The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-12-27
SECRET SOCIETIES
The Earliest Ones Had Strenuous
Initiation Rites.
SEVERE TESTS OF COURAGE.

The Egyptians Subjected Candidates
to a Threefold Trial by Fire, by Wa.
ter and by Air--The Order Of Assas-
sins and Their Sham Paradise.
Among primitive communities in
which might is right and the tyranny
of superstition is absolute minorities
have always been treated with scant
consideration, and overt dissent from
the opinions OF the majority had a
tendency TO initiate against the sur
viyal of the dlssenter Liberty of
thought and action, qualified only by
the rights Of others, is comparative
ly late growth. But thought dies hard
and when denied open expression lives
In secret impaired to few chosen as.
sociates until the times are ripe for II
TO be divulged. Thus a few thinkers
and their disciples would band them
selves together into secret society.
and the instinct OF self preservation
Wodfd Nuuat tHth W Eualu ubhlhSt
their secret being revealed to the un-
initiated
The earliest secret societies were
religious rather than political. In the
mysteries Of Persia, India and Egypt
an inner ring Of priests formed an ex-
elusive association whose members
gradually became the repositories OF
the bulk Of the learning OF the COM
munity. Severe tests OF courage and
nerve were imposed upon all aspirants
for admission to the order Among the
Egyptians the neophyte was taken
down deep shaft in one of the pyra-
mids and subjected TO threefold trial
by fire. by water and by air.
He had to walk across grating Of
redhot iron bars, with narrow inter
stices wherein he might tread In safe
ty, TO swim a wide and dark channel
communicating with the Nile and to
hang suspended by two Iron rings over
an abyss In the blast Of two swiftly
revolving wheels. Even then he had TO
undergo prolonged fasting and silence
and to take an onth of secrecy ere his
Initiation was complete. secret
brotherhood Of mobiles, partly religious
and partly political. which aimed at
the concentration of knowledge and
power in the hands of its members. was
established by Pythagoras at Crotona,
IN the south Of Italy. For a time IL
succeeded in gaining the supreme d.
rection Of affairs, but after the Syba,
rites had succumbed to the Spartan
discipline Of the order it was suppress
ed by a rising Of the Discontinued
During the middle ages the unset
tied and lawless condition Of many
engendered by the weakness
or the absence OF their nominal rulers
was especially favorable 10 the growth
of secret societies. Toward the close
Of the eleventh century Hasan-ben- |
Sabah. Mohammedan fanatic who |
had been fellow student with Omar |
at Naishapur seized the cas-.
tie of Alamut and founded the sect OF
the assassins. 1t is still a moot point |
the word which their evil !
deeds have given a permanent place in |
the languages Of Europe as a synonym
for murderers be derived from the |
founders name or from the hemp OPT. |
lte hashish wherewith they were |
wont TO fiddle their brains TO pitch |
)f sudden frenzy. The Venetian tray
eler Marco Polo tells Of an ingenious
plan adopted by their chieftain to in
sure the unquestioning devotion of his
lupes. This was no less than the
'reation OF sham paradise with lux
irious gardens, rivers Of honey and
vine and houris. all complete. Thither
he man selected for any dangerous
exploit was transported In state Of
and on his return was
old that he had been given a foretaste
" his life after death.
The terror of their name soon spread
through Europe. No potentate was
'afe from the vengeance Of sect