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NOVEMBER 23, 1935

Origins of Freemasonry

REVOLUTION AND FREEMASONRY,

1680-1800. By Bernard Fay. Boston:

Little, Brow n & Co.

1935. $3.

Reviewed b y M E A D E M I N N I G ER O D E

W

H A T a n a l l u r i n g t i t l e , c o n

j u r i n g u p i n t r i g u e , m y s t e r y ,

a n d a l l m a n n e r of s e c r e t m a t

t e r s . A n d , u p t o a p o i n t , a m o s t a l l u r i n g

b o o k ; d i s p e n s i n g a v e r y g r e a t a m o u n t o f

c u r i o u s i n f o r m a t i o n i n t h e m o s t p l e a s a n t

l y h u m o r o u s , t h e m o s t d i s c r e e t l y i r o n i c a l ,

t h e m o s t c o m p l e t e l y r e a d a b l e s t y l e . A

b o o k t o s m i l e o v e r f r e q u e n t l y ,

a s w h e n o n e r e a d s o f F r a n k

l i n ' s m a r r i a g e , a n d t h a t a t

t h e b e g i n n i n g t h e c o u p l e

h a d t h e j o y o f b e i n g

b l e s s e d w i t h a c h i l d ,

a n d t h a t i t h a s n e v e r

b e e n k n o w n e x a c t

l y if t h a t c h i l d

was a g i f t f r om the

b r i d e t o t h e g r o o m

or f rom the g room

t o t h e b r i d e , a l

t h o u g h t h e l a t t e r

h y p o t h e s i s s e e m s

p r o b a b l e . I n a n y

case, i t was a gif t ,

a n d e v e n a s u r p r i s e

fo r one o f t hem.

F u n d a m e n t a l l y , M r .

F a y e x p o u n d s t h e o r i g i n ,

t e c h n i q u e a n d s p e c i a l c h a r

a c t e r o f e i g h t e e n t h c e n t u r y

F r e e m a s o n r y ; a p h i l o s o p h i c , o r W A S H I N G T O N IN r e b e l l i o n .

s p e c u l a t i v e . M a s o n r y i n p l a c e M A S O N I C C O S T U M E T h e s i g n a l f o r r e b e l l i o n ; r i o t

