the ancien regime-第15章

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

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

dogmatism　into　which　the　popular　creeds　had　then　been　frozen

unsatisfied　with　their　own　Frenchified　foppery　and　pseudo…

philosophyunsatisfied　with　want　of　all　duty；　purpose；　noble

thought；　or　noble　work。　　With　such　a　temper　of　mind　it　fell　in：　　but

that　very　temper　was　open　（as　it　always　is）　to　those　dreams　of　a

royal　road　to　wisdom　and　to　virtue；　which　have　haunted；　in　all　ages；

the　luxurious　and　the　idle。



Those　who　will；　may　read　enough；　and　too　much；　of　the　wonderful

secrets　in　nature　and　science　and　theosophy；　which　men　expected　to

find　and　did　not　find　in　the　higher　degrees　of　Masonry；　till　old

Vossthe　translator　of　Homerhad　to　confess；　that　after　〃trying

for　eleven　years　to　attain　a　perfect　knowledge　of　the　inmost

penetralia；　where　the　secret　is　said　to　be；　and　of　its　invisible

guardians；〃　all　he　knew　was　that　〃the　documents　which　he　had　to　make

known　to　the　initiated　were　nothing　more　than　a　well　got…up　farce。〃



But　the　mania　was　general。　　The　high…born　and　the　virtuous　expected

to　discover　some　panacea　for　their　own　consciences　in　what　Voss

calls；　〃A　multitude　of　symbols；　which　are　ever　increasing　the

farther　you　penetrate；　and　are　made　to　have　a　moral　application

through　some　arbitrary　twisting　of　their　meaning；　as　if　I　were　to

attempt　expounding　the　chaos　on　my　writing…desk。〃



A　rich　harvest…field　was　an　aristocracy　in　such　a　humour；　for　quacks

of　every　kind；　richer　even　than　that　of　France；　in　that　the　Germans

were　at　once　more　honest　and　more　earnest；　and　therefore　to　be

robbed　more　easily。　　The　carcass　was　there：　　and　the　birds　of　prey

were　gathered　together。



Of　Rosa；　with　his　lodge　of　the　Three　Hammers；　and　his　Potsdam　gold…

making；of　Johnson；　alias　Leuchte；　who　passed　himself　off　as　a

Grand　Prior　sent　from　Scotland　to　resuscitate　the　order　of　Knights

Templars；　who　informed　his　disciples　that　the　Grand　Master　Von　Hund

commanded　26；000　men；　that　round　the　convent　（what　convent；　does　not

appear）　a　high　wall　was　erected；　which　was　guarded　day　and　night；

that　the　English　navy　was　in　the　hands　of　the　Order；　that　they　had

MSS。　written　by　Hugo　de　Paganis　（a　mythic　hero　who　often　figures　in

these　fables）；　that　their　treasure　was　in　only　three　places　in　the

world；　in　Ballenstadt；　in　the　icy　mountains　of　Savoy；　and　in　China；

that　whosoever　drew　on　himself　the　displeasure　of　the　Order；

perished　both　body　and　soul；　who　degraded　his　rival　Rosa　to　the

sound　of　military　music；　and　after　having　had；　like　every　dog；　his

day；　died　in　prison　in　the　Wartburg；of　the　Rosicrucians；　who　were

accused　of　wanting　to　support　and　advance　the　Catholic　religionone

