, but not
seeking to implicate them where good evidence is not forthcoming. For
this reason I shall not base assertions on merely "anti-Semite" works,
but principally on the writings of the Jews themselves. In the same way
with regard to secret societies I shall rely as far as possible on the
documents and admissions of their members, on which point I have been
able to collect a great deal of fresh data entirely corroborating my
former thesis. It should be understood that I do not propose to give a
complete history of secret societies, but only of secret societies in
their relation to the revolutionary movement. I shall therefore not
attempt to describe the theories of occultism nor to enquire into the
secrets of Freemasonry, but simply to relate the history of these
systems in order to show the manner in which they have been utilized for
a subversive purpose. If I then fail to convince the incredulous that
secret forces of revolution exist, it will not be for want of evidence.

Nesta H. Webster.

CONTENTS

PREFACE

PART I _THE PAST_

I. THE ANCIENT SECRET TRADITION
II. THE REVOLT AGAINST ISLAM
III. THE TEMPLARS
IV. THREE CENTURIES OF OCCULTISM
V. THE ORIGINS OF FREEMASONRY
VI. THE GRAND LODGE ERA
VII. GERMAN TEMPLARISM AND FRENCH ILLUMINISM
VIII. THE JEWISH CABALISTS
IX. THE BAVARIAN ILLUMINATI
X. THE CLIMAX

PART II _THE PRESENT_

XI. MODERN FREEMASONRY
XII. SECRET SOCIETIES IN ENGLAND
XIII. OPEN SUBVERSIVE MOVEMENTS
XIV. PAN-GERMANISM
XV. THE REAL JEWISH PERIL

CONCLUSION

APPENDIX:
I. JEWISH EVIDENCE ON THE TALMUD
II. THE "PROTOCOLS" OF THE ELDERS OF ZION

INDEX

PART I

_THE PAST_

1

THE ANCIENT SECRET TRADITION

The East is the cradle of secret societies. For whatever end they may
have been employed, the inspiration and methods of most of those
mysterious associations which have played so important a part behind the
scenes of the world's history will be found to have emanated from the
lands where the first recorded acts of the great human drama were played
out--Egypt, Babylon, Syria, and Persia. On the one hand Eastern
mysticism, on the other Oriental love of intrigue, framed the systems
later on to be transported to the West with results so tremendous and
far-reaching.

In the study of secret societies we have then a double line to
follow--the course of associations enveloping themselves in secrecy for
the pursuit of esoter