Christianity, an attitude they defend on the score
that it is unlawful to reveal the secret dogmas of their creed to a
"Black," or unbeliever.

The Druses are in the habit of holding meetings where, as in the Dar ul
Hikmat, both men and women assemble and religious and political
questions are discussed; the uninitiated, however, are allowed to
exercise no influence on decisions, which are reached by the inner
circle, to which only the "Wise" are admitted. The resemblance between
this organization and that of Grand Orient Freemasonry is clearly
apparent. The Druses also have modes of recognition which are common to
Freemasonry, and M. Achille Laurent has observed: "The formula or
catechism of the Druses resembles that of the Freemasons; one can learn
it only from the _Akals_ (or Akels = Intelligent, a small group of
higher initiates), who only reveal its mysteries after having subjected
one to tests and made one take terrible oaths."

I shall refer again later in this book to the affinity between the
Druses and Freemasons of the Grand Orient.

The Assassins

It will be seen that the Druses, distinguishing themselves from other
Ismaili sects by their worship of Hakim, yet retaining genuine religious
beliefs, had not carried on the atheistical tradition of Abdullah ibn
Maymun and of the Grand Lodge of Cairo. But this tradition was to
find in 1090 an exponent in the Persian Hasan Saba, a native of
Khorasan, the son of Ali, a strict Shiah, who, finding himself suspected
of heretical ideas, ended by declaring himself a Sunni. Hasan, brought
up in this atmosphere of duplicity, was therefore well fitted to play
the Machiavellian role of an Ismaili Dai.

Von Hammer regards Hasan as a mighty genius, one of a splendid triad,
of which the two others were his schoolfellows the poet Omar Khayyam and
Nizam ul Mulk, Grand Vizier under the Seljuk Sultan, Malik Shah. Hasan,
having through the protection of Nizam ul Mulk secured titles and
revenues and finally risen to office at the Court of the Sultan,
attempted to supplant his benefactor and eventually retired in disgrace,
vowing vengeance against the Sultan and vizier. At this juncture he
encountered several Ismailis, one of whom, a Dai named Mumin, finally
converted him to the principles of his sect, and Hasan, declaring
himself now to be a convinced adherent of the Fatimite Khalifas, journed
to Cairo, where he was received with honour by the Dar ul Hikmat and
also by the