the ancien regime-第15部分

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fair　chance　of　knowing　what　we　know？　　Have　we　proof　that　their

hatred　was　against　all　religion；　or　only　against　that　which　they　saw

around　them？　　Have　we　proof　that　they　would　have　equally　hated；　had

they　been　in　permanent　contact　with　them；　creeds　more　free　from

certain　faults　which　seemed　to　them；　in　the　case　of　the　French

Church；　ineradicable　and　inexpiable？　　Till　then　we　must　have

charitywhich　is　justiceeven　for　the　philosophes　of　the

eighteenth　century。



This　view　of　the　case　had　been　surely　overlooked　by　M。　de

Tocqueville；　when　he　tried　to　explain　by　the　fear　of　revolutions；

the　fact　that　both　in　America　and　in　England；　〃while　the　boldest

political　doctrines　of　the　eighteenth…century　philosophers　have　been

adopted；　their　anti…religious　doctrines　have　made　no　way。〃



He　confesses　that；　〃Among　the　English；　French　irreligious　philosophy

had　been　preached；　even　before　the　greater　part　of　the　French

philosophers　were　born。　　It　was　Bolingbroke　who　set　up　Voltaire。

Throughout　the　eighteenth　century　infidelity　had　celebrated

champions　in　England。　　Able　writers　and　profound　thinkers　espoused

that　cause；　but　they　were　never　able　to　render　it　triumphant　as　in

France。〃　　Of　these　facts　there　can　be　no　doubt：　　but　the　cause　which

he　gives　for　the　failure　of　infidelity　will　surely　sound　new　and

strange　to　those　who　know　the　English　literature　and　history　of　that

century。　　It　was；　he　says；　〃inasmuch　as　all　those　who　had　anything

to　fear　from　revolutions；　eagerly　came　to　the　rescue　of　the

established　faith。〃　　Surely　there　was　no　talk　of　revolutions；　no

wish；　expressed　or　concealed；　to　overthrow　either　government　or

society；　in　the　aristocratic　clique　to　whom　English　infidelity　was

confined。　　Such　was；　at　least；　the　opinion　of　Voltaire；　who　boasted

that　〃All　the　works　of　the　modern　philosophers　together　would　never

make　as　much　noise　in　the　world　as　was　made　in　former　days　by　the

disputes　of　the　Cordeliers　about　the　shape　of　their　sleeves　and

hoods。〃　　If　（as　M。　de　Tocqueville　says）　Bolingbroke　set　up　Voltaire；

neither　master　nor　pupil　had　any　more　leaning　than　Hobbes　had　toward

a　democracy　which　was　not　dreaded　in　those　days　because　it　had　never

been　heard　of。　　And　if　（as　M。　de　Tocqueville　heartily　allows）　the

English　apologists　of　Christianity　triumphed；　at　least　for　the　time

being；　the　cause　of　their　triumph　must　be　sought　in　the　plain　fact

that　such　men　as　Berkeley；　Butler；　and　Paley；　each　according　to　his

light；　fought　the　battle　fairly；　on　the　common　ground　of　reason　and

philosophy；　instead　of　on　that　of　tradition　and　authority；　and　that

the　forms　of　Christianity　current　in　Englandwhether　Quaker；

Puritan；　or　Anglicanoffended；　less　than　that　current　in　France；

the　common…sense　and　the　human　instincts　of　the　many；　or　of　the

sceptics　themselves。＇



But　the　eighteenth　century　saw　another　movement；　all　the　more

powerful；　perhaps；　because　it　was　continually　changing　its　shape；

even　its　purpose；　and　gaining　fresh　life　and　fresh　adherents　with

every　change。　　Propagated　at　first　by　men　of　the　school　of　Locke；　it

became　at　last　a　protest　against　the　materialism　of　that　school；　on

behalf　of　all　that　is；　or　calls　itself；　supernatural　and　mysterious。

Abjuring；　and　honestly；　all　politics；　it　found　itself　sucked　into

