the ancien regime-第14章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



even　its　purpose；　and　gaining　fresh　life　and　fresh　adherents　with

every　change。　　Propagated　at　first　by　men　of　the　school　of　Locke；　it

became　at　last　a　protest　against　the　materialism　of　that　school；　on

behalf　of　all　that　is；　or　calls　itself；　supernatural　and　mysterious。

Abjuring；　and　honestly；　all　politics；　it　found　itself　sucked　into

the　political　whirlpool　in　spite　of　itself；　as　all　human　interests

which　have　any　life　in　them　must　be　at　last。　　It　became　an　active

promoter　of　the　Revolution；　then　it　helped　to　destroy　the

Revolution；　when　that　had；　under　Napoleon；　become　a　levelling

despotism；　then　it　helped；　as　actively；　to　keep　revolutionary

principles　alive；　after　the　reaction　of　1815：a　Protean

institution；　whose　power　we　in　England　are　as　apt　to　undervalue　as

the　governments　of　the　Continent　were　apt；　during　the　eighteenth

century；　to　exaggerate　it。　　I　mean；　of　course；　Freemasonry；　and　the

secret　societies　which；　honestly　and　honourably　disowned　by

Freemasonry；　yet　have　either　copied　it；　or　actually　sprung　out　of

it。　　In　England；　Freemasonry　never　was；　it　seems；　more　than　a

liberal　and　respectable　benefit…club；　for　secret　societies　are

needless　for　any　further　purposes；　amid　free　institutions　and　a　free

press。　　But　on　the　Continent　during　the　eighteenth　century；

Freemasonry　excited　profound　suspicion　and　fear　on　the　part　of

statesmen　who　knew　perfectly　well　their　friends　from　their　foes；　and

whose　precautions　were；　from　their　point　of　view；　justified　by　the

results。



I　shall　not　enter　into　the　deep　question　of　the　origin　of

Freemasonry。　　One　uninitiate；　as　I　am；　has　no　right　to　give　an

opinion　on　the　great　questions　of　the　mediaeval　lodge　of　Kilwinning

and　its　Scotch　degrees；　on　the　seven　Templars；　who；　after　poor

Jacques　Molay　was　burnt　at　Paris；　took　refuge　on　the　Isle　of　Mull；

in　Scotland；　found　there　another　Templar　and　brother　Mason；

ominously　named　Harris；　took　to　the　trowel　in　earnest；　and　revived

the　Order；on　the　Masons　who　built　Magdeburg　Cathedral　in　876；　on

the　English　Masons　assembled　in　Pagan　times　by　〃St。　Albone；　that

worthy　knight；〃　on　the　revival　of　English　Masonry　by　Edwin；　son　of

Athelstan；　on　Magnus　Grecus；　who　had　been　at　the　building　of

Solomon's　Temple；　and　taught　Masonry　to　Charles　Martel；　on　the

pillars　Jachin　and　Boaz；　on　the　masonry　of　Hiram　of　Tyre；　and　indeed

of　Adam　himself；　of　whose　first　fig…leaf　the　masonic　apron　may　be　a

typeon　all　these　matters　I　dare　no　more　decide　than　on　the　making

of　the　Trojan　Horse；　the　birth　of　Romulus　and　Remus；　or　the

incarnation　of　Vishnoo。



All　I　dare　say　is；　that　Freemasonry　emerges　in　its　present　form　into

history　and　fact；　seemingly　about　the　beginning　of　George　I。's

reign；　among　Englishmen　and　noblemen；　notably　in　four　lodges　in　the

city　of　London：　　（1）　at　The　Goose　and　Gridiron　alehouse　in　St。

Paul's　Churchyard；　（2）　at　The　Crown　alehouse　near　Drury　Lane；　（3）　at

The　Apple　Tree　tavern　near　Covent　Garden；　（4）　at　The　Rummer　and

Grapes　tavern；　in　Charnel　Row；　Westminster。　　That　its　principles

were　brotherly　love　and　good　fellowship；　which　included　in　those

days　port；　sherry；　claret；　and　punch；　that　it　was　founded　on　the

ground　of　mere　humanity；　in　every　sense　of　the　word；　being　（as　was

to　be　expected　from　the　temper　of　the　times）　both　aristocratic　and

liberal；　admitting　to　its　ranks　virtuous　gentlemen　〃obliged；〃　says

an　old　charge；　〃only　to　that　religion　wherein　all　men　agree；　leaving

their　particular　opinions　to　themselves：　　that　is；　to　be　good　men

and　true；　or　men　of　honour　and　honesty；　by　whatever　denominations　or