would　think　the　accusation　was　very　unnecessary；　seeing　that　their

actual　dealings　were　with　the　philosopher's　stone；　and　the　exorcism

of　spirits：　　and　that　the　first　apostle　of　the　new　golden

Rosicrucian　order；　one　Schropfer；　getting　into　debt；　and　fearing

exposure；　finished　his　life　in　an　altogether　un…catholic　manner　at

Leipsic　in　1774；　by　shooting　himself；of　Keller　and　his　Urim　and

Thummim；of　Wollner　（who　caught　the　Crown　Prince　Frederick　William）

with　his　three　names　of　Chrysophiron；　Heliconus；　and　Ophiron；　and

his　fourth　name　of　Ormesus　Magnus；　under　which　all　the　brethren　were

to　offer　up　for　him　solemn　prayers　and　intercessions；of　Baron

Heinrich　von　Ekker　and　Eckenhofen；　gentleman　of　the　bed…chamber　and

counsellor　of　the　Duke　of　Coburg　Saalfeld；　and　his　Jewish　colleague

Hirschmann；　with　their　Asiatic　brethren　and　order　named　Ben　Bicca；

Cabalistic　and　Talmudic；　of　the　Illuminati；　and　poor　Adam

Weisshaupt；　Professor　of　Canon　and　National　Law　at　Ingoldstadt　in

Bavaria；　who　set　up　what　he　considered　an　Anti…Jesuitical　order　on　a

Jesuit　model；　with　some　vague　hope；　according　to　his　own　showing；　of

〃perfecting　the　reasoning　powers　interesting　to　mankind；　spreading

the　knowledge　of　sentiments　both　humane　and　social；　checking　wicked

inclinations；　standing　up　for　oppressed　and　suffering　virtue　against

all　wrong；　promoting　the　advancement　of　men　of　merit；　and　in　every

way　facilitating　the　acquirement　of　knowledge　and　science；〃of　this

honest　silly　man；　and　his　attempts　to　carry　out　all　his　fine

projects　by　calling　himself　Spartacus；　Bavaria　Achaia；　Austria

Egypt；　Vienna　Rome；　and　so　forth；of　Knigge；　who　picked　his　honest

brains；　quarrelled　with　him；　and　then　made　money　and　fame　out　of　his

plans；　for　as　long　as　they　lasted；of　Bode；　the　knight　of　the

lilies　of　the　valley；　who；　having　caught　Duke　Ernest　of　Saxe　Gotha；

was　himself　caught　by　Knigge；　and　his　eight；　nine；　or　more　ascending

orders　of　unwisdom；and　finally　of　the　Jesuits　who；　really　with

considerable　excuses　for　their　severity；　fell　upon　these　poor

foolish　Illuminati　in　1784　throughout　Bavaria；　and　had　them　exiled

or　imprisoned；of　all　this　you　may　read　in　the　pages　of　Dr。　Findel；

and　in　many　another　book。　　For；　forgotten　as　they　are　now；　they　made

noise　enough　in　their　time。



And　so　it　befell；　that　this　eighteenth　century；　which　is　usually

held　to　be　the　most　〃materialistic〃　of　epochs；　was；　in　fact；　a　most

〃spiritualistic〃　one；　in　which　ghosts；　demons；　quacks；　philosophers'

stones；　enchanters'　wands；　mysteries　and　mummeries；　were　as

fashionableas　they　will　probably　be　again　some　day。



You　have　all　heard　of　Cagliostro〃pupil　of　the　sage　Althotas；

foster…child　of　the　Scheriff　of　Mecca；　probable　son　of　the　last　king

of　Trebizond；　named　also　Acharat；　and　'Unfortunate　child　of　Nature；'