the　political　whirlpool　in　spite　of　itself；　as　all　human　interests

which　have　any　life　in　them　must　be　at　last。　　It　became　an　active

promoter　of　the　Revolution；　then　it　helped　to　destroy　the

Revolution；　when　that　had；　under　Napoleon；　become　a　levelling

despotism；　then　it　helped；　as　actively；　to　keep　revolutionary

principles　alive；　after　the　reaction　of　1815：a　Protean

institution；　whose　power　we　in　England　are　as　apt　to　undervalue　as

the　governments　of　the　Continent　were　apt；　during　the　eighteenth

century；　to　exaggerate　it。　　I　mean；　of　course；　Freemasonry；　and　the

secret　societies　which；　honestly　and　honourably　disowned　by

Freemasonry；　yet　have　either　copied　it；　or　actually　sprung　out　of

it。　　In　England；　Freemasonry　never　was；　it　seems；　more　than　a

liberal　and　respectable　benefit…club；　for　secret　societies　are

needless　for　any　further　purposes；　amid　free　institutions　and　a　free

press。　　But　on　the　Continent　during　the　eighteenth　century；

Freemasonry　excited　profound　suspicion　and　fear　on　the　part　of

statesmen　who　knew　perfectly　well　their　friends　from　their　foes；　and

whose　precautions　were；　from　their　point　of　view；　justified　by　the

results。



I　shall　not　enter　into　the　deep　question　of　the　origin　of

Freemasonry。　　One　uninitiate；　as　I　am；　has　no　right　to　give　an

opinion　on　the　great　questions　of　the　mediaeval　lodge　of　Kilwinning

and　its　Scotch　degrees；　on　the　seven　Templars；　who；　after　poor

Jacques　Molay　was　burnt　at　Paris；　took　refuge　on　the　Isle　of　Mull；

in　Scotland；　found　there　another　Templar　and　brother　Mason；

ominously　named　Harris；　took　to　the　trowel　in　earnest；　and　revived

the　Order；on　the　Masons　who　built　Magdeburg　Cathedral　in　876；　on

the　English　Masons　assembled　in　Pagan　times　by　〃St。　Albone；　that

worthy　knight；〃　on　the　revival　of　English　Masonry　by　Edwin；　son　of

Athelstan；　on　Magnus　Grecus；　who　had　been　at　the　building　of

Solomon's　Temple；　and　taught　Masonry　to　Charles　Martel；　on　the

pillars　Jachin　and　Boaz；　on　the　masonry　of　Hiram　of　Tyre；　and　indeed

of　Adam　himself；　of　whose　first　fig…leaf　the　masonic　apron　may　be　a

typeon　all　these　matters　I　dare　no　more　decide　than　on　the　making

of　the　Trojan　Horse；　the　birth　of　Romulus　and　Remus；　or　the

incarnation　of　Vishnoo。



All　I　dare　say　is；　that　Freemasonry　emerges　in　its　present　form　into

history　and　fact；　seemingly　about　the　beginning　of　George　I。's

reign；　among　Englishmen　and　noblemen；　notably　in　four　lodges　in　the

city　of　London：　　（1）　at　The　Goose　and　Gridiron　alehouse　in　St。

Paul's　Churchyard；　（2）　at　The　Crown　alehouse　near　Drury　Lane；　（3）　at

The　Apple　Tree　tavern　near　Covent　Garden；　（4）　at　The　Rummer　and

Grapes　tavern；　in　Charnel　Row；　Westminster。　　That　its　principles

were　brotherly　love　and　good　fellowship；　which　included　in　those

days　port；　sherry；　claret；　and　punch；　that　it　was　founded　on　the

ground　of　mere　humanity；　in　every　sense　of　the　word；　being　（as　was

to　be　expected　from　the　temper　of　the　times）　both　aristocratic　and

liberal；　admitting　to　its　ranks　virtuous　gentlemen　〃obliged；〃　says

an　old　charge；　〃only　to　that　religion　wherein　all　men　agree；　leaving

their　particular　opinions　to　themselves：　　that　is；　to　be　good　men

and　true；　or　men　of　honour　and　honesty；　by　whatever　denominations　or

persuasions　they　may　be　distinguished；　whereby　Masonry　becomes　the

