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  • Feb. 16, 1861
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  • MEMOIRS OF THE FREEMASONS OF NAPLES. No. I.
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Memoirs Of The Freemasons Of Naples. No. I.

The bigots , who regarded the Masons as an impious sect , earnestly supplicated heaven to avert this evil from the State . One of them , from bigotted zeal , threw himself at the King ' s feet , and implored him to renounce a project which , in his mind , was so pregnant with evil , and replete with danger . The Freemasons , accustomed to see kings and princes among themdid not SIIOAV any

, excessive joy on this royal conversion , coimneed that , if ever he was admitted among them , it would redound more to Jiis advantage and the benefit of his people than to society at large . But the person on AA-IIOIU these reports made the deepest impression was the Marquis Tenuccithen Chief Secretary of State . King Charles

, had committed to him the education of his son , and the management of tho kingdom . This was a case in dispute between the prince and minister . Ignorant of the true principles of the Order , he dreaded lest his master , seduced and deceived , should

cause the destruction of their religion and state . Tenucci prophesied that , if once the king allied with the Masons , that a minister would then be only au agent , and not a master , as heretofore . This was the real cause of the premier ' s uneasiness . It appeared by his conduct towards the Masons that it- was the only stimulus to his proceedings .

Tenucci employed all his art to convince his master of the justness of his sentiments , and to engage him to extirpate from his states this pernicious plant . He managed AA-ith such success his influence on the tender mind of the prince , whose education he had directed , that there appeared in 1775 an edict of the king

, renewing that of his predecessor , charging the Giunta- di Siato , or Tribunal of State , of all that regarded this affair , and ordered them to proceed ad moditm belli ! towards the punishment of the factious , or according to the ri ght of Avar , with full power and authority to treat them as criminals of the state .

The Freemasons of Naples obeyed and fled ; their worthy Grand Master added his interdict to that of the king . Persuaded of the truthfulness of their cause , the brethren resolved to Avait a time more favourable , Avhen his Majesty would render justice to a society that does honour to human nature . They perceived and bewailed that , however inoffensive their institution might bethe

, legislature could suppress them Avilhout seeming to violate the rights of nations . Those times appeared to be renewed Avhen , according to the expressions of a Avriter of ancient Rome , they treated as guilty of le . ze majestJ those who had no crimes at all . * They blushed to think that the minister should accuse a society whose

principles he did not understand , and afc the same time to charge that society with high treason . Their sentiments on this subject were mixed witli compassion for his error aud ignorance . Others , more animated for the lo \ -e of liberty so congenial to man , dwelt on the terms of the edictad- modum belli —terms which appeared to them

, as announcing the completest despotism . Cautious of giving the least ground for complaint , they bewailed in secret , and submitted to the will of the monarch . The Marquis Tenucci , unremittingly arduous in the extirpation of the society , and knoAving how fretjuently they had survived oppressionresolved to accomplish its

, total abolition . He sought out au agent fit for his design , and met with one whom lie had served .- this man was one of those sycophants whose principal skill lay in the art of palmestiy , and bending his body before a great man , either for good or bad . As this person will act a

princi ple part in this history , we will give a slight sketch of his antecedents . This man , then , was the son of a coal-merchant of Aquila , Capital L'Abruzze . He was then young , and came to seek his fortune in Naples . The connection he formed Avith a chambermaid in an eminent family was the prelude of his subsequent

transactions . He became farmer of the revenue ; Chief , or Capi di Mota—that is to say , one of the four judges of the sacred and royal tribunal of St . Clare , the object of Avhieh was to explain the laws , and determine causes of appeal ; he was afterwards Criminal Judge , and member of the State Council . It is asserted that during the

exercise of these functions he was constantly attended by a 2 > riest and an executioner , destined as the attendants of his unfortunate victims ; and to prevent the delay of their several punishments , it is reported that , beingcharged to announce to some Jesuits their final condemnation , he presented himself in the midst of them

AA-ith a dagger in his hand ; that he ueA-er in these persecutions consulted anything but his OAA-U gain , and forgot iu that the principal aim and intention of his mission . He often caused stolen articles to be secreted in the houses of those- whom he had proscribed , or accused them unjustly of discontent , in order to have a plausible pretence for their punishment , and to have the reputation for a viligant magistrate . At . that time lie

filled the offices of State Councillor and Criminal and Civil Judge ; his name was Don Genaro Palhmte . It was to this man that the Marquis Tenucci revealed those fears which the Order of Freemasons inspired . In proposing him as the instrument of their destruction , it gaA-e him room to hope , as the marquis had arrived at the age of eighty-ninethat he might one day succeed to