by　profession　healer　of　diseases；　abolisher　of　wrinkles；　friend　of

the　poor　and　impotent；　grand…master　of　the　Egyptian　Mason…lodge　of

High　Science；　spirit…summoner；　gold…cook；　Grand…Cophta；　prophet；

priest；　Thaumaturgic　moralist；　and　swindler〃born　Giuseppe　Balsamo

of　Palermo；of　him；　and　of　his　lovely　Countess　Seraphinanee

Lorenza　Feliciani？　　You　have　read　what　Goetheand　still　more

important；　what　Mr。　Carlyle　has　written　on　him；　as　on　one　of　the

most　significant　personages　of　the　age？　　Remember；　then；　that

Cagliostro　was　no　isolated　phenomenon；　that　his　successnay；　his

having　even　conceived　the　possibility　of　success　in　the　brain　that

lay　within　that　〃brass…faced；　bull…necked；　thick…lipped〃　headwas

made　possible　by　public　opinion。　　Had　Cagliostro　lived　in　our　time；

public　opinion　would　have　pointed　out　to　him　other　roads　to　honour

on　which　he　would　doubtless　have　fared　as　well。　　For　when　the　silly

dace　try　to　be　caught　and　hope　to　be　caught；　he　is　a　foolish　pike

who　cannot　gorge　them。　　But　the　method　most　easy　for　a　pike…nature

like　Cagliostro's；　was　in　the　eighteenth　century；　as　it　may　be　in

the　latter　half　of　the　nineteenth；　to　trade；　in　a　materialist　age；

on　the　unsatisfied　spiritual　cravings　of　mankind。　　For　what　do　all

these　phantasms　betoken；　but　a　generation　ashamed　of　its　own

materialism；　sensuality；　insincerity；　ignorance；　and　striving　to

escape　therefrom　by　any　and　every　mad　superstition　which　seemed

likely　to　give　an　answer　to　the　awful　questionsWhat　are　we；　and

where？　and　to　lay　to　rest　those　instincts　of　the　unseen　and　infinite

around　it；　which　tormented　it　like　ghosts　by　day　and　night：　　a　sight

ludicrous　or　pathetic；　according　as　it　is　looked　on　by　a　cynical　or

a　human　spirit。



It　is　easy　to　call　such　a　phenomenon　absurd；　improbable。　　It　is

rather　rational；　probable；　say　certain　to　happen。　　Rational；　I　say；

for　the　reason　of　man　tells　him；　and　has　always　told　him；　that　he　is

a　supernatural　being；　if　by　nature　is　meant　that　which　is　cognisable

by　his　five　senses：　　that　his　coming　into　this　world；　his　relation

to　it；　his　exit　from　itwhich　are　the　three　most　important　facts

about　himare　supernatural；　not　to　be　explained　by　any　deductions

from　the　impressions　of　his　senses。　　And　I　make　bold　to　say；　that

the　recent　discoveries　of　physical　sciencenotably　those　of

embryologygo　only　to　justify　that　old　and　general　belief　of　man。

If　man　be　told　that　the　microscope　and　scalpel　show　no　difference；

in　the　first　stage　of　visible　existence；　between　him　and　the　lower

mammals；　then　he　has　a　right　to　answeras　he　will　answerSo　much

the　worse　for　the　microscope　and　scalpel：　　so　much　the　better　for　my

old　belief；　that　there　is　beneath　my　birth；　life；　death；　a

substratum　of　supernatural　causes；　imponderable；　invisible；

unknowable　by　any　physical　science　whatsoever。　　If　you　cannot　render

me　a　reason　how　I　came　hither；　and　what　I　am；　I　must　go　to　those　who

will　render　me　one。　　And　if　that　craving　be　not　satisfied　by　a

rational　theory　of　life；　it　will　demand　satisfaction　from　some

magical　theory；　as　did　the　mind　of　the　eighteenth　century　when；

revolting　from　materialism；　it　fled　to　magic；　to　explain　the　ever…

astounding　miracle　of　life。



The　old　Regime。　　Will　our　age；　in　its　turn；　ever　be　spoken　of　as　an

old　Regime？　　Will　it　ever　be　spoken　of　as　a　Regime　at　all；　as　an

organised；　orderly　system　of　society　and　polity；　and　not　merely　as　a

chaos；　an　anarchy；　a　transitory　struggle；　of　which　the　money…lender

has　been　the　real　guide　and　lord？



But　at　least　it　will　be　spoken　of　as　an　age　of　progress；　of　rapid

developments；　of　astonishing　discoveries。



Are　you　so　sure　of　that？　　There　was　an　age　of　progress　once。　　But

what　is　our　agewhat　is　all　which　has　befallen　since　1815save

after…swells　of　that　great　storm；　which　are　weakening　and　lulling

into　heavy　calm？　　Are　we　on　the　eve　of　stagnation？　　Of　a　long　check

to　the　human　intellect？　　Of　a　new　Byzantine　era；　in　which　little　men

will　discuss；　and　ape；　the　deeds　which　great　men　did　in　their

forefathers'　days？



What　progressit　is　a　question　which　some　will　receive　with　almost

angry　surprisewhat　progress　has　the　human　mind　made　since　1815？



If　the　thought　be　startling；　do　me　the　great　honour　of　taking　it

home；　and　verifying　for　yourselves　its　truth　or　its　falsehood。　　I　do

not　say　that　it　is　altogether　true。　　No　proposition　concerning　human

things；　stated　so　broadly；　can　be。　　But　see　for　yourselves；　whether

it　is　not　at　least　more　true　than　false；　whether　the　ideas；　the

discoveries；　of　which　we　boast　most　in　the　nineteenth　century；　are

not　really　due　to　the　end　of　the　eighteenth。　　Whether　other　men　did

not　labour；　and　we　have　only　entered　into　their　labours。　　Whether

our　positivist　spirit；　our　content　with　the　collecting　of　facts；　our

dread　of　vast　theories；　is　not　a　symptomwholesome；　prudent；

modest；　but　still　a　symptomof　our　consciousness　that　we　are　not　as

our　grandfathers　were；　that　we　can　no　longer　conceive　great　ideas；

which　illumine；　for　good　or　evil；　the　whole　mind　and　heart　of　man；

and　drive　him　on　to　dare　and　suffer　desperately。



Railroads？　　Electric　telegraphs？　　All　honour　to　them　in　their　place：

but　they　are　not　progress；　they　are　only　the　fruits　of　past

progress。　　No　outward　and　material　thing　is　progress；　no　machinery

causes　progress；　it　merely　spreads　and　makes　pop