The Anti-Masonic Congress.

ink a revelation from one of her Luciferian ancestors . " On the gallant Admiral communicating his scepticism to " Surgeon-Captain Hughes , " the iron arrow in question flew at the daring sailor , pierced his breast , and simultaneously whisked him off to Charleston , where he formally abjured his incredulity . Now ,

Admiral Markham , who was alleged to be the present head of the Palladic Lodge at Malta , has written to Mr . Waite , author of " Devil Worship in France , " assuring him that he has " no knowledge of the lady styling herself Diana Vaughan , nor is there the slightest foundation for his alleged connection with

Palladic Masonry . " The writer of a curious article on the subject in the " Contemporary Eeview " adduces good reasons for suspecting that Miss Vaughan is identical with a certain ingenious M . Leo Taxil , alias M . Gabriel Jogand-Pages , who , after forging a Papal Bull of excommunication against himself ,

and writing a series of pretended revelations of clerical iniquity , has signalised his conversion to the Church by " exposing " the wickedness of Freemasonry . He has a coadjutor in Signor Margiotta , an ex-Mason , who professes to betray terrible secrets involving the character of the Italian Grand Master . The value

of this witness's testimony may be judged from the list which he gives of the 77 provinces in which Palladic Masonry is alleged to be divided . Against No . 41 we read : " Province Triangulaire de Manchester ( Angleterre ) : Gd .-Maitre Provincial , John Yarker , a Withington , avee gd-maitre honoraire , qui est le

Marequis de Londonderry . " Mr . Yarker has written to Mr . Waite that he never so much as heard of such a thing as Palladic Masonry until the report of it came over from France . The vast majority of English Freemasons are certainly in the

same position . Since the infamous perjuries of Titus Oates , which cost the lives of many innocent Eoman Catholics , there has been no such imposition on credulity as the farrago of abominable slander which has just been gravely discussed by 400 grave and reverend fathers at Trent . — " Manchester Courier . "

The Pope is , of course , opposed to all secret societies , but why he should be down on Freemasonry more than upon the Clan-na-Gael and the Land League , I have not discovered . The Anti-Masonic gathering in Austria is the outcome of the attitude of the Church towards the world-wide institution . It is with mixed

feelings that the Eoman Bishops regard the International Anti-Masonic Congress . Some of them attend , and others do not . The peculiar part of the affair is that this meeting of 800 sons of the Church have gravely discussed a lady and her book . Miss Diana Vaughan has been through some troubled experiences .

She and her family have been worshippers of Satan for generations , she tells us . That is not an unusual experience , perhaps , but it is unusual that a convert from this worship , and from Freemasonry , should interview the Devil , and obtain his signature to show to the bench of Bishops and the Pope of Eome .

The ' Italian Bishops , to their credit , desired to pooh-pooh the whole thing , but the Frenchmen would have none of it . They spoke to the bona-fides of the lady and the respect in which they held her , declaring that , to their personal knowledge , Cardinal Parocchi had congratulated her upon her conversion . Miss

Diana Vaughan is certainly a person to be reckoned with , and if any pushing publisher desires to have an introduction to a lady who is on terms of extreme intimacy with Lucifer , who , she says , is both young and handsome , he should write to me at once . For my part , I am not anxious for the personal introduction

she can give ; it is quite hot enough to know Miss Diana Vaughan . How she got . to know , by the way , that a relation of Lucifer was to be born in Paris on 29 th September last I have not inquired . I dare not venture to say she was wrong . The returns show a good many births in Paris on that day . I have searched the

names alphabetically from A to V without success . I do trust that it was pnly a good , guess on the part of Miss Diana Vaughan . She is- a shrewd young person I can tell you , and there is an extremely good chance of her having been right , for there are a good many relations of the Devil born every day if parentage counts for anything . — " Land and Water . "

The opinion of the " Times" Vienna correspondent , that the International Anti-Masonic Congress , which was opened at Trent last Saturday , promises to be a fiasco , will doubtless be attributed by the promoters of the gathering to the Masonic sympathies of the writer . The one point of interest to British

Masons , however , is the resolution of the Congress that , whereever the Freemasons have founded charitable institutions their example shall be followed by the Boman Catholics . They will have ample room in England , and much worse might be done

than to make a beginning with an imitation of the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Girls , and the similar Institution for Boys , elections to the benefits of which will take place at Freemasons' Hall here next Thursday and Friday respectively . How much these are appreciated may be judged from the fact that last April 24

The Anti-Masonic Congress.

girls were elected out of 31 candidates , and 28 boys out of 49 candidates ; while next Thursday 19 more girls are to be chosen from 28 candidates , and 14 boys from 44 candidates . The proportion of elected to candidates is , therefore , smaller for both Institutions at the coming contest than at the one of six months

since ; but this not only causes an additional display of zeal on the part of the supporters of those who are desired to be benefitted , but it shows to the Masons themselves how , with a greater effort

on their part , there can be made more useful these two Institutions , of which they will not be the less proud because they are thought worthy of imitation by the declared enemies of the Craft . — " Birmingham Daily Post , " 2 nd October .

The International Anti-Masonic Congress promises to be the failure which it deserves . The Pope could not well have sanctioned a more ill-advised gathering . In more superstitious times there were excuses to be made for the Papal excommunication . But an attempt now-a-days to read devil worship into the

initiatory or other ceremonies of Freemasonry is ignorant folly . The " Miss Diana Vaughan , " an " Englishwoman of gentle birth , " whose dreadful revelations as to devil worship are now exercising the minds of 600 gullible ecclesiastics , behaves and writes suspiciously like Mr . Leo Taxil . This cheerful scoundrel has for

the most part gained his livelihood by writing blasphemous tracts , and then after his " conversion , " by libelling Freemasonry . About the time that Taxil was " converted " Pope Leo issued his famous letter against secret societies , and the interesting convert who had just lost one profitable occupation was swift to take advantage of another . — " South Wales Daily News . "

The secrets of Freemasonry are known , it is said , only to the Brethren , and if what we hear of the fraternity be true , it is hardly likely that the " Craft " is represented at the Trent Anti-Masonic Congress . As we said the other day , the Congress is the first fruits of the " fixed loathing " which the Eoman Catholic

Church has for secret societies . We also mentioned the mysterious Miss Diana Vaughan , although what that lady could possibly have to do with Freemasonry did not appear . The clerical tribunal before which Miss Vaughan ' s " Secrets of Hell "

were disclosed , proved , shall we say , unusually incredulous . Miss Vaughan professed to have had interviews with the Evil One , and she describes Lucifer as * not only young but handsome . —" Bristol Mercury . "

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