al impress an impartial reader as a
species of childish theatricals, a criticism practically exhausting the
entire motive of the order, which, as I have already stated, lapsed into
obscurity, and, so far as can be traced, into desuetude, though our
witness uniformly refers to it in the present tense, and as if it were
in active operation. However this may be, the description and summary of
the ritual given by Leo Taxil place it outside the possibility of a
connection with Templar Masonry, and also with the Baphomet Palladium in
spite of what is alleged to the contrary. Accepting the worst
construction which is placed on its intention, it could have offered no
point of contact with the alleged project of Albert Pike. So far,
therefore, the information contained in _Les Soeurs Maconnes_ conflicts
with the history of the New and Reformed Palladium as given in my second
chapter.

It has been said, however, that Leo Taxil charges another Masonic order
of the androgyne type with satanic practices. He divides the Egyptian
Rite of Adoption into three grades; in that of apprentice, the discourse
represents Adonai as the Genius of Pride, and the serpent-tempter of
Genesis as the eternal principle of goodness; in that of Companion, the
symbolism of the ritual enforces the necessity of rehabilitating the
character of the mystic serpent; in that of Egyptian Mistress, there is
a pretended evocation of planetary spirits by means of a clairvoyante,
and Leo Taxil affirms on his own authority that the Supreme Being
referred to in the discourse at initiation is Satan. "According to the
doctrine of the sect, the divinity is formed of two opposite principles,
the genius of Being, who is Lucifer, and the genius of Destruction, who
is Adonai." This is so obviously the doctrine of the Luciferian
Palladians that it is difficult to understand why the institution of
Charleston is not connected, as to purpose, if not as to origin, with
the Egyptian Adoptive Rite of Misraimite Masonry.

At this point, however, it becomes my duty to state that there are some
very curious facts in connection with the "Catechism of the Officiating
Mistress," which is the source of information for the alleged Manichaean
character of the third degree. The more considerable and essential
portion of that document, so far from being referable to the supposed
founder of the Rite, namely, Count Cagliostro, is a series of mutilated
passages taken from Eliphas Levi's _Dogme e