Reviews.

s of St . John the Evangelist , " knew how to hide their mystene under a thick veil from the eyes of the profane . The arm of justice was always much too clumsy when it was stretched out towards any of the real heads of the society . The brethren had , as such , nothing in common with Freemasonry . Their object was not to obtain that protection under

the liberal government of the Emperor Joseph II ., and which had already been extended to the Freemasons of the Empire . The last-named could lay but little claim to the title of a secret society , for their existence was known by all . The Asiatic-Brethren differed from them widely . Their object was to found a society that should be in the full sense of the word secret ,

that should , above all , remain unknown to the authorities , and the Masonic forms of which should but serve to prevent them from exciting the suspicions of those authorities . How well they succeeded in keeping their secret is best seen from the fact that in all the numerous publications which issued from the Masonic presses in Austria during this period , scarce

any mention of the society occurs . The real founder of this extraordinary society seems to have been one Hans Heinrich Freiherr von Ecker , who as Bosenkreutzer ( Rosicrucian ) and spendthrift had wasted his inheritance , and saw himself compelled to apply to the head of the Rosenkreutzer superiors for a loan from the funds of the society .

The refusal which he met with , doubtless , induced him to write his notorious rather than celebrated Der Posentcreutzer in senier Blosse , which , perhaps , was the chief cause of the downfal of the effete society of which he had so long been a principal member . He now proceeded at once to the foundation of a society which he intended should enable him to pay his most urgent creditors , and supply him with means to continue his dissolute pursuits . The Jews , tempted by the prospect of being permitted to join

the Masonic brotherhood , from which they had hitherto been rigorously excluded , now hastened to associate themselves with a man whose position in society alone seemed a sufficient guarantee of the success of the undertaking . Ecker received , as representative of the unknown head of the Order , large sums of money as entrance fees , and , with his companions , ruled with

sovereign authority . Discontented Freemasons and members of the old Rosenkreutzer Order hastened to pay homage to the rising sun . In Berlin it was well known that the heir to the throne had been induced by the persuasions of his mistress to join the ranks of the new Order , and , seeing himself advanced without loss of time to the highest grades , was highly gratified .

Ecker , there is no doubt , was also well pleased at the opportunity offered of carrying on his intrigues with the above-mentioned lady , who afterwards became tbe Countess of Liehtenau . The intimacy of the founder of the Order with this lady contributed greatly to its success—not that they made themselves more conspicuous than was found necessary . Still the fabulous

prodigality displayed by Ecker could not foil to attract the attention of the police of Berlin . The hints which they conveyed to the King , in the hope that he would interfere and scatter the societ y to the winds , seemed , however , for a long time to have been given in vain ; for Frederick had other reasons why be should permit them to

continue their mysteries . The limits of this article will not permit us to explain here fally why he was not disposed to take from the society the means of doing harm , but we shall say enough to direct the attention of our readers to what his real object was . To have proceeded vigorously against the Order , he must have permitted the exposure of the not very creditable connections of the Crown Prince ; and he hoped that the power of the Order might eventually become a valuable auxiliary in his projected contest with the Illnminati .

It is well known that this Order had long been protected by the Emperor Joseph IL , who hoped to derive very material assistance from it in his favourite scheme for the acquisition of Bavaria . How far Joseph was deceived , how Frederick succeeded in overthrowing the Order of the Illutninati , and thus putting an

end to Joseph ' s project , are matters of history . The Asiatic Bretliren seem to have been permitted to practise their incantations , and raise as many spirits ancl as much money as they could lay their hands on , until the close of the reign of Frederick , who , having used them in his war with the Ilhvminati , and found means to introduce the society into Austria , did not

hesitate to suppress the Order in Berlin , as quietly and as speedily as he might , having regard to the feelings of the Crown Prince . Ecker , who had fallen out with the Prince's mistress , disappeared , and , except the particulars contained in the Latomia ( vol . xx . p . 330 ) concerning him , little is known of his future

career ; for the tradition that he formed , afterwards , the soul of the Society of Asiatic Brethren , which , commencing in Hungary , spread itself over the whole of the Austrian provinces , is scarcely worthy of credence . The brotherhood , thus introduced into Vienna , soon became powerful enough to assume the direction of the various

provincial lodges that sprung into existence . The report was circulated that Ecker still governed them from Warsaw , and Leopold Alois Hoffmann estimates their numbers in Vienna alone at 20 , 000 ; but this is probably an exaggeration . * But he , in common with the other contemporary pamphleteers , did not venture to pronounce the name of the Asiatic Brethren , but calls them simply " Labourers" ( Laboranleii ) .

One alone , among the eight Masonic lodges then existing in Vienna , was able to resist the tempting offers which were made to induce them to join this Order , whieh , coming as it did from Berlin , was able to offer them the privilege of higher grades than any that had , up to this period , been attainable by tho Austrian lodges .

This was to be effected though the instrumentality of the Lodge Zur Gekrouten Hoffnung ; and the Viennese lodges , with one exception , did not hesitate to avail themselves at once of the chance of getting admission to a grade which , though of somewhat doubtful value , was in their eyes much preferable to the position which they had held up to this time .

But the days of the Society of Asiatic Brethren wore numbered ; for , strange as it may appear , the accession of large numbers of the respectable Masons to their body had not improved its character ; and their proceedings soon became a public scandal , which called loudly for the interference of the Government . Almost tho last meeting which they held took place at the

village of Modling , near Vienna . The meeting had , however , rather a startling termination ; for the neighbouring farmers , who had seen with much ill-will several previous meetings in the same place , fell upon them armed with such weapons as they found at hand , and under the direction of one Father Korn , a member of the one lodge which had been able to resist their

temptations , thrashed them soundly . The attack took place so unexpectedly that they were surprised in the midst of an incantation for the purpose of raising the soul ofthe Inst Grand Waster of the Templars , who , they hoped , would give them some information concerning a treasure which they believed was deposited in the neighbourhood . Thoroughly beaten by the peasants , who had no longer any doubt that tho Asiatic Bretliren were sorcerers anel magicians , they hastened back to Vienna' as they