The Illuminati;

the deplorable corruption of the national morals , and the exhaustion of its resources . The wasteful wars of Louis XIV . , his stupendous public works , the splendid edifices erected by him , and the pomp of his magnificent court , although supported by the most oppressive taxation , had at least the effect of flattering the national vanity ; but the wanton

prodigality of Louis XV . produced a different result upon the national mind . The habit of lavishing the public money in profligate expenditure was firmly fixed in the court , aud the corrupt system of government too deeply rooted to be easily eradicated ; and when Louis XVI . ascended tho throne he succeeded to an empty treasury , and a debt of four millions of livres . The young king ' s virtuous attempts

at reform were opposed by the clergy and noblesse ; and at the period of which we are treating , the smouldering fire of public indignation was ready to break into flame . Accounts of an institution holding tenets like those attributed to the Illumines , would natui'ally increase the alarm of the upper classes , who saw on every hand signs that their days of public plunder were

approaching to an end . A work entitled , Essai sur la Secte des Illumines , which was published anonymously , but has since been ascertained to have been , the production of the Marquis de Luchet , made its appearance in the year 1788 ; and the pretended disclosures which were therein made increased the prevailing excitement . Clavel quotes

this work for his remarks on the travelling Masons , and as the book is scarce , we present an analysis of its contents , omitting chiefly such matter as may he considered extraneous to the subject , passing lightly over such chapters as are unimportant to us as Masons , but giving in exlenso , all that bears on Freemasonry . Although Professor Robison , in his " proofs , " published ten years

after De Luchet ' s " Essai , " makes no mention of the work of his predecessor , we are disposed to think he was not unacquainted with its contents . It is not , however , our intention , on this occasion , to notice Eobison ' s work ; the extraordinary account we give of this society is derived from De Luchet's volume , and rests upon his authority . How much of it is trueand how much of it owes its

, existence to the fertile imagination of the marquis , we do not pretend to determine ; wo reproduce the narrative as a curiosity , which may not be without interest to our readers ; but , at the same time , we may remark that we think De Luchet ' s statements must be taken cum grano salis . The Illuminati , says our author , began by excluding the New

Testament , and every reference to Christianity , altogether from their Lodges ; no part of their system , however , from his account , appears to bear the sli ghtest resemblance to symbolic Masonry . The sect had two classes , which were subdivided into lesser degrees , their first class containing the following : —Novices ; Illuminatus Minor ; Illuniinatus Major . In the second class were attained the mysteries ; this was divided into two degrees , lesser and greater ; the lesser comprehended tho degrees