CAGLIOSTROANDHISEGYPTIAN RITEOFFREEMASONRY By
HENRYRIDGELYEVANS,'Litt.D., 33Hon.
GrandTileroftheSupremeCouncil,A.'.A...S..R:.
ofFreemasonryfortheSouthernJurisdiction oftheUnitedStates.
TOGETHEI!WITHA N EXPOSITIONOF'THEFIRSTDEGREEOF'THEEGYPTIANRITE
Translated fromtheFrenchby HORACEPARKERMcINT03R,33Hon. (Reprinted
fromthe NewAgeMaga.zine.) WASHINGTON,D.C. 1919 COUNTCAGLIOSTRO
CAGLIOSTROANDHISEGYPTIAN RITE OF INTRODUCTION
"UnparalleledCagliostro!Lookingatthysoattractivelydecoratedprivatetheater,
whereinthouaetedstandlivedst,whathandbutitchestodrawasidethycurtainand,
turningthewholeinsideout,findtheeinthemiddlethereof ?"- CARLYU,
:J\lJ iscella.neo1ts Essays.
INtheRuedeBeaune,Paris,afewdoorsfromthehousewhereVoltaire
died,isashabbygenteellittlehostelry,datingbacktopre-revolutionary
times;totheoldregimeofLouisXVIandMarieAntoinette.Youring
thebelloftheconcierge'soffice,andthewrought-irongatesopenwitha
clang.Minehostwelcomesyouattheportaland,withtheairsandgracesof
anaristocratoftheeighteenthcentury,ushersyouuptothestatebedroom.
Ah,thatbedroom,sooldandquaint,withitshugefour-postbed,garnished
withfaded.redcurtainsandmounteduponaraiseddais.Thechimney-piece
iscarvedandbearsthehalf-obliteratedescutcheonofthebuilderoftheman-nobleoftheoldregime.Overthemantlehangsalargeovalmirror
setinatarnishedgiltframe.Think,dearreader,ofthehundredsofhuman
facesthathavepeeredintothatancientglass,andthenpassedforeverinto
thelandofsahdows.F
romeveryone,saytheoccultists,issuesanaura,asubtle,
magneticforcethatattractsorrepelsothersoulsandexercisesaninfluence
oninanimatethings.I fthisbeso,theneverythingI11U
tbeaffectedbyit-andwhynotthesensitivesurface ofamirror,just
asthephotographer'snegative
isaffected?Thinkofthepsychicimpressionsthatmusthestoredupinan
oldlooking-glassofthekinddescribedabove.
Inthesummerof1893IwasinParisonbusinessandpleasurebent,and
Ifoundalodging .atthelittlehoteloftheRuedeBeaune- anoldstreet,once
aristocratic,butnowfallenintodecay,andsilentasthegrave.Thehumof
Parisisbutfaintlyheardhere.BygoodfortuneIwasassignedtothestate
bedroom.Asultryeveningwasclosingin.Stormcloudshunglowinthe
heavens,presagingrainbeforemorning.IhadpickedupontheQuaiVoltaire
abatteredvolumeofDumas'M e'moirsofaPhysician,andsatdowntoreadit
bythelightofwaxcandlesstuckintoanantiquatedcandelabrum.Thebook
isfascinating.Ifirstreaditwhenaboy,andimplicitlybelievedeveryword
ofit.Itisrepletewithmagicandmystery.InrapidsuccessionDumaspasses
beforeyoupicturesofLouisXV,theCountessduBarry,theDauphinandhis
b0.autifuiconsort,theunfortunateAntoinette;thebrilliantririmeminister,
Choiseul;theCardinaldeRohan;andtoweringaboveall ,Cagliostro,the
necromancerofthe ancientregime.
IreadDumas'sdelightfulnoveluntilmidnightandthenretiredtorest
intheantiquefour-poster.The
stormbrokeandtherainfellintorrentsoutside,
splashingagainstthewindowpaneslikethedashingoftheseaagainstthe
closedportsofanoceanliner.Thethunderrolledoverthehouse,andthe
lightningflashedvividly.Graduallythestormdiedawayandnothingwas
heardbutthesoothingdrip,drip,dripoftheraindropsfallingfromtheeaves
ofthehouseupontheflaggedcourtyardbelow,likethedripoftherainuponthe
Ghost'svValkofChesneyvVold-thehauntedmansionoftheDedlockfamilyof
CharlesDickens'BleallH
Otlsc.vVithmymindfilledwithstrangefanciesabout
Cagliostroa+1dthatoldParisoflongago,Idroppedofftosleepandwassoonin
thelandofdreams-that crepuscular
country,midwaybetweenthismortallifeof
oursandtherealmofspirit,wherethesoulreve"lsamicisuchfantasticscenes.
3 4CAGLIOSTROANDHISEGYPTIANRITEOFFREEMASONRY
1seemedtobestandingbeforethemirror,gazingearnestlyintoitscrystal
dept hs.Thereflectionofmyownfacewasnolongerseen,.
butastrangetasmagoriapassedbeforemyentrancedgaze.LetmeseeIfIcanrecallIt.
I tisnight.ThelanternsswunginthestreetsofoldPari
sglimmerfit-fully,Silencebroodsoverthecitywithshadowywings.Nosoundisheard
savetheclankofthepatrolonit
srounds.TheRueSaintClaude,how-ever,isallbustleandcon
fusion.Agrandsoiree'I11agiqueisbeing' heldatthe
houseofMonsieurIeComtedeCagli ost ro.Icanseeheavy,old-f ashioned
carriagesstandinginfrontofthedoor.withcoachmenlollingonthe
boxes,andlink boysplayingrudegameswitheachotherinthekennel.Arumble
inthest reet-ha,there,lackeys!outoftheway!Herecomesthecoachofmy
LordCardi nal ,PrinceLouisdeRohan.Thereisafl ashoftorches.Servant s
ingorgeousli veri esofredandgold,withpowderedwigs,openthedoorofthe
vehicle,andletdownthestepswithacrash.MonseigneurIeCardinal.cele-brantofthemassintheroyalpalaceatVersaill
es .amanofpleasureand alchemi st,descends.Heisenvel
opedinaclarkcloakasiftocourtdisguise. butitisonl
yapolitepretense.Heenter.themansionofhisbosmfriend. Cagliost
ro,themagician.\Vithin,allisablazeofli ght.Visitorsarereceived
inahandsomelyfurnishedapartmentonthe!'econdfl oor.Beyondthatisthe
seance-room,amysteriouschamberhungwithsomberdraperies.VI/axcandles
intallsi lversconces,arrangedabouttheplaceinmysticpentagonsancl ill
uminatethescene.
Inthecenteroftheroomisatablewithablackcloth.onwhichare
embroideredinredthesymbolsofthehi ghestdegreeoftheRosicrucians.Upon
thisst
rangeshekinahisplacedthecabaliticapparatusofthenecr0111ancer-oddlittl
eEgyptianfigu res . ofIsisandOsir is,vialsofwaters.anda I
