Memoirs Of The Freemasons Of Naples.

MEMOIRS OF THE FREEMASONS OF NAPLES .

LONDON , SATVBDAT , APRIL 6 , 1801 .

{ Continued from p . 2-13 . ) Several lodges were now established at Naples , under tiie Grand Lodge of Germany ; and it will be necessary for us to point to one or two circumstances concerning tbe formation of this , as it bas been represented ( but unjustly ) to have given rise to a political party called

the Illuminati , such suspicion causing fresh persecutions to the Ereemasons everywhere . In 1767 , a lodge , under an English constitution , was established at Berlin , under the appellation of Le Boyale Yorlc , in honour of His Eoyal Highness the Duke of York , who was initiated therein while travelling on the

Continent . In 176 S , the brethren in Germany ivere authorised to hold their assemblies by a charter granted by the King of Prussia , the Elector of Saxony , and the Queen of Hungary and Bohemia , and afterwards ratified by the Emperor of Germany himself . By another charter from England in 1769 , a lodge was erected at

Brunswick , which , in 1770 , became the Grand Lodge of that part of Germany . Its Grand Master was Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick , who , a short time afterwards , received a provincial deputation from England for superintending the lodges in Lower Saxony . In 1773 , a convention ivas entered into between the Grand Lodge ot

England , under Lord Petre , and the Grand Lodge at Berlin , under the Prince of Hesse Darmstadt , which had , a few years before , been duly erected into a Grand Lodge at a meeting of Blasters and "Wardens of twelve regular lodges . In this compact it was stipulated that the Grand Lodge of Berlin should be acknowledged as the Grand Lodge of the whole Empire of Germany , including the dominions of his Prussian Majesty , and that the contracting parties should unite their efforts to

counteract all innovations in Masonry , and particularly the proceedings of a set of Masons in Berlin , who , under the denomination of the Stride Oiservantz , had annihilated their former constitutions , erected themselves into a Grand Lodge , and sanctioned very improper innovations upon the principles and ceremonies of the Order . This contract was highlapproved bthe King of

y y Prussia , who immediately erected the Grand Lodge of Berlin into a corporate body , and became , in 1777 , Patron or Protector of all the Masons in Germany , Eerdinand , Duke of Brunswick and Luneburgh , filling the office of Grand Master of all the united lodges iii that country *

In 1775 , a new secret association arose in Germany , which was supposed to have taken its rise from Ereemasonry , and to have planned a conspiracy against every religious and political establishment in Europe . This was the Order of the Illuminati , founded by Dr . Adam "Weishaupt , Professor of Canon Law in the

University of Ingolstadt . In this society speculative opinions ivere inculcated , which were certainly inconsistent with the principles of religion and social order ; but that llluminism originated from Ereemasonry , we most certainly deny . Dr . Eobison , indeed , who has often used his pen against Ereemasonry in a manner no

way creditable to himself , affirms that llluminism took its rise among the Freemasons , but it was totally different to Freemasonry ; and , to suit his own purpose , he represents Weishaupt as an active member of the German Lodges , before he acquaints his readers that he was the founder of the Illuminati , for no other reason than , to make them believe that "Weishaupt was a Freemason before he planned his new

institution . Barruel proves distinctly that Weishaupt was not a Mason till two years after the organisation of his new society , and that when he established llluminism he was totally unacquainted ivith the mysteries of Ereemasonry ;* and Dr . Eobison himself allows that llluminism was totally different from Ereemasonry . The two institutions , therefore , were wholly unconnected ; for the members ) of the one were never admitted

into the lodges of the other without being regularly initiated into the mysteries of both . These facts we have thought necessary to relate , because the Freemasons and the Illuminati ase so mixed up witli the prosecutions against secret societies , that an unobservant reader might believe that they had amalgamated * , and while we acknowledon the one handthat in the

ge , , new society there was much to deprecate , and that the speculative opinions inculcated were certainly inconsistent with the principles of religion and social order , on the other hand , there does not appear any proof that they ever planned any dangerous conspiracy ; still , there could be no union between the one and the other .

True Freemasons wish for nothing but peace and unioE . amongst all mankind . Strict among themselves , they judge not the faults of others : regular and attentive to all necessary duties , and doing all things accordingto strict justice , they trust , for a life of rectitude , to enjoy happiness and peace hereafter .

Weishaupt , straining every nerve to disseminate his principles , and , the better to further his purpose , in 1777 became a Freemason , and was initiated at Berlin ; he then attempted to circulate his opinions among the French and G-ermari lodges , and even sent emissaries to ISTapiles , to endeavour to inculcate his false principles into the minds of the brethren , and in these attempts he was sometimes successful . But it should be remembered by

those who calumniate Freemasonry on this account , that the same objection may be urged against Christianity , because impostors have sometimes gained proselytes , ancl perverted the wavering minds of the multitude . These doctrines were however not merely circulated by Weishaupt in a few lodges , and taught at the assemblies of the

Illuminati ,- they were published to the -world in the most fascinating form by the French Encyclopedists , and inculcated with all the eloquence of some of the most celebrated philosophers on the Continent . At Waples , the lodges that had latterly been established uuder the Grand Lodge of Germanyreceived the

emis-, saries of "Weishaupt , ivho had already been admitted into the society with enthusiasm , and others that were not Masons were here initiated . And as day by day the Neapolitan Freemasons joined the new society , the Grand Lodge of England openly discountenanced meetings where political subjects ivere discussed . The

majority of the lodges at Naples , ceased to be connected with the English Grand Lodge , and attached themselves to Germany . "We are not able to record the exact circumstances that led to this , but we conceive that if the advice , or rather order sent to them , was not acted upon , the Grancl Lodof land ivould they had often done

ge Eng , as on similar occasions , erase them from the ' list of lodges . We cannot forbear giving au extract from a manuscript in our possession , to show how peremptorily the Grand Officers acted upon similar occasions atthis period . f