Okay, So What's The Best Way?

He endowed schools for the common people, and two academies for the gentry and the people of business. He gave little portions to the daughters, and prizes to the well-behaving sons of the labouring people. If there ever was a spot upon earth where men may be happy in a state of cultivated society, it was the little principality of Neuwied. I was there in the spring, at the time of the Little Dasain festival; and was able to attend religious ceremonies where I was the only person who was not a member of the local community. Thus we are able most powerfully to promote its interests. The friends and enemies of the Order shall be my friends and enemies; and with respect to both I will conduct myself as directed by the Order, and am ready, in every lawful way, to devote myself to its increase and promotion, and therein to employ all my ability. They will assist him in bringing his talents into action, and will place him in the situations most favorable for their exertion, so that he may be assured of success. But they inform the Order concerning the talents and proficiency of the young member.

In another letter to Cato, we have some hints of the higher degrees, and concerning a peculiar morality, and a popular religion, which the Order was one day to give the world. He would fit them for this by spreading a just morality, by enlightening the understanding, and by assisting the mind to shake off all prejudices. For this purpose he would unite men in a common bond. Should I, through omission, neglect, passion, or wickedness, behave contrary to this good of the Order, I subject myself to what reproof or punishment my Superiors shall enjoin. Surely Mr. Weishaupt had a very serious charge, the education of youth; and his encouragement in that charge was the most flattering that an Illuminatus could wish for, because he had brought round him the youth whose influence in society was the greatest and who would most of all contribute to the diffusing good principles, and exciting to good conduct through the whole state.

A candidate for admission must make his wish known to some Minerval; he reports it to a Superior, who, by a channel to be explained presently, intimates it to the Council. Men are unfit as they are, and must be formed; each class must be the school of trial for the next. In some of his private letters, we learn the means which he employed to acquire this influence among the youth, and they are such as could not fail. Nothing can escape our sight; by these means we shall readily discover who are contented, and receive with relish the peculiar state-doctrines and religious opinions that are laid before them; and, at last, the trust-worthy alone will be admitted to a participation of the whole maxims and political constitution of the Order. It does not appear to me wonderful, therefore, that so many were fascinated till they became at last regardless of the absurdity and inconsistency of the means by which this splendid object was to be attained. As a subordinate object I shall endeavour to gain security to ourselves, a backing in case of misfortunes, and assistance from without. It now appears incompatible with the great object of the Order, the principles of universal liberty and equality--it is therefore rejected without farther examination, for this reason alone.

For this there is no college, and it must therefore require longer time for its attainment. It was said that the dreadful medical apparatus were with propriety in the hands of Counsellor Zwack, who was a judge of a criminal court, and whose duty it was therefore to know such things. There are, in the same hand-writing, Description of a strong box, which, if forced open, shall blow up and destroy its contents--Several receipts for procuring abortion--A composition which blinds or kills when spurted in the face--A sheet, containing a receipt for sympathetic ink--Tea for procuring abortion--Herbæ quæ habent qualitatem deleteriam--A method for filling a bed-chamber with pestilential vapours--How to take off impressions of seals, so as to use them afterwards as seals--A collection of some hundreds of such impressions, with a list of their owners, princes, nobles, clergymen, merchants, &c.--A receipt ad excitandum furorem uterinum--A manuscript entitled, "Better than Horus." It was afterwards printed and distributed at Leipzig fair, and is an attack and bitter satire on all religion. Wedding Bells For Cynthia Wedding chapel. There was also a set of portraits, or characters of eighty-five ladies in Munich; with recommendations of some of them for members of a Lodge of Sister Illuminatæ; also injunctions to all the Superiors to learn to write with both hands; and that they should use more than one cypher.