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
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).