Mackey – Encyclopedia Of Freemasonry Vol. 1

FREEMASONRY IN ITALY 73the Illuminati, mystical and alchymistical, and in oppositionto the Rosicrucians, called the "Initiated Brethren of Asia,"which had been founded at Vienna . It only accepted candidateswho had passed through the first three degrees ofthe York rite. Like Egyptian Masonry, it worshipped theTetragrammaton, and combined the deepest and most philosophicalideas with the most curious superstitions .456. Freemasonry at Naples .-In the kingdom of Naplesthe Masons amounted to many thousands . An edict ofCharles III . (1751), and another of Ferdinand IV . (1759),closed the lodges, but in a short time the edicts becamea dead letter, and in vain did the minister, Tanucci, hostileto the institution, seek to revive them . The incident of aneophyte dying a few days after his initiation gave a pretextfor fresh persecution . The Masons, assembled at a banquet,were arrested ; and in vain did Levy, a lawyer, undertake theirdefence. He was expelled the kingdom ; his book in favourof the Order was publicly burnt by the executioner . ButQueen Caroline, having dismissed Tanucci, again sanctionedmasonic meetings, for which she received the thanks of theGrand Orient of France . It would seem, however, that in avery few years Freemasonry again had to hide its head, forin 1767 we hear of it as a "secret" society, whose existencehas just been discovered . The document which records thisdiscovery puts the number of Freemasons at 64,000, whichprobably is an exaggeration ; still, among so excitable a populationas that of Southern Italy, secret societies at all timesfound plenty of proselytes.457 . Details of Document.-The document referred to saysAt last the great mine of the Freemasons of Naples is discovered,of whom the name, but not the secret, was known .Two circumstances are alleged by which the discovery wasbrought about : a dying man revealed all to his confessor,that he should inform the king thereof ; a knight, who hadbeen kept in great state by the society, having had his pensionwithheld, betrayed the Grand Master of the Order to theking . This Grand Master was the Duke of San Severo .The king secretly sent a confidential officer with three dragoonsto the duke's mansion, with orders to seize him beforethe had time to speak to any one, and bring him to the palace .The order was carried out ; but a few minutes after a firebroke out in the duke's mansion, destroying his library, thereal object being, as is supposed, to burn all writings havingreference to Freemasonry . The fire was extinguished, andthe house guarded by troops . The duke having been brought