however, I asked tho very respect^ able man trho was standing behind the counter if he " had any ash-poles ?" "Na, I dinna kcop sic things,'' was his reply. The broad Doric in which hespokesounded pleasant to my ears, and I ventured to remark, " You are a Scotchman, I per ceive." "Weol, an' what o' that?" angrily replied my countryman, at the same time bristling up like a Skye terrier. "Ob nothing,"l said, mildly, "onlyl am a Scotchman too." "Are ye so, man?" replied the good fellow, while a kindly smile lighted up his face. "Then I'll get ye the poles. I dinna keep them, as I said, but I'll send for them for ye." And ho did got them for me, and took some trouble, too, to get them. We have been friends ever sinoe, and I often pay him a visit, and have a chat with him, and thus revive memories about our common home, which appear to be as agreeable to him as they really are to myself. Another story of a somewhat similar kind I must tell, as it shows that this feeling of brotherly kindness exists in the hearts of those in even the highest ranks of society. A certain Scotch nobleman was requested by one of his friends, .also a Scotohman, to use his interest in behalf of a third person, who was also Scotch. "No," said the peer, "I cannot interfere in the matter." " But," said the applicant, " tho man is a countryman." " No," persisted the peer, " I cannot do it even for a countryman." "But," said the other again, with equal persistence, "he is not only a countryman, but is from your own county !" "Oh!is he ?" said H s Go. '' Then that alters the caso somewhat, 1 suppose ; and I'll have to help him."—" Reminiscences of Military Service with the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders." By Surgeon-General Munroe.

The Assault of Ivree.

Ivbee, with a garrison of four thousand Austrian soldiers and twenty-five pieces'Of cannon, maintained their post for three days against an army of forty thousand Frenchman.

Furious at seeing his march thua arrested before this insignificant little place, the cominander-in-chief, on the 25th May, 1880, ordered the division of General Lannes to march upon the village in all its force, and take it by assault. After three hours of sanguinary combat, of fierce attack and the most heroic defence, a handful of the de fenders, driven from the citadel, retreating step by step, threw themselves as a last resort into the quarters of Adjutant- General II with the resolution there to maintain themselves to the last. Lannes detached an officer in command of two bat talions to drive the insurgents from their position. The officer soon forced his way at the head of one of his battalions into the disputed mansion, trampling as he went upon the bodies of the brave fellows by whom it had been defended. General H , the only survivor, after beholding; the slaughter of his garrison, had armed himself with a hatchet, and with desper ation opposed the entrance of the Repub licans; and when their loader presented himself, sword in hand, the old general aimed at his head a furious blow, but it was skilfully parried by the Frenchman. It was the last effort of the wounded veteran ; he foil, and in another moment the apart ment was filled with Republicans. The Frenchman stepped forward to de spatch the fallen general.jwhen ayoung and lovely woman rushed from an adjoining room, threw herself at his feet, pale, div tracted, the tears streaming from her eyes, and shrieked forth in a voice of terror:—• "Spare him ! Oh ! spare him ! Do not take his life. Ho is my husband : the father of ray child !" The Frenchman glanced for a moment at the suppliant, and then, deliberately push ing her aside, he made a step in advance, took a cool and steady aim with his pistol at the wounded officer, and shot him through the heart. The wife of the murdered man uttered a fearful scream, and starting to her feet, and flying to the room whence she had come, returned with her boy. She hold him up to the ferocious Republican, and exclaimed :— "Monster ! you have slain the father, com plete your work, and destroy the son !" At this moment a French general appeared at the door of the apartment. Madame H ,asif by a sudden impulse, flung herself at his foet with a cry for " ven geance." The general raised her kindly, demanding at the samo moment an explanation. There was little need for words. The general per ceived at once that there was no excuse to be admitted. His eyes flashed fire, and with a lowering brow, he exclaimed to the assassin who stood before him : " Sir, you are a coward and a savage ! What! murder in cold blood an unarmed man, defenceless, a veteran, before the eyes of his wife imploring mercy? It is the act of a fiend ! \ou are unworthy to servo the Republic. From thin moment you are dis missed from tho brigade you have disgraced, from the army upon-which you are a'stain." " Gonoral, I surrender my sword, but I demand a trial by uiy comrades." " You shall hare it, sir, and within the hour." Next morning a French aide-de-camp waited upon Madam H with a request from the commander-in-chief that she would repair to the Hotel de Ville. On the entrance of Hadnm H he motioned her to be seated. All at once- the roll of a drum startled her. It was quickly followed by a volley of musketry, and the general placed his hand upon her arm and lad her to a window, from which she behold In the square below the fearful spectacle of a military execution just accomplished. "Look, madam," he said in a calm, yefc impressive tone, " the man whom you sco lying upon the ground was n French efficer whom his comrades in arms havo condemned to death for tho assassination of an Austrian in a city taken by assault. You are at liberty to quit Ivroo this morning. General Desax, whom I have requested to be your escort, will answer to tho Republic for your safety. Farowull, madam. Report to Princo Charles what you havo Been of tho justice maintained in the armies of the French."

This general, at that timo First Consul, was afterwards the Emperor Napoleon.

Post-offices in Siege Time.

Tkk exporioncoK of M. Steenaehoer, who was Director of ths Paris Post-office during the siege, have been published by him for tho edification of all persons who mny in future havo to control the administration of postal arrangements conduct-od under similar difficulties. His long and faithful account is summarised by tho " Postal Telegraphic and Telephonic Gazette," and includes two principal subjocts of interest ■ the balloon post and the pigeon post. It appears that during the four months from September 23rd to January 28th, when tho first nnd last balloons left tho capital, «5 of these silent travellers ascended from Paris, carrying KM passengers, 381 pigeons, five dogs, and ton tons of letters and naws papors. Tho dogs wer» of the sheep dog breed, and were expected to find their way back on foot, wearing hol low collars filled with letters ; but none of these four-legged adventurers did actually re-appear In the beleagured city. Of the balloons themselves, seven wero captured by tho enemy and two were lost, including that one which passed cioso to the. Land's End and dropped its cargo of mail-bags into the sea, where one of them was after wards picked up. Tho most fortunate escape effected by any of those balloonists •was that of the occupants of the Villo d'Orloans, which descended in Norway to tho north of Christiana. As for the pigeons, they wore far more serviceable thaii the dogs, for of the whole 381 all came back to Paris except 16, and some of them made tho journey several times. One especially is mentioned as having four times brought back _ a budget of correspondence; and certainly this pigeon desorved decoration at the hands of the Republic. Whatever may havo been the failings of tho so-called Gov ernment of National Defence, it must be admitted that in tho matter of balloons and pigeon-posts it did about as much as could have been expected of it. There are, wo fear, few po.rt-officcs in which so bold a spirit of adventure would be found to de velop itself in the time of need. But tho need of balloons and trained pigeons has since been recognised by every Continental city which has any reason to fear a eie«-e in future times.

Not Altogether.—"l have mado it a rulo through life," he said at the lunch table the other clay to the man at his left, "never to meddle with another man's business." "That's right^-perfectly right," wag the reply. " But I see you have a new confidential clerk." "Yes, sir—yes." "He's a hard-looking case. I've seen him drunk a dozen times, and I wouldn't trust him ont of my sight with a nickel. Took him in out of charity, oh?" "Well, not altogether, you know. He happens to be my oldest son." Then there was a period of silence so painful that both wished some one would yell "fire I" to break it.

STAK SATURDAY SUPPLEMENT, SEPTEMBER 29, 1«83.

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