The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1852-07-29
WESTERLY. R. I. THURSDAY, JULY %, 1852

VI ho0 hoh0o9iyJ AoA "SSn', w
gods as if they had something to do in
the matter, and then kept away from our
wives and sweethearts for months (bach-
elors perhaps were excepted) before we
could be admitted and then in the
darkest gloom Of midnight, amid pcaling
thunder and forked lightning, surrounded
with visions, voices, and hobgoblins,
listening, more dead than alive, to the
reading of mysterious volume Of mys-
tiled mystery from an unseen being
clothed in mysterious robe, speaking
in a mysterious voice, standing in
place, addressing a mystic
rious person, initiated in mysterious
manner into a. mysterious society formed
for a mysterious purpose, governed by
mysterious laws, and all for the benefit
Of somebody or something, so mysterious
that mysterious veil hangs over the
.
mystery. u .s ..I
Let him that readeth understand, if
he can, for he will probably be the only
one of all the vast multitude of mysti6ed
ones that ever did or ever will. For
there was profundity profounded, mys-
terium mystifed.
The Great Grand Most Worshipful
Patriarch of this most mysterious secret
society was called Hierophantes. His
regalia was of a most splendid and
peculiar kind, most mysterious and in
describable Togavirilis. This grand
Patriarch of this ancient Lodge was for
bidden ever to marry. No wife could
ever be to him as the loving hind and
pleasant roe. Such sacrifice, such self
denial bachelors excepted) men then
had to make to wear the regalias of a
G.. G.. M. w. Patriarch. Now man
can fill that chair and have one wife,
at least, and as many children as he
pleases. From a stray leaf of the
society's record, we learn that one Eu-
molpus was the first Hierophantes or
NJ. w. Master. He was inducted into
Office by Ceres herself, the mother of
Proserpine. What were the imposing
ceremonies of his inuguration, must re-
main a mystery to all except his mys-
terious successors. Around the Presi-
dent, and who attended him, were three
other mysterious personages, one who
carried torch, another acted as herald,
whose office was to pronounce certain
mysterious words probably passwords
or shibboleths of the order), and third
who oficiated at the altar. This So
ciety had its gala or festive days, when
the magistrate of the city must see that
all the ceremonies of the feast were pune
tually performed. This feast continued
nine days. The first three days were
occupied in offering sacrifices to the gods
so as to make them propitious. On the
evening of the four tn day the august
and mysterious procession of I" The
Basket" Began, (perhaps this Was the
rise of modern May baskets.) An open
chariot having been procured, to which
were attached several oxen who slowly
aud cum d,gmitate borium, rolled the
mystic car Of Eleusinie, upon which was
placed the still more mystic basket.
Following this Basket chariot was a long
train of Athenian ladies dressed in rega-
liza, each carrying mystic basket in
her hands filed with several mysterious
things which these mystic ladies-took
care mysteriously to conceal, and which
were covered with a mysterious veil OF
purple On the fifth day was the torch
procession. This must have been
splendid sight, equalled only by modern
fireworks. In the evening both men
and women, with flaming torches,t ran
about in frantic ecstasy, capering, shout
This ceremony represented the Basket in
which Proserpine was gathering flowers
when Pluto seized and carried her of.
4 This was in imitation Of Ceres who lighted
her torch at the fire of M Junt Etna, wander