Mackey – Encyclopedia Of Freemasonry Vol. 1

ITALIAN SOCIETIES 193dungeons, many of them underground, where they werestarved or killed by bad treatment, or after long-delayedtrials condemned to the most unjust punishments . I couldgive numerous instances, did they enter into the scopeof this work. The subsequent action of Carbonarism, itsrenewal of the war against the pope, the collapse of thelatter's army, largely composed of Irish loafers, who enteredRome in potato sacks, with a hole for the head and twofor the arms, and his final overthrow, are matters of publichistory .586. Sicilian Societies .-Sicily did not escape the generalinfluence . In 1827 there was formed a secret society infavour of the Greek revolution, the "Friends of Greece,"who, however, also occupied themselves with the affairs ofItaly . There was also the "Secret Society of the Five,"founded ten years before the above, which prepared theinsurrection of the Greeks. In Messina was formed thelodge of the "Patriotic Reformers," founded on Carbonarism,which corresponded with lodges at Florence, Milan, andTurin, by means of musical notes. But the Sicilian Carbonaridid not confine themselves to political aims : to themwas due in a great measure the security of the roads throughoutthe island, which before their advent had been terriblyinfested by malefactors of every kind, who almost daily committedoutrages against peaceful travellers.587. The Consistorials.-But the conspirators againstthrones and the Church were not to have it' all their ownway ; clerical associations were formed to counteract theirefforts. The sect of the °°Consistorials " aimed at thepreservation of feudal and theocratic dominion . The richand ambitious patricians of Rome and other Italian statesbelonged to it ; Tabot, an ex-Jesuit and Confessor to theHoly Father, was the ruling spirit. It is ' said that thissociety proposed to give to the Pope, Tuscany ; the islandof Elba and the Marches, to the King of Naples ; Parma,Piacenza, and a portion of .Lombardy, with the title of King,to the Duke of Modena ; the rest of Lombardy, MassaCarrara, and Lucca, to the King of Sardinia ; and to Russia,which, from jealousy of Austria, favoured these secret designs,either Ancona, or Genoa, or Civita Vecchia, to turn it intotheir Gibraltar. From documents found in the office of theAustrian governor at Milan, it appears that the Duke ofModena, in 1818, presided at a general meeting of theConsistorials, and that Austria was aware of the existenceand intentions of the society .VOL . 11 .N