, the ministership . This agent did not foresee that an unexpected event would hasten his disgrace . A magistrate named Patricio was then Commissary of the Slate Council—a tribunal charged by the King to issue its process against the Freemasons . The Marquis could not for a time give any other commands to Pallante but

that of secrecy . AVe shall see what use he made of the minister ' s " commission ,-without the tribunal authority . Animated Ai-itb . ' the most flattering prospects which appeared before him , his only aim was to surprise a lodge ; he searched for spies , and became one himself ; he watched night and day those whom he suspected to

be Masons ; he followed them eA-ervAA-here , he assailed their doors , Avatched their transactions ; and though these researches were useless , Pallante had resolved to find them guilty . The eighty-ninth year of the marquis intruded every moment on his memory and ambition ; these flattering images deluded him , and led him into those difficulties in which we shall hereafter see him embarrassed .

A man named Giovanni Rho , a Milanese , page to an eminent- family in Naples , had long been desirous to become a Freemason , but unfortunatel y fell into the hands of one of those false lodges who shamefnU y abused the secrets of the Order , and made it au object of traffic ; or , to make use of a term among the Freemasons of Italy- they fumigatedor led astray , instead of

, , instructing their neAv brethren . These impostors have frequently duped honest men ( particularl y in foreign countries ' ) , who , having got amongst them , belieA e they have discovered the utility of an Order whose secrets they are not acquainted Avith , and by this means have conceived ideas of Masonry very much to its

disadvantage . Rho , after purchasing his initiation , sought to adA ance himself in the society , but found he was not called to any lodge . This disappointment , far from checking

“The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine: 1861-02-16, Page 2” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 10 June 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mmr/issues/mmr_16021861/page/2/.
  • List
  • Grid
Title Category Page
MEMOIRS OF THE FREEMASONS OF NAPLES. No. I. Article 1
STRAY THOUGHTS ON THE ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE FINE ARTS. Article 3
THE INFLUENCE OF FREEMASONRY. Article 4
BRAZIL. Article 4
ARCHITECTURE AND ARCHÆOLOGY. Article 5
Fine Arts. Article 7
MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. Article 9
NOTES ON LITERATURE, SCIENCE, AND ART. Article 10
Poetry. Article 11
CORRESPONDENCE. Article 11
THE MASONIC MIRROR. Article 12
METROPOLITAN. Article 12
PROVINCIAL. Article 13
CHANNEL ISLANDS. Article 14
COLONIAL. Article 14
INDIA. Article 15
ROYAL ARCH. Article 16
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. Article 16
MASONIC FESTIVITIES. Article 17
THE WEEK. Article 17
PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS. Article 19
NOTES ON MUSIC AND THE DRAMA. Article 20
TO CORRESPONDENTS. Article 20
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Memoirs Of The Freemasons Of Naples. No. I.

The bigots , who regarded the Masons as an impious sect , earnestly supplicated heaven to avert this evil from the State . One of them , from bigotted zeal , threw himself at the King ' s feet , and implored him to renounce a project which , in his mind , was so pregnant with evil , and replete with danger . The Freemasons , accustomed to see kings and princes among themdid not SIIOAV any

, excessive joy on this royal conversion , coimneed that , if ever he was admitted among them , it would redound more to Jiis advantage and the benefit of his people than to society at large . But the person on AA-IIOIU these reports made the deepest impression was the Marquis Tenuccithen Chief Secretary of State . King Charles

, had committed to him the education of his son , and the management of tho kingdom . This was a case in dispute between the prince and minister . Ignorant of the true principles of the Order , he dreaded lest his master , seduced and deceived , should

cause the destruction of their religion and state . Tenucci prophesied that , if once the king allied with the Masons , that a minister would then be only au agent , and not a master , as heretofore . This was the real cause of the premier ' s uneasiness . It appeared by his conduct towards the Masons that it- was the only stimulus to his proceedings .

Tenucci employed all his art to convince his master of the justness of his sentiments , and to engage him to extirpate from his states this pernicious plant . He managed AA-ith such success his influence on the tender mind of the prince , whose education he had directed , that there appeared in 1775 an edict of the king

, renewing that of his predecessor , charging the Giunta- di Siato , or Tribunal of State , of all that regarded this affair , and ordered them to proceed ad moditm belli ! towards the punishment of the factious , or according to the ri ght of Avar , with full power and authority to treat them as criminals of the state .

