see no great plan, Scipio is
negligent, and of Ajax I will not speak at all.... Confucius is
worth very little: he is too inquisitive and a terrible chatterer
[_ein grausamer Schwatzer_].[583]

Agrippa must be quite struck off our list, for the rumour goes
round ... that he has stolen a gold and silver watch together with
a ring from our best fellow-worker Sulla.[584]

It will doubtless be suggested at this point that all these letters
merely portray the lofty idealist sorrowing over the frailties of his
erring disciples, but let us hear what Weishaupt has to say about
himself. In a letter to Marius (Hertel) he writes:

And now in the strictest confidence, a matter near my heart, which
robs me of all rest, makes me incapable of anything and drives me
to despair. I stand in danger of losing my honour and my reputation
which gave me so much power over our people. Think, my
sister-in-law is expecting a child.[585] I have for this purpose
sent to Euriphon in Athens to solicit the marriage licence and
Promotorial from Rome, you see how much depends on this and that no
time must be lost; every minute is precious. But if the
dispensation does not arrive, what shall I do? How shall I make
amends to the person since I alone am to blame? We have already
tried several ways to get rid of the child; she herself was
resolved for anything. But Euriphon is too timid and yet I see no
other expedient, if I could ensure the silence of Celsus he could
help me and indeed he already promised me this three years
ago....[586] If you can help me out of this dilemma, you will give
me back life, honour, peace and power to work.... I do not know
what devil led me astray, I who always in these circumstances took
extreme precautions.[587]

A little later Weishaupt writes again:

All fatalities happen to me at the same time. Now there is my
mother dead! Corpse, wedding, christening all in a short time, one
on the top of the other. What a wonderful mix-up
[_mischmasch_]![588]

So much for what Mr. Gould calls the "rare qualities" of Weishaupt's
heart. Let us now listen to the testimony of Weishaupt's principal
coadjutor, Philo (the Baron von Knigge), to whom the "historian of
Freemasonry" refers as "a lovable enthusiast." In all subversive
associations, whether open or secret, directed by men who aim at pow