Devil-Worship in France | Page 2

of my work had been sketched, and a number of chapters
written, when I found myself to some extent preceded by a writer well
known to occultists under the pseudonym of Papus, who has quite
recently published a small brochure, entitled Le Diable et L'Occultisme,
which is a brief defence of transcendentalists against the accusations in
connection with Satanism. I gladly yield to M. Papus the priority in
time, which was possible to a well-informed gentleman, at the centre of
the conspiracy. His little work, however, does not claim to be either a
review or a criticism, and does not therefore, in any sense, cover the
ground which I have travelled. It is an exposition and exoneration of
his own school of mystic thought, which is that of the Martinists, and I
have mentioned it in this connection in its proper place.

CONTENTS
PAGE
PREFACE v

CHAPTER I
SATANISM IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY 1
CHAPTER II
THE MASK OF MASONRY 22
CHAPTER III
THE FIRST WITNESSES OF LUCIFER 42
CHAPTER IV
EX ORE LEONIS 53
CHAPTER V
THE DISCOVERY OF M. RICOUX 74
CHAPTER VI
ART SACERDOTAL 82
CHAPTER VII
THE DEVIL AND THE DOCTOR 97
CHAPTER VIII
DEALINGS WITH DIANA 162
CHAPTER IX
HOW LUCIFER IS UNMASKED 182
CHAPTER X

THE VENDETTA OF SIGNOR MARGIOTTA 201
CHAPTER XI
FEMALE FREEMASONRY 225
CHAPTER XII
THE PASSING OF DOCTOR BATAILLE 233
CHAPTER XIII
DIANA UNVEILED 255
CHAPTER XIV
THE RADIX OF MODERN DIABOLISM 290
CHAPTER XV
CONCLUSION 299

DEVIL-WORSHIP IN FRANCE
CHAPTER I
SATANISM IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
If a short time ago that ultimate and universal source of reference, the
person of average intelligence, had been asked concerning Modern
Diabolism, or the Question of Lucifer,--What it is? Who are its
disciples? Where is it practised? And why?--he would have replied,
possibly with some asperity:--"The question of Lucifer! There is no
question of Lucifer. Modern Diabolism! There is no modern
Diabolism." And all the advanced people and all the strong minds
would have extolled the average intelligence, whereupon the matter

would have been closed hermetically, without disquieting and
unwelcome investigations like the present.
The Great Teacher of Christianity beheld Lucifer fall from heaven like
lightning, and, in a different sense, the modern world has witnessed a
similar spectacle. Assuredly the demon of Milton has been cast down
from the sky of theology, and, except in a few centres of extreme
doctrinal concentration, there is no place found for him. The apostles of
material philosophy have in a manner searched the universe, and have
produced--well, the material philosophy, and therein is no question of
Lucifer. At the opposite pole of thought there is, let us say, the
spiritualist, in possession of many instruments superior, at least by the
hypothesis, to the search-lights of science, through which he receives
the messages of the spheres and establishes a partial acquaintance with
an order which is not of this world; but in that order also there appears
to be no question of Lucifer, though vexed questions there are without
number concerning "unprogressed spirits," to say nothing of the
elementary. Between these poles there is the flux and reflux of
multitudinous opinions; but, except at the centres mentioned, there is
still no question of Lucifer; it has been shelved or dropped.
The revival of mystical philosophy, and, moreover, of transcendental
experiment, which is prosecuted in secret to a far greater extent than the
public can possibly be aware, has, however, set many old oracles
chattering, and they are more voluble at the present moment than the
great Dodonian grove. As might be expected, they whisper occasionally
of deeds done in the darkness which look weird when exposed to the
day. The terms Satanism, Luciferianism, Diabolism, and their
equivalents, have been buzzed frequently, though with some
indistinctness, of late, and in accents that indicate the existence of a
living terror--people do not quite know of what kind--rather than an
exploded superstition. To be plain, the Question of Lucifer has
reappeared, and in a manner which must be eminently disconcerting to
the average intelligence and the advanced and strong in mind. It has
reappeared not as a speculative inquiry into the possibility of a personal
embodiment of evil operating mysteriously, but after a wholly spiritual
manner, for the propagation of the second death; we are asked to

acknowledge that there is a visible and tangible manifestation of the
descending hierarchy taking place at the close of a century which has
denied that there is any prince of darkness.
Now there are some subjects which impress one at first sight as
unserious, but we come to regard them differently when we find that
they are being taken seriously. We have been accustomed, with some
show of reason, to connect the idea of devil-worship with barbarous
rites obtaining among savage nations, to