persuasions　they　may　be　distinguished；　whereby　Masonry　becomes　the

centre　of　union　and　means　of　conciliating　true　friendship　among

persons　that　otherwise　must　have　remained　at　a　distance。〃



Little　did　the　honest　gentlemen　who　established　or　re…established

their　society　on　these　grounds；　and　fenced　it　with　quaint

ceremonies；　old　or　new；　conceive　the　importance　of　their　own　act；

we；　looking　at　it　from　a　distance；　may　see　all　that　such　a　society

involved；　which　was　quite　new　to　the　world　just　then；　and　see；　that

it　was　the　very　child　of　the　Ancien　Regimeof　a　time　when　men　were

growing　weary　of　the　violent　factions；　political　and　spiritual；

which　had　torn　Europe　in　pieces　for　more　than　a　century；　and　longed

to　say：　　〃After　all；　we　are　all　alike　in　one　thingfor　we　are　at

least　men。〃



Its　spread　through　England　and　Scotland；　and　the　seceding　bodies

which　arose　from　it；　as　well　as　the　supposed　Jacobite　tendency　of

certain　Scotch　lodges；　do　not　concern　us　here。　　The　point

interesting　to　us　just　now　is；　that　Freemasonry　was　imported　to　the

Continent　exclusively　by　English　and　Scotch　gentlemen　and　noblemen。

Lord　Derwentwater　is　said　by　some　to　have　founded　the　〃Loge

Anglaise〃　in　Paris　in　1725；　the　Duke　of　Richmond　one　in　his　own

castle　of　Aubigny　shortly　after。　　It　was　through　Hanoverian

influence　that　the　movement　seems　to　have　spread　into　Germany。　　In

1733；　for　instance；　the　English　Grand　Master；　Lord　Strathmore；

permitted　eleven　German　gentlemen　and　good　brethren　to　form　a　lodge

in　Hamburg。　　Into　this　English　Society　was　Frederick　the　Great；　when

Crown　Prince；　initiated；　in　spite　of　strict　old　Frederick　William's

objections；　who　had　heard　of　it　as　an　English　invention　of

irreligious　tendency。　　Francis　I。　of　Austria　was　made　a　Freemason　at

the　Hague；　Lord　Chesterfield　being　in　the　chair；　and　then　became　a

Master　in　London　under　the　name　of　〃Brother　Lothringen；〃　to　the

discontent　of　Maria　Theresa；　whose　woman's　wit　saw　farther　than　her

husband。　　Englishmen　and　Scotchmen　introduced　the　new　society　into

Russia　and　into　Geneva。　　Sweden　and　Poland　seem　to　have　received　it

from　France；　while；　in　the　South；　it　seems　to　have　been　exclusively

an　English　plant。　　Sackville；　Duke　of　Middlesex；　is　said　to　have

founded　the　first　lodge　at　Florence　in　1733；　Lord　Coleraine　at

Gibraltar　and　Madrid；　one　Gordon　in　Portugal；　and　everywhere；　at　the

commencement　of　the　movement；　we　find　either　London　or　Scotland　the

mother…lodges；　introducing　on　the　Continent　those　liberal　and　humane

ideas　of　which　England　was　then　considered；　to　her　glory；　as　the

only　home　left　on　earth。



But；　alas！　the　seed　sown　grew　up　into　strange　shapes；　according　to

the　soil　in　which　it　rooted。　　False　doctrine；　heresy；　and　schism；

according　to　Herr　Findel；　the　learned　and　rational　historian　whom　I

have　chiefly　followed；　defiled　the　new　Church　from　its　infancy。　　〃In

France；〃　so　he　bemoans　himself；　〃first　of　all　there　shot　up　that

baneful　seed　of　lies　and　frauds；　of　vanity　and　presumption；　of

hatred　and　discord；　the　mischievous　high　degrees；　the　misstatement

that　our　order　was　allied　to　the　Templars；　and　existed　at　the　time

of　the　Crusades；　the　removal　of　old　charges；　the　bringing　in

surreptitiously　of　a　multitude　of　symbols　and　forms　which　awoke　the

love　of　secrecy；　knighthood；　and；　in　fact；　all　which　tended　to

poison　Freemasonry。〃　　Herr　Findel　seems　to　attribute　these　evils

principally　to　the　〃high　degrees。〃　　It　would　have　been　more　simple

to　have　attributed　them　to　the　morals　of　the　French　noblesse　in　the

days　of　Louis　Quinze。　　What　could　a　corrupt　tree　bring　forth；　but

corrupt　fruit？　　If　some　of　the　early　lodges；　like　those　of　〃La