p a r t p l a y e d b y F r e e m a s o n r y i n i n s t i g a t i n g

a n d f o s te r i n g t h e A m e r i c a n r e v o l u t i o n

a g a i n s t E n g l a n d : t h a t M a s o n r y w h i c h

a l o n e u n d e r t o o k t o l a y t h e f o u n d a t i o n

f o r n a t i o n a l u n i t y i n A m e r i c a , s p r e a d i n g

a n d w o r k i n g s t e a d i l y a n d s i l e n t l y

t h r o u g h o u t t h e c o l o n i e s ; t h a t M a s o n r y

w h i c h n u m b e r e d a m o n g i t s a d h e r e n t s

s u c h p e r s o n a g e s a s W a s h i n g t o n , F r a n k l i n ,

Ot i s ,

H a n c o c k , P a u l R e v e r e , t h e m a j o r i t y

o f t h e C o n t i n e n t a l C o n g r e s s , a l l o f W a s h

ing to n ' s t r u s t e d s ta f f o f f i ce r s inc lud ing ,

o f c o u r s e , L a f a y e t t e a n d a l l o f h i s p r i n

c i p a l g e n e r a l s ; t h a t M a s o n r y w h o s e a t

m o s p he r e e n t i r e l y s u r r o u n d e d

W a s h i n g t o n , t h e v e r y f r a m e

w o r k of [ w h o s e ] m i n d

w a s M a s o n i c ; t h a t M a s o n

r y o f w h i c h F r a n k l i n ,

t h e a r c h M a s o n , m a d e

s u c h s h r e w d a n d

c o n t i n u o u s u s e i n

a l l h i s dea l ings wi th

F r a n c e ; t h a t M a s o n

r y w h i c h , t h r o u g h

o n e o f i t s p r o m i

n e n t l o d g e s i n B o s

ton , as s i s t ed by a

cr ew of ins t iga t ed

h o o d l u m s , p r e c i p i

t a t e d a n d a c h i e v e d

t h e B o s t o n T e a P a r t y

a g r e a t M a s o n i c

d a y , a n d A m e r i c a n

M a s o n r y c a n n o t d e c l i n e

t h e h o n o r a n d r e s p o n s i b i l i t y

of hav ing g iven the s igna l f o r

o f t he o ld p rofes s iona l , o r op

e r a t i v e , s y s t e m ; d r a w i n g i t s m e m b e r s h i p

f r o m a m o n g t h e p h i l o s o p h e r s a n d i n t e l

l e c t u a l s r a t h e r t h a n f r o m t h e t e c h n i c a l

w o r k e r s ; a p p e a l i n g t o m e n o f a l l c r e e d s ,

r a c e s , p ro f e s s i o n s, a n d n a t i o n a l i t i e s , b r o t h

e r l y a n d e q u a l i t a r i a n a n d y e t , f o r t h e

s ake o f i t s g r ea t e r p r es t ige , deep ly con

c e r n e d i n t h e e n r o l m e n t o f g r e a t n a m e s

f r o m a m o n g t h e h i g h n o b i l i t y , a l t h o u g h

t h o s e g r e a t p e r s o n s w e r e h a r d l y e v e r

e q u a l i t a r i a n , n o t a l w a y s p h i l o s o p h e r s ,

a n d o n l y i n f r e q u e n t l y i n t e l l e c t u a l ; s e t t i n g

i t s e l f u p a g a i n s t n e i t h e r t h e C h u r c h n o r

t h e S t a t e , s h u n n i n g p o l i t i c a l s t r i f e a n d

yet a t a l l t imes s t eeped in the po l i t i cs o f

o n e c a u s e o r a n o t h e r .

W i th the vogue fo r s ecr e t s oc i e t i es and

for c lubs o f a l l k inds in con junc t ion

wi th the nob i l i t y ' s pas s ion fo r p l ay ing

wi th l i ber a l f i r es , f anned by the new

f r e e d o m o f i d e a s a n d s p e e c h w h i c h h a d

found i t s f i r s t ou t l e t i n the Amer ican war

o f i n d e p e n d e n c e o n e c a n r e a d i l y s e e

what a l l t h i s migh t , and d id , l ead to when

n o t i o n s a n d s p e e c h e s o f e v e r y s o r t b e g a n

t o g e r m i n a t e i n t o t h e F r e n c h R e v o l u t i o n .

As to r evo lu t ion , one o f t he mos t i n

t e r e s t i n g p o r t i o n s o f t h e b o o k f o r A m e r

i can r eader s wi l l be tha t s e t t i ng fo r th the

a n d d i s o r d e r ; i n s t i g a t e d h o o d

l u m s b a c k e d b y a c a r e f u l l y d e l i b e r a t e d

s ecre t i n f luence^ how fami l i a r t ha t s ounds .

T h e s t o r m i n g o f t h e B a s t i l l e , t h e i n v a s i o n

of Ve rsai l les by tho se f ishwives so m an y of

w h o m w e r e m e n i n d i s g u i s e a l l o f t h o s e

m u c h t o u t e d s p o n t a n e o u s p o p u l a r m o v e

m e n t s , a l l o f t h e m a c t u a l l y d e l i b e r a t e l y

s t i r r e d u p a n d a r t i f i c i a l l y e n l i v e n e d a n d

o n e c o m e s a t l a s t t o t h e F r e n c h R e v o l u

t i o n i n t h e e a g e r e x p e c t a t i o n o f t h e m o s t

i m p o r t a n t r e v e l a t i o n s ; r e v e l a t i o n s w h i c h

f o r a l o n g t i m e n o w h a v e b e e n k n o c k i n g

a t t h e d o o r , t o b e a d m i t t e d , a n d i n s p e c t e d ,

a n d f o u n d v a l i d o r i m a g i n e d . B u t i t i s

p r e c i s e l y a t t h i s m o s t c r i t i c a l p o i n t t h a t

t h i s a l l u r i n g b o o k s h u t s u p l i k e a c l a m .

