In such a vein we may read with interest a little poem I once saw in Macmillan and copied. It is from the able pen of W. H. Pollock.

BELOW THE HEIGHTS.

I sat at Berne, and watched the chain
Of icy peaks and passes,

That towered like gods above the plain,
In stern majestic masses;

I waited till the evening light

Upon their heads descended;

They caught it on their glittering height,
And held it there suspended:

I saw the red spread o'er the white,
Just like a maiden's blushing,
Till all were bathed in rosy light,

That seemed from heaven rushing:

The dead white snow was full of life,
As if some huge Pygmalion
Had sought to find himself a wife
In stones that saw Deucalion.

Too soon the light began to wane,
Though lingering soft and tender,
And the snow-giants sank again
Into their calm dead splendour.

And as I watched the last faint glow,
I turned as pale as they did,

And sighed to think that on the snow
The rose so quickly faded.

BERNE TO CHAMOUNY VIA GENEVA.

From Berne to Lausanne.

BY THE LAUSANNE, FRIBOURG, AND BERNE RAILWAY. The ride is through a fine open country, abounding with pleasant prospects and charming landscapes; but perhaps

the general traveller will not care to alight at any station except that of

FRIBOURG.

(Hotel, Grand Hotel, Zaheringen.)

The town is the capital of a canton, containing a population of 10,904, of whom 1136 are Protestants. It is a curious town, outwardly and inwardly; it is said to be the divisional line betwixt the German and the French. Go to the upper part of the town, and everybody and everything is German; to the lower part of the town, and everybody and everything is French. It is a very hilly town; the streets are steep, and built one above the other, so that in one part the upper street is carried on arches of stone over the roofs of the houses in the street below. There are three things which must be seen in Fribourg, and many more which may if time permit. 1st. An old lime tree, 14 feet in circumference, its branches supported on stone pillars. It faces the Town Hall and Council Hall; and as the old tree is fruitful in bearing a good story, sit down beside it and read the following:

There was one

that the hearts

"When the memorable battle of Morat was being fought, the townspeople of Fribourg stood in the square anxiously. waiting for tidings of how the day sped. young fellow in the battle who remembered of many of his friends and fellow-citizens were beating painfully in that time of suspense, and as soon as the contest was over, he ran from the field of blood, jaded and fatigued. though he was, to bear to them the joyful news that the Swiss had been victorious. Away he sped over hill and dale, and sliding down a rocky slope he grasped a twig which would not bear his weight, but came out by the roots. Rising from the fall, on and on he sped till he reached

the square of Fribourg, where the old men and maidens, invalids and women, were standing with pale faces and clasped hands, waiting his approach. Breathless and exhausted, the blood flowing from the wounds he had received on the field of battle, he could only raise his voice to shout out the word, 'Victory!' and fell dead in their midst. The twig, which he still clutched in his hand, was planted on the spot where he fell, and now that fine old limetree stands there as a beautiful memento of the love and courage of that gallant young soldier and the victory of Morat."

2nd. The Cathedral, a Gothic building, dating from 1285, with a fine tower 280 feet in height; but the church has not half the attraction as that which it contains, viz., the organ, which is one of the finest in the world.

There are

two performances upon it each day, and a delicious hour may be spent here in listening to its strange and marvellous beauty, which will renovate us after our fatigues in exploring the high places of the town.

The bust under the instrument is that of Aloys Mooser, the builder. The organ has 67 stops, and 7,800 pipes, one of them being no less than 32 feet in height.

3rd. The Suspension Bridge thrown across the Sarine, a small river, which runs through, or rather below the city, for the principal streets are 200 and 300 feet above it. It has a span of 905 feet, and as you stand in the centre of it, looking down into the wild rocky ravine, you have one of the most striking views that can be seen. This bridge was completed in 1834.

Higher up is another bridge 249 yards long, and 305 feet above the water; it is fastened into the solid rock, but looks from its slight and delicate make like a mere chain thrown from one side to the other of the ravine.

The following table from the "Practical Swiss Guide," gives the comparative dimensions of celebrated bridges in English feet :

Leaving Fribourg, we continue our journey past Romont, with its old watch-towers, and then, if the day be fine, the head of Mont Blanc may be seen; but nothing in the day's journey will perhaps interest us more than the sudden burst of beauty which greets us as we near Lausanne, and gaze upon the Lake of Geneva.

LAUSANNE

(Hotel Gibbon)

Has a population of 26,520 ; and, strange to say, has no cabs or voitures de place. It is built on eminences and in valleys, but the streets are badly paved, and unpleasant for promenade. The most direct way to the Cathedral is by a flight of mean-looking wooden steps, 164 in number, ascending from the Market-place. The Cathedral, like most Protestant places of worship, is not generally open to the public,Thursday only being the day on which it can be seen without special application to the sacristan, who resides near to the building. The style of the structure is plain Gothic, simple and massive in appearance. It contains the tomb of the celebrated Victor Amadeus VIII., duke, bishop, pope (Felix V.), and finally monk; and also several English monuments, one of which is to the memory of Henrietta, first wife of Lord Stratford de Redcliffe, late Sir Stratford Canning. The

Cathedral is celebrated as the arena of a great disputation between Calvin, Forel, Viret, and others, the result of which was the transference of the Episcopal seat to Fribourg, the separation of the Canton of Vaud from the Romish Church, and the suppression of the supremacy of Savoy. The edifice is 330 feet in length, and 143 in width, and the proportions are regarded as being strikingly symmetrical. From the terrace of the Cathedral a very fine view of the lake and mountain scenery is obtained. That which was once used as an Episcopal Palace is now occupied as a Court of Justice and a Prison, whilst the ancient Episcopal Chapel is appropriated to the purposes of a Cantonal Council Hall. There is a Museum, which contains a good selection of natural history specimens, and a small collection of pictures by the old masters. The Museum is open from eleven till three on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.

The schools of Lausanne are in very high repute, and attract pupils in great numbers from Great Britain. There is a Blind Asylum, which was founded by a wealthy Englishman, who resides in the locality, and takes great interest in the works of philanthropy and benevolence for which the city is celebrated. The Montbenon, in the immediate vicinity of the town, is well laid out, and is used as a promenade, exerciseground, and place of assembly. The slopes and terraces are well planted with vines, the fruit of which is generally very fine. The stone bridge which crosses a deep valley and connects two hills is a very handsome structure. By the side of the road which connects Lausanne with Ouchy, a little above the Beau Rivage Hotel, is a very neat English Church, where service is conducted twice every Sunday. The attendance of English residents and visitors is generally very good. In the Rue de Bourg, the central and chief business street, is an English Reading Room and Circulating