centre　of　union　and　means　of　conciliating　true　friendship　among

persons　that　otherwise　must　have　remained　at　a　distance。〃



Little　did　the　honest　gentlemen　who　established　or　re…established

their　society　on　these　grounds；　and　fenced　it　with　quaint

ceremonies；　old　or　new；　conceive　the　importance　of　their　own　act；

we；　looking　at　it　from　a　distance；　may　see　all　that　such　a　society

involved；　which　was　quite　new　to　the　world　just　then；　and　see；　that

it　was　the　very　child　of　the　Ancien　Regimeof　a　time　when　men　were

growing　weary　of　the　violent　factions；　political　and　spiritual；

which　had　torn　Europe　in　pieces　for　more　than　a　century；　and　longed

to　say：　　〃After　all；　we　are　all　alike　in　one　thingfor　we　are　at

least　men。〃



Its　spread　through　England　and　Scotland；　and　the　seceding　bodies

which　arose　from　it；　as　well　as　the　supposed　Jacobite　tendency　of

certain　Scotch　lodges；　do　not　concern　us　here。　　The　point

interesting　to　us　just　now　is；　that　Freemasonry　was　imported　to　the

Continent　exclusively　by　English　and　Scotch　gentlemen　and　noblemen。

Lord　Derwentwater　is　said　by　some　to　have　founded　the　〃Loge

Anglaise〃　in　Paris　in　1725；　the　Duke　of　Richmond　one　in　his　own

castle　of　Aubigny　shortly　after。　　It　was　through　Hanoverian

influence　that　the　movement　seems　to　have　spread　into　Germany。　　In

1733；　for　instance；　the　English　Grand　Master；　Lord　Strathmore；

permitted　eleven　German　gentlemen　and　good　brethren　to　form　a　lodge

in　Hamburg。　　Into　this　English　Society　was　Frederick　the　Great；　when

Crown　Prince；　initiated；　in　spite　of　strict　old　Frederick　William's

objections；　who　had　heard　of　it　as　an　English　invention　of

irreligious　tendency。　　Francis　I。　of　Austria　was　made　a　Freemason　at

the　Hague；　Lord　Chesterfield　being　in　the　chair；　and　then　became　a

Master　in　London　under　the　name　of　〃Brother　Lothringen；〃　to　the

discontent　of　Maria　Theresa；　whose　woman's　wit　saw　farther　than　her

husband。　　Englishmen　and　Scotchmen　introduced　the　new　society　into

Russia　and　into　Geneva。　　Sweden　and　Poland　seem　to　have　received　it

from　France；　while；　in　the　South；　it　seems　to　have　been　exclusively

an　English　plant。　　Sackville；　Duke　of　Middlesex；　is　said　to　have

founded　the　first　lodge　at　Florence　in　1733；　Lord　Coleraine　at

Gibraltar　and　Madrid；　one　Gordon　in　Portugal；　and　everywhere；　at　the

commencement　of　the　movement；　we　find　either　London　or　Scotland　the

mother…lodges；　introducing　on　the　Continent　those　liberal　and　humane

ideas　of　which　England　was　then　considered；　to　her　glory；　as　the

only　home　left　on　earth。



But；　alas！　the　seed　sown　grew　up　into　strange　shapes；　according　to

the　soil　in　which　it　rooted。　　False　doctrine；　heresy；　and　schism；

according　to　Herr　Findel；　the　learned　and　rational　historian　whom　I

have　chiefly　followed；　defiled　the　new　Church　from　its　infancy。　　〃In

France；〃　so　he　bemoans　himself；　〃first　of　all　there　shot　up　that

baneful　seed　of　lies　and　frauds；　of　vanity　and　presumption；　of

hatred　and　discord；　the　mischievous　high　degrees；　the　misstatement

that　our　order　was　allied　to　the　Templars；　and　existed　at　the　time

of　the　Crusades；　the　removal　of　old　charges；　the　bringing　in

surreptitiously　of　a　multitude　of　symbols　and　forms　which　awoke　the

love　of　secrecy；　knighthood；　and；　in　fact；　all　which　tended　to

poison　Freemasonry。〃　　Herr　Findel　seems　to　attribute　these　evils

principa