Diana Vaughan.

DIANA VAUGHAN .

THE following letters appeared in a recent issue of our contemporary , the " Tablet : " SIB , —The name of Diana Vaughan has appeared so often in tlie " Tablet " of late that many of your readers must be curious to know who she is . Permit me to answer this question as well as I can . The public life of Diana Vaughan , that is to say her Masonic life , stands revealed in the literature of Masonry , and Anti-Masonry . She has been before the world for some years as a prominent Mason of high degree , and a militant one ; fighting against Christianity with one hand , and against the corruptions of her own sect , Luciferianism , with the other .

She was born in America on 29 th February 1864 . Hor father was one of the chief Luoiferians of America . Her mother was a French Protestant of Cevennes . Her mother died when she was fourteen years of age . Through her father ' s influence she was apprenticed Mason at nineteen years of age—15 th March 1883 . She got the next degree of companion on 20 th December 1888 , and mistress on 1 st May 1884 . On 28 th October 1884 she received the " grade of " Chevaliere Elue Palladique , " the first feminine degree of the supreme rite , her father presiding .

Her father died shortly afterwards , on 4 th December 1884 . On the occasion of her reception into the Palladist Order , she wrote a poem , " The Resurrection , " dated 29 th October 1884 , and published at Louisville , U . S . A . In the following year , 1885 , she travelled to France and went up to receive the degree of " Maitresse Templiere " at the Luciferian triangle of St . Jacques , Paris , on 25 th March 1885 . At this reception she refused to comply with the ritual with regard to stabbing the Most Holy Sacrament of the altar with a dagger .

For this crime she was rejected by the triangle of St . Jacques , and denounced to her own triangle at Louisville , as one to be condemned to the penalty of her crime . Accordingly she appeared before her judges at Louisville , on 16 th April 1885 , and was by them acquitted . Upon this a lively polemic ensued between the French and American triangles , which continued until Albert Pike , of Charleston , U . S . A ., Grand Pontiff , decreed the cessation of hostilities , and elevated Diana Vaughan to the highest feminine degree , Inspectress-General of Palladist Triangles , Sth April 1889 .

On the death of Albert Pike , she went as a Delegate of the Province of New York and Brooklyn , to attend the Grand Convent , held at Rome , in September 1893 , for the election of a new Grand Pontiff . She strongly opposed the election of Adriano Lemmi , and from the date of his election as Grand Pontiff of Universal Masonry , 20 th September 1893 , she sought to liberate her own triangles from his control .

In 1895 she succeeded in organising in London a new departure , a Palladism without profanation of the Most Holy Sacrament , and purified in other ways . She went to Paris and there began the publication of a monthly journal , " Le Palladium Regenere et Libre , " which was to be tha organ of the new sect . Three numbers of this journal appeared , dated March , April and May 1895 , respectively . It may be noted that they were published by A . Pierret , 37 Rue Etienne-Marcel , Paris .

At this time the case of Diana Vaughan excited great interest in certain clerical circles in France . Prayers , even lives , were offered up for her conversion . Ono or more priests wrote to her , and the last number of " Le Palladium " bear traces of their influence . Here ends her public life . Diana Vaughan , the Palladist , vanishes with the third and last number of " Le Palladium . " She has not been seen since May 1895 . But in July 1895 , that is to say after an interval of two months , the same publisher , A . Pierret , began a series of Memoirs entitled " Memoires d ' une Ex-Palladist , " by Miss Diana Vaughan .

These Memoirs , still running , are concerned with the practices of Luciferianism and with Diana Vaughan ' s connection therewith . They contain revelations most damaging to foreign Masonry , and especially to Italian Masonry . And before long , sure enough , they were denounced by an Italian soi-disant ex-Palladist as the fabrications of an impostor . This is the interesting point . Are the Memoirs written by the real Diana Vaughan , a convert from Palladism , writing with the authority of intimate Palladist knowledge , and with the grace of conversion , or are they little better than penny dreadfuls ?

The memoirs themselves throw some light upon this point . They explain and develop the public life of Diana Vaughan , as above related , by the revelation of events of a private character . For example , the soi-disant Diana Vaughan tells us that she was brought up to believe in Lucifer as the God of goodness , and Christ as the God of evil , the dispenser of sufferings . Thafc the devil appeared to her many times , of noble aspect , and showed her visions of devils , hideous of form , svho , he

explained to her , were the ministering spirits of Christ . That she was saved from a band of negro robbers in a lonely forest by her special protector Asmodeus , who conveyed her safely