O n e l e a r n s a g r e a t d e a l a b o u t t h e

F r e n c h M a s o n i c l o d g e s o f t h e R e v o l u

t i o n a r y p e r i o d , a g r e a t d e a l a b o u t t h e

l i b e r a l n o b l e s , a g r e a t d e a l a b o u t t h e i n

t e l l e c t u a l i n f l u e n c e o f M a s o n r y o n t h e

progres s o f a f f a i r s , a g r e a t d e a l a b o u t t h e

de l igh t fu l Laf aye t t e the mo s t e f fi c i en t

a n d c o n v e n i e n t t o o l w h i c h a n y p a r t y o r

s o c i e t y p o s s e ss e d . . . h a u n t e d b y t h e e x

a m p l e o f W i l l i a m o f O r a n g e a n d o b s e s s e d

b y t h e im a g e of W a s h i n g t o n , w h o

t u r n e d f o r i n s p i r a t i o n t o M a s o n r y , w h i c h

p r o v i d e d h i m w i t h m i r a g e s , a n d [ w h o ]

n e v e r c e a s e d b e i n g h a u n t e d b y t h e h o p e

t h a t h e c o u l d c a r r y t h r o u g h

hi s

p h i l a n

t h r o p i c , p a r l i a m e n t a r i a n , a n d M a s o n i c

R e v o l u t i o n s .

B u t c o n c e r n i n g t h a t s m o k e w h i c h s t i l l

a r i s e s f r o m e l u s i v e a n d p e r h a p s t o o c a r e

fu l ly h idden f i r es ; concern ing the in f lu

e n c e o f t h e P r u s s i a n l o d g e s ; c o n c e r n i n g

t h e p a r t p l a y e d o r n o t p l a y e d b y t h e r a d i

ca l l odges o f t he I l l umina t i ; concern ing

the t r u th o r f a l s i t y o f t he long s us pec ted

c o n s p i r a c y i n h i g h a n d m o s t s e c r e t

M a s o n i c c i r c l e s t e n d i n g t o w a r d s t h e d e

l i b e r a t e p r o v o c a t i o n o f t h e d e s t r u c t i o n

of the s oc ia l o rder , o f monarchy and o f

r e l i g i o n ; c o n c e r n i n g t h e v e r y c u r i o u s

m a t t e r , fo r i n s t a n c e , o f t h e s t r a n g e u n a n

imi ty o f t he

cahier

c o m p l a i n t s t u r n e d i n

fo r t he S ta t es Genera l ; concern ing , t o go

n o f u r t h e r , t h e r e m a r k a b l e c i r c u m s t a n c e s

a t t e n d i n g t h e i n e x p l i c a b l e r e t r e a t o f t h e

P r u s s i a n a r m y fr o m V a l m y c o n c e r n i n g

a l l t h o s e m a t t e r s : n o t h i n g .

P e r h a p s i t w i l l b e f o r a n o t h e r v o l u m e .

A t a l l e v e n t s , t h e l a s t w o r d f o r i n q u i s i t i v e ,

o r i s i t a f t e r a l l on ly c r edu lous , minds has

n o t y e t b e e n s p o k e n .

Meade Minnigerode is a specialist in the

history of the French Revolution and in

the early history of the American Repub

lic. He is the author of Jefferson, Friend

of France, and co-author of a life of

Aaron Burr.

Bread-and-Milk

on the S toop

B y R O B E R T P . T R I S T R A M C O F F I N

T

H E b o y ' s b o w l r e s t e d o n h i s k n e e s ,

O v e r h e a d i n t h e t a l l t r e e s

L a s t s u n l i g h t t u r n e d t h e t w i g s t o

go ld .

T h e r e w a s t h e s o u n d o f h o m e b o u n d b e e s .

A t h r u s h w a s s i n g i n g l a t e s o m e w h e r e .

T h e h i g h c l o u d s s a i d i t w o u l d b e f a i r

T o m o r r o w , t h e y w e r e l i k e w h i t e s h e l l s

S t r e w n a c r o s s t h e e v e n i n g a i r .