The Freemasons of Naples obeyed and fled ; their worthy Grand Master added his interdict to that of the king . Persuaded of the truthfulness of their cause , the brethren resolved to Avait a time more favourable , Avhen his Majesty would render justice to a society that does honour to human nature . They perceived and bewailed that , however inoffensive their institution might bethe

, legislature could suppress them Avilhout seeming to violate the rights of nations . Those times appeared to be renewed Avhen , according to the expressions of a Avriter of ancient Rome , they treated as guilty of le . ze majestJ those who had no crimes at all . * They blushed to think that the minister should accuse a society whose

principles he did not understand , and afc the same time to charge that society with high treason . Their sentiments on this subject were mixed witli compassion for his error aud ignorance . Others , more animated for the lo \ -e of liberty so congenial to man , dwelt on the terms of the edictad- modum belli —terms which appeared to them

, as announcing the completest despotism . Cautious of giving the least ground for complaint , they bewailed in secret , and submitted to the will of the monarch . The Marquis Tenucci , unremittingly arduous in the extirpation of the society , and knoAving how fretjuently they had survived oppressionresolved to accomplish its

, total abolition . He sought out au agent fit for his design , and met with one whom lie had served .- this man was one of those sycophants whose principal skill lay in the art of palmestiy , and bending his body before a great man , either for good or bad . As this person will act a

princi ple part in this history , we will give a slight sketch of his antecedents . This man , then , was the son of a coal-merchant of Aquila , Capital L'Abruzze . He was then young , and came to seek his fortune in Naples . The connection he formed Avith a chambermaid in an eminent family was the prelude of his subsequent

transactions . He became farmer of the revenue ; Chief , or Capi di Mota—that is to say , one of the four judges of the sacred and royal tribunal of St . Clare , the object of Avhieh was to explain the laws , and determine causes of appeal ; he was afterwards Criminal Judge , and member of the State Council . It is asserted that during the

exercise of these functions he was constantly attended by a 2 > riest and an executioner , destined as the attendants of his unfortunate victims ; and to prevent the delay of their several punishments , it is reported that , beingcharged to announce to some Jesuits their final condemnation , he presented himself in the midst of them

AA-ith a dagger in his hand ; that he ueA-er in these persecutions consulted anything but his OAA-U gain , and forgot iu that the principal aim and intention of his mission . He often caused stolen articles to be secreted in the houses of those- whom he had proscribed , or accused them unjustly of discontent , in order to have a plausible pretence for their punishment , and to have the reputation for a viligant magistrate . At . that time lie

filled the offices of State Councillor and Criminal and Civil Judge ; his name was Don Genaro Palhmte . It was to this man that the Marquis Tenucci revealed those fears which the Order of Freemasons inspired . In proposing him as the instrument of their destruction , it gaA-e him room to hope , as the marquis had arrived at the age of eighty-ninethat he might one day succeed to

, the ministership . This agent did not foresee that an unexpected event would hasten his disgrace . A magistrate named Patricio was then Commissary of the Slate Council—a tribunal charged by the King to issue its process against the Freemasons . The Marquis could not for a time give any other commands to Pallante but

that of secrecy . AVe shall see what use he made of the minister ' s " commission ,-without the tribunal authority . Animated Ai-itb . ' the most flattering prospects which appeared before him , his only aim was to surprise a lodge ; he searched for spies , and became one himself ; he watched night and day those whom he suspected to

be Masons ; he followed them eA-ervAA-here , he assailed their doors , Avatched their transactions ; and though these researches were useless , Pallante had resolved to find them guilty . The eighty-ninth year of the marquis intruded every moment on his memory and ambition ; these flattering images deluded him , and led him into those difficulties in which we shall hereafter see him embarrassed .

A man named Giovanni Rho , a Milanese , page to an eminent- family in Naples , had long been desirous to become a Freemason , but unfortunatel y fell into the hands of one of those false lodges who shamefnU y abused the secrets of the Order , and made it au object of traffic ; or , to make use of a term among the Freemasons of Italy- they fumigatedor led astray , instead of

, , instructing their neAv brethren . These impostors have frequently duped honest men ( particularl y in foreign countries ' ) , who , having got amongst them , belieA e they have discovered the utility of an Order whose secrets they are not acquainted Avith , and by this means have conceived ideas of Masonry very much to its

disadvantage . Rho , after purchasing his initiation , sought to adA ance himself in the society , but found he was not called to any lodge . This disappointment , far from checking

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