Felicite〃　and　〃L'Ancre；〃　to　which　women　were　admitted；　resembled　not

a　little　the　Bacchic　mysteries　of　old　Rome；　and　like　them　called　for

the　interference　of　the　police；　still　no　great　reform　was　to　be

expected；　when　those　Sovereign　Masonic　Princes；　the　〃Emperors　of　the

East　and　West；〃　quarrelledknights　of　the　East　against　knights　of

the　Westtill　they　were　absorbed　or　crushed　by　the　Lodge　〃Grand

Orient；〃　with　Philippe　Egalite；　Duc　de　Chartres；　as　their　grand

master；　and　as　his　representative；　the　hero　of　the　diamond　necklace；

and　disciple　of　Count　CagliostroLouis；　Prince　de　Rohan。



But　if　Freemasonry；　among　the　frivolous　and　sensual　French　noblesse；

became　utterly　frivolous　and　sensual　itself；　it　took　a　deeper；

though　a　questionably　fantastic　form；　among　the　more　serious　and

earnest　German　nobility。　　Forgetful　as　they　too　often　were　of　their

duty　to　their　peoplestyrannical；　extravagant；　debauched　by　French

opinions；　French　fashions；　French　luxuries；　till　they　had　begun　to

despise　their　native　speech；　their　native　literature；　almost　their

native　land；　and　to　hide　their　native　homeliness　under　a　clumsy

varnish　of　French　outside　civilisation；　which　the　years　1807…13

rubbed　off　them　again　with　a　brush　of　ironthey　were　yet　Germans　at

heart；　and　that　German　instinct　for　the　unseencall　it　enthusiasm；

mysticism；　what　you　will；　you　cannot　make　it　anything　but　a　human

fact；　and　a　most　powerful；　and　（as　I　hold）　most　blessed　factthat

instinct　for　the　unseen；　I　say；　which　gives　peculiar　value　to　German

philosophy；　poetry；　art；　religion；　and　above　all　to　German　family

life；　and　which　is　just　the　complement　needed　to　prevent　our　English

common…sense；　matter…of…fact　Lockism　from　degenerating　into

materialismthat　was　only　lying　hidden；　but　not　dead；　in　the　German

spirit。



With　the　Germans；　therefore；　Freemasonry　assumed　a　nobler　and　more

earnest　shape。　　Dropping；　very　soon；　that　Lockite　and　Philosophe

tone　which　had　perhaps　recommended　it　to　Frederick　the　Great　in　his

youth；　it　became　mediaevalist　and　mystic。　　It　craved　after　a

resuscitation　of　old　chivalrous　spirit；　and　the　virtues　of　the

knightly　ideal；　and　the　old　German　biederkeit　und　tapferkeit；　which

were　all　defiled　and　overlaid　by　French　fopperies。　　And　not　in　vain；

as　no　struggle　after　a　noble　aim；　however　confused　or　fantastic；　is

ever　in　vain。　　Freemasonry　was　the　direct　parent　of　the　Tugenbund；

and　of　those　secret　societies　which　freed　Germany　from　Napoleon。

Whatever　follies　young　members　of　them　may　have　committed；　whatever

Jahn　and　his　Turnerei；　whatever　the　iron　youths；　with　their　iron

decorations　and　iron　boot…heels；　whatever；　in　a　word；　may　have　been

said　or　done　amiss；　in　that　childishness　which　（as　their　own　wisest

writers　often　lament）　so　often　defaces　the　noble　childlikeness　of

the　German　spirit；　let　it　be　always　remembered　that　under　the

impulse　first　given　by　Freemasonry；　as　much　as　that　given　by　such

heroes　as　Stein　and　Scharnhorst；　Germany　shook　off　the　chains　which

had　fallen　on　her　in　her　sleep；　and　stood　once　more　at　Leipsic；　were

it　but　for　a　moment；　a　free　people　alike　in　body　and　in　soul。



Remembering　this；　and　the　solid　benefits　which　Germany　owed　to

Masonic　influences；　one　shrinks　from　saying　much　of　the

extravagances　in　which　its　Masonry　indulged　before　the　French

Revolution。　　Yet　they　are　so　characteristic　of　the　age；　so

significant　to　the　student　of　human　nature；　that　they　must　be　hinted

at；　though　not　detailed。



It　is　clear　that　Masonry　was　at　first　a　movement　confined　to　the

aristocracy；　or　at　least　to　the　most　educated　classes；　and　clear；

too；　that　it　fell　in　with　a　temper　of　mind　unsatisfied　with　th