T h e b o y d i p p e d i n h i s k i t c h e n s p o o n ,

H e w o u l d b e a t a l l m a n s o o n

Like h i s f a ther , h i s f a ther s a id ,

A n d g o o u t e v e n i n g s w i t h t h e m o o n .

H e w o u l d m a r r y a g i r l h e k n e w

A n d h a v e a h o r s e , o r m a y b e t w o .

T h e s w e e t p e a s w e r e l i k e l i t t l e b i r d s

B es id e the s toop , bu t ne ve r f lew.

T h e m o r n i n g - g l o r y s t r i n g s g o t t i g h t

E a c h t i m e w h e n i t w a s c o m i n g n i g h t .

H i s k n e e s w o u l d n o t b e b a r e a t a l l ,

T r o u s e r s w o u l d k e e p t h e m o u t o f s i g h t .

C o w s w o u l d b e g o o d t o h a v e a r o u n d .

T h e i r b e l l s h a d a n e v e n i n g s o u n d ,

M i l k w a s a l w a y s c o o l o u t d o o r s .

Hi s toes were the co lo r o f t he g round .

A m a n w o u l d n e v e r w a n t t o w a d e

I n t h e p o o l s a s h o w e r m a d e ,

T h i s s p o o n f u l w a s t h e l a s t t h e r e w a s ,

T o m o r r o w h e ' d p l a y h o u s e in t h e s hade .

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l i t e r a t u r e . The q u e s t i o n was. W h a t do

y o u w a n t ?

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them wan t some th ing de f in i te , pos i t ive ,

c o n s t r u c t i v e in i m a g i n a t i v e w r i t i n g . T h e y

a r e t i r e d of d e b u n k i n g , of w h i n i n g , fu-

t i l i ty , d e f e a t i s m . T h e y are w e a r y of the

s o r d i d . T h e y are b o r e d by e x p o s u r e s .

T h e y are fed up w i t h p a s s i v e p e s s i m i s m .

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a se r ie s of red l igh ts , l ike a c ross town

s t r e e t in NewY o r k w i t h a s t o p at e v e r y

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m i n d s , s o u r b e l l i e s ,or c r a b b e r s . G i v eus a

c h a n c eto goa h e a d ? We arer e a l i s t s w i t h

a p lu s s ignon our s w e a t e r s ,

N o wallt h i s m a yben o t h i n g bu tw o r d s .

T h e p e r c e n t a g e of y o u n g men and wo-

m e n out of co l lege andw i t h o u t a job is

s o a l a r m i n g l y h i g h as toe x p l a i n anyk i n d

o f p r e s s u r e of h o p e u p o n w i l l . K e e p a

y o u n g f e l l o w i n a c t i v e and he wi l l long

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accessto thepub l i c , fo rce it in to id leness

o r in to wr i t ing s lu sh , t r ipe , and s e n s a

t iona l i sm for a l iv ing ,andw h a t h a p p e n s ?

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o v e r w h e l m i n g d e s i r e to b r e a k t h r o u g h

i n t o c l e a r e r air. Thef i r st r e su l t wast y p

ical in the t w e n t i e s ; but whow a n t sany

m o r e tob e l o n g to a l o s t g e n e r a t i o n ? T h a t

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e c o n o m i s t s of a b u n d a n c e w h y t h e y

s h o u l d not l o c k h o r n s in an e q u i v a l e n t

confl ic t of u t t e r l y d i v e r g e n t o p i n i o n s as

t o w h i c h r o a d l e a d s b a c k w a r d and w h i c h

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a n d not m e r e l y the t r a d e s m e n of l e t t e r s

w h i c h Mrs. C o l u m so a d e q u a t e l y d e s

c r i b e d in a r e c e n t n u m b e rof the Review,

t h e y h a v e to bu i ld ed i f ice s of w i l l and

w i s hando u g h t andcan ,inw h i c hthe im-

a g i n a t i o n s of r e a d e r s w i l l c o m e to l ive .

