The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1911-08-25

to a Threefod 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 n
tendency to initiate against the sur
vival of the dissentcr Liberty of
thought and action, qualified only by
the rights of others, Is comparative
~ late growth. But thought dies hard
and when denied open expression lives
in secret impaired To n few chosen as
socintcs until the times are ripe for 1t
to be divulgcd, Thus n few thinkers
and their disciples would band them
selves together into n secret society,
and the instinct of self preservation
would cause them to guard against
their secret being revealed 10 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 sub jected TO threefold trial
by fire, by water and by air.
He had to walk across n grating OF
redhot iron bars. with narrow inter
ptices Whcrcon lie might tread In safe
ty, To swim n 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 oath of secrecy ere his
Initiation was complete A 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 ut Crotona,
In the south of Italy. For time 1t
succeeded in gaining the supreme di-
rection Of affairs, but after the Syba
rites had sucCumbcd to the Spartan
discipline Of the order It was suppress
ed hy rising Of the discontinued
During the middle ages the unset
tied aud lawlcss condition of many
countries cngcndered by the weakness
or the absence of their nominal rulers
was especially favorable to the growth
of secret societies Toward the close
of the eleventh century llasanben-
Sabah Mohammcdan fanatic who
had been n fellow student with Omar
khayyum ut Naishapur, seized the cas-
tie OF Alamut and founded the sect of
the asSassins II Is still moot point
whether the word which their evil
deeds have given permanent place In
the languages of Europe us synonym
for murdcrCrS hc derived from the
founders name or from the hemp Opt
ate hashlsh whcrewith they were
wont Co fuddlc their brains to n pitch
of sudden frenzy. The Venetian tray
eler Marco Polo tells of an ingenious
plan adopted by their chicftain to in
sure the unquestloning devotion OF his
dupes This was no less than the
creation of n sham paradise with lux
urlous gardens. rivers OF honey and
Wine and hourls, all complete. Thther
the man selected for any dangerous
exploit was transported in n state of
int0NiCatiuu and on his return was
told that lac had been given foretaste
of his life after death
The terror of their name soon spread
through Europe. Ne potcntate WAS
safe from the vengeance of sect
which regarded death In the execution
of their lords DEGREES rs the gate of
paradise King Philip Augustus of
France, contemporary and foe of Rich
ard Occur de Lion. having incurred
their eumity. was SO afraid of them
that he dared not stir abroad without
his guards around him. and perhaps
his fear aprcused the ruthless sheik
for their plans rarely mscarrcd The
order was ultimately crushed IN 1856
~ 3lil III Nlisl'll ~ htlE'lN uliAit'l lAu
laku Khan.
In Germany the violence and an
archy that prevailed after the outlaw
ry of Henry the Lion, when every pet
ty baron tyrannizcd without let or
hindrauce over NIL whom his power
could reach. led to the institution of
II very different secret society, whose
functions were purely judicial The
'VehmGcricht" WAS an attempt to
check the license of the feudal lords
and to secure the due Chastisemcut Of
crime II was the proud boast of this
court that II Judged in secret and pun
ished IN secret. Every member was
sworn To reveal all crimes that came
to his notice, even If committed by
those nearest and dearest to him;
hence II hcoame Il maxim of the jul
rsts of the time. Non frazier fratre.
non hoSpeS ah hospite, TITUS" The
sentence Of the court involved outlaw
~. degradation and death the con
demned was declared "Vehmbar" and
was rclentcssly pursued by at least
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