Middletown transcript., 1886-03-26

renewed every nail century, Ior O,oo
years.
The way Cagliostro professed, thro
Egyptian masonry, to communicat'
with angels and prophets was in thi
fashion. A child was chosen and call
ed sthe dove" The count laid hi
hand on, "the dove" blessed it, ant
annointed it with the oil of wisdom
!" The dove" was taken into the tab
ernacle and told to look into a basin
of water, where it would see an angel
It would then address the angel, re.
ceiving replies which were carefully
recorded.
Were it not absolutely a matter Of
history, the influence this rogue ac.
qnired over the minds of thousands
of people would be incredible. They
worshiped him. They lay at his feet,
believing they were made whole by
touching the hem of his garment.
They wore his portrait as charms, set
in rings, and brooches; and placed
his bust In their houses with the motto
Dive Cagliostro-the divine Caglios-
ttro. horeuza was then irt the tt prime
Of youthful beauty, but she declared
she was eighty years Of age, and
introduced everywhere a man Of
considerably more than fifty as her
son-this person was a captain in the
Dutch service an aeeenplice, She
obtained an immense amount of mon
ey and jewels from old ladies, who
hoped thus to have their own youth
and beauty restored. Thus the Count
and Countess Cagliostro travelled
about in almost royal state, with six
carriages andia princely retinue. At
Basle the first pentagon was erected
and about to be opened with gorgeous
ceremonies, when Cagliostro was sum-
moned to Paris by his friend Cardinal
Rohan to take part in the famous
diamond necklace affair which impli-
Gated poor Marie Antionette. In con-
neetion with this mysterious conspir-
acy Cagliostro was imprisoned in the
Bastile nine months.
During his incarceration the French
government received letters from
many of the greatest magnates in
Europe, petitioning his release, the
petitioners variousiy describing Gag
liastro as a distinguished physician,
prophet and friend of the human race.
On being examined by the attorney
general of France concerning the dia-
mond necklace, he was asked by what
right he had assumed the name and
title,of Comte di Cagliostro. His an
swer was sufficiently characteristic to
be recorded:
81 have been all over Europe, said
he, "by the name Of Cagliostro. As to
the title Of count-from the education
I have received, the attention paid TO
me by the Mufti Sullyman, the cheriff
of Mecca, the Grand Master Pinto,
Pope Clement, and most of the sover-
eigns of Europe-you may judge
whether that is not more disguise to
conceal what I I'm, than a title Of
honor" #.-.,. .9-~
On being liberated from the Bastile,
he was ordered to leave Paris; but
when it was found he went no. further
than Passy, and there was followed
by thousands Of believers, he was COM
manded to quit France. He embark
ed at Boulogne for England, but be-
fore he sailed crowds of his dupes knelt
to him on the shore and received his
blessing.
No sooner had the count arrived in
London this second time than he and
Lorenza again began founding mason
10 lodges, and, being Joined by Lord
George Gordon, had soon multitude
Of followers. His name may be found
and reference made to his doings in
many newspapers of that period !; but
il some Of them he was denounced as
a charlatan. One editor alone-and
that a Frenchman, M. Mourand-ap-
pears to have tried to expose his
fraudulent practices.
Cagliostro pretended that he was
proof against poisons. Maurand ridi-
culed the assertion. The count chal-
lenged HMM The Public Advertiser
Of September, 1779-to. the effect that
each should stake 5000 guineas,
breakfast together off sucking pig
fattened with arsenic, and whichever
should be alive the following day
would win the stakes. Maurand de-
and this epigram subsequently,
in The Advertiser:
If you expect me to breakfast, you're
greatly mistaken.
I'll not eat your pig, but I'll save my own
bacon.
On leaving England, aftera length
ened stay. Cagliostro travelled about
the continent till he once more found
in Rome, and there the career
Of this most extraordinary man en-
ded.
He was detected together with his
wife, founding lodges Of Egyptian ma
sonry, arrested, and brought before