F o r thec r e a t i v e w r i t e r o n l y one p rac t ica l

f a c t a b o u t A m e r i c a is of s u p r e m e i m p o r

t a n c e .

It

cle arly isn ' t f in ished.

It is

s t i l l

a c o u n t r y c a p a b l e

of

i m m e n s e s u r p r i s e s ,

a c o u n t r y t h a t

can

s ti l l e scape f rom

the

r i g i d i t y

of

c i r c u m s t a n c e t h a t t h r e a t e n s

i s lands , s ta te le t s ,

and

w a l l e d - in c o m m u n

i t i e s

of

E u r o p e w i t h p e t r i f a c t i o n , a t r o p h y ,

or suffocation, only

to be

e s c a p e d

by the

i m m e n s e h a z a r d s of p r e v e n t i v e war. And

if

he

fee l s tha t ca rp ing

is

b a n k r u p t

and

it is t i m e to s w i t c h the red l ight in to

g r e e n , t h e n it is his job to c r e a t e the at-

t i t u d e of m i n d s u i t a b l e to a p r o g r e s s i n g

s t a t e .

Form o s tof us w h e n wefai l to act

a c c o r d i n g to c o m m o n s e n s e or g r e e d or

p a n i c orw h a t e v e r e l s e isd i c t a t e d by c i r

c u m s t a n c e ,do sob e c a u s eweh a v e d r a m a

t i z e d o u r s e l v e s as t h i s or t h a t s o r t of a

p e r s o n , h a v e b o r r o w e d a d r e s s for the

i m a g i n a t i o n , and t r i e d to l ive up to it.

A n d t h i s d r e s s it has a l w a y s b e e n che

func t ion of thec r e a t i v e m i n dof the a r t i s t

o r w r i t e r or p h i l o s o p h e r to s u p p l y . It is

o n l y a d re ss , e a s i ly shed , ea s i ly t a t t e red

and so i led , but s u c h c l o t h e s do in a v e r y

rea l sense

at

l e a s t h e l p

to

m a k e

the man.

I f then these p ious a sp i ra t ions of the

y o u n g w r i t e r s are not m e r e l y w o r d s , it

is fair

to ask

t h e m w h a t t h e y m e a n

by

cons t ruc t ive , pos i t ive , de f in i te .

The

y o u t h

o f R u s s i a , G e r m a n y , and I t a l y (in th i s

r e s p e c t at l e a s t all of thes a m e e m o t i o n a l

b r e e d ) h a v e g o n e o v e r w h o l e h e a r t e d l y to

the pos i t ive ,

t he

c o n s t r u c t i v e ,

the

defin ite .

T h e y h a v e a c c e p t e d f o r c e

as

t h e i r p r i n

c ip le and b a c k e d it up by a p e r s u a s i o n

w h i c h has o f ten be en on l y the r u b b e r

cas ing of a b l a c k j a c k . Theb u s i n e s sof the

c r e a t i v e w r i t e r

in

s u c h

a

s i t u a t i o n

is

m a d e

s i m p l e . O n l y

one

a t t i t u d e

of

m i n d

is al -

l o w a b l e and h e n c e he b e c o m e s a p r o p a

g a n d i s t , or (as in G e r m a n y and I t a l y )

c e a s e s w r i t i n g

at all. The

firs t question

o u r c o n f i d e n t y o u n g A m e r i c a n s w h o p r o

p o s e to e m b r a c e thep r o b l e m s of m o d e r n

l i v i n g m u s t a n s w e r is w h e t h e r by c o n

s t r u c t i v e a c t i o n t h e y m e a n v i o l e n c e .And

i f they dom e a n v i o l e n c e w h o s e v i o l e n c e ?

