http://chip-squidley.livejournal.com/ (![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
chip-squidley.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
revolution_fr2008-10-23 06:17 pm
chip-squidley.livejournal.com) wrote in revolution_fr2008-10-23 06:17 pm
Entry tags:
Saint-Just and the Masons
I finally finished reading _Saint-Just_ by Bernard Vinot and thought I would share what he thought about the Masonic connection...a topic some of us discussed awhile back.
Vinot concluded that S-J was not a Mason for the following reasons:
In _Organt_ he mocked the Neuf-Soeurs Lodge.
In S-J's "neighborhood" there were two Lodges. One was conservative and anti-revolution. Another was more moderate but closed down in 1792 due to lack of interest. And S-J was too young to join anyway for most of that time.
S-J oversaw the Bureau of Police for the Commitee, which did not trust Masonic organizations.
He had more local rivals than friends that were known to be Masons.
His brother-in-law was a Mason. But we do have a list of members for his Lodge and S-J was not on it. And that Lodge also closed down in 1791.
Masonry was generally in decline at this point, surpassed by the events of the Revolution. S-J would have known this and would not have had anything to gain by membership.
Of course...this is only one book. Others may disagree!
Vinot concluded that S-J was not a Mason for the following reasons:
In _Organt_ he mocked the Neuf-Soeurs Lodge.
In S-J's "neighborhood" there were two Lodges. One was conservative and anti-revolution. Another was more moderate but closed down in 1792 due to lack of interest. And S-J was too young to join anyway for most of that time.
S-J oversaw the Bureau of Police for the Commitee, which did not trust Masonic organizations.
He had more local rivals than friends that were known to be Masons.
His brother-in-law was a Mason. But we do have a list of members for his Lodge and S-J was not on it. And that Lodge also closed down in 1791.
Masonry was generally in decline at this point, surpassed by the events of the Revolution. S-J would have known this and would not have had anything to gain by membership.
Of course...this is only one book. Others may disagree!
no subject
no subject
Unfortunately Mazzucchelli doesn't give any evidence to his statings (it's unclear what are his sources) but he gives this information as it were unequivocal.
Then he goes on discussing the further development in Saint-Just's career, assuming the hypothesis the Masonry helped and substained it (also with financial means) for the reasons mentioned before.
Actually Saint-Just's career is somewhat too quick and there are still enigmas about it, especially concerning his personal economic condition. While in a letter addressed to the editor of his Organt who asked him for some money as a guarantee for the publication he clearly replied he had no money, only a few time later the problem seems to be solved. More, he could buy a discreet amount of National Goods which provided him with a little subside for the rest of his life.
Mazzucchelli wonders how he could afford it at that time. It seems unlikely he invested a sum given him by his mother, because she clearly told him he would have been in possess of his heritage only when he would have reached the age of 25, fearing he would dissipate it. So this sum remains a mystery.
Mazzucchelli believes it was the Masonry to support him.
He relates to the Masonry also the weird letter addressed to Vilain Daubigny (among many things the letter makes mention of Camille Desmoulins, who was a Mason for certain) and the protection he got against the "notable" of Blérancourt, Thérèse's Gellé father, who hated him and made the hardest opposition to his candidature for elections.
Mazzucchelli, although being evidently unsympathetic, never denies Antoine's astonishing talent but he believes it wouldn't have been enough to reach the top of success without the help of someone important - that is for him the Freemasonry.
Well, there are many things I don't like in this biography which often looks non-professional, but in this case something of what is said appears plausible.
It is irritant the author seems completely to forget this topic when he goes along with Saint-Just's election at the National Convention... but if Saint-Just had been really a member of the Masonry it was likely his relationship with it changed drastically when the monarchy became a republic (surpassing the most open views of the French Masonry).
So these are reflections suggested by the book.
Actually we can have no more than suppositions about, I guess. But I am very interested in the subject. So if someone of you has something else to say - s/he is more than welcome !
no subject
Vinot and Mazzucchelli need a third author to decide the issue for them!
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
Thank you for this link, indeed :)
no subject
I've just read that Young's 'Night Thoughts' - incredibly popular romantic book about death - contains masonic symbolism. Desmoulins took a copy with him into prison, and Robespierre was also supposed to keep a copy - but then, I expect everyone did, as it was so popular (Goethe learned English from reading it).