T h e f a s c i s t s ' a t t e m p t to d isc ip l ine a s ta te

s o t h a t the p ro f i t s of cap i ta l i sm may be

g u a r a n t e e d ? Thec o m m u n i s t s ' a t t e m p t to

g i v e p o w e r

to

t h e p r o l e t a r i a t

so

t h a t e v e r y

m a n w i l l s o m e dayh a v e his c h a n c e ? Or

some d i f fe ren t k ind of fo rce app l ied ,

w h i c h w i l l r e i n v i g o r a t e A m e r i c a ? T h a t

w o u l d be pos i t ive ,ande i t h e r c o n s t r u c t i v e

o r d e s t r u c t i v e ? Butw h a t d o e s it m e a nto

t h e i m a g i n a t i o n ? Lett h e msay.

B u t if t h e y do not b e l i e v e in v io lence

u n r e s t r a i n e d by law, if, l i k e the m a j o r

i tyof all c r e a t i v e w r i t e r s f r o m P l a t oand

t h e N e w T e s t a m e n t d o w n , t h e y ares k e p

t ica l

of

fo rce

as a

s o l u t i o n ,

and

a w a r e

t h a t the pen t h a t s t a r t s a r e v o l u t i o n is

u s u a l l y b r o k e n b e f o r e

it is

o v e r , t h e n

of

w h a t cant h e y be c o n f i d en t ? R e a d i n gthe

d e b u n k i n g b o o k s

of the

t w e n t i e s ,

and

r e a d i n g the s u c c e s s s t o r i e s of the s a m e

p e r i o d , a l i k e m a d eus allw o n d e r w h a t w a s

w o r t h s a v i n g in A m e r i c a . T h e s e y o u n g

w r i t e r sdo notfee l tha t wa y . They be l iev e

a p p a r e n t l y t h a t

we are in for

t u m u l t ,

for

t h e b r e a k d o w n of s t a l e i n s t i t u t i o n s , for

v i o l e n c e , e v e n

if not for a

r u l e

by

v i o

l e n c e . But t h e i r s t i l l u n e x p r e s s e d i m a g i

n a t i o n s go b e y o n d all t h i s to som e idea

of a s t a t e , of a c u l t u r e , of an a t t i t u d eof

m i n d w o r t h h a v i n g . W e l l , w h a t is it? We

s h o u l d l i k e

to

k n o w , b o t h b e c a u s e m a n y

of us of an o l d e r g e n e r a t i o n h a v e

con f idence ,

too,

v a g u e

yet

s t r o n g ;

but

a l s o b e c a u s e

we

f e a r t h a t y o u t h

on the

m a r c h ,

not

s u r e

of

w h e r e

it is

g o i n g ,

and

s h o u t i n g L e t ' sdo s o m e t h i n g , is an easy

m a r k for d e m a g o g u e s , d i c t a t o r s , f a n a t i c s ,

a n d e m p t y - h e a d e d i d e a l i s t s .

Ten Years Ago

1925was a b o o m y e a r for b i o g

r a p h i e s of L o r d B y r o n . In the is -

su e of A u g u s t 2 9 t h , 1925, The

S a t u r d a y R e v i e w m e n t i o n e d E.

Barrington 's f ic t ionized l ife , Glo

r i o u s A p o l l o as a sensational

novel. In the O c t o b e r 17th i s sue

B y r o n

in

P e r s p e c t i v e

by J. D.

S y m o n w a s r e v i e w e d ,and S a m u e l

C . C h e w r e c o m m e n d e d in the i s sue

o f Oc tobe r 31s t bo th the newe d i

t ionof B y r o n , byE t h e l C o l b u m

M a y n e , and La Vie deL o r dBy-

r o n , by R o g e r B o u t e t de Monve l .

M r . C h e w a l s o r e v i e w e d The

P i l g r i m of E t e r n i t y : B y r o n A

Conflic t , by J o h n D r i n k w a t e r , in

T h e S a t u r d a y R e v i e w for J a n u

a ry 30 th , 1926. All t h i s i n t e r e s t

w a s o c c a s i o n e d by the ce leb ra t ion

o f B y r o n ' s c e n t e n a r y in 1924.

Today

O n p a g e

5 of

th i s i s sue ,

Mr.

C h e w r e v i e w s B y r o n : TheY e a r s

o f F a m e ,

by

P e t e r Q u e n n e l l ,

the

s t o r yoff o u r y e a r sinth e poe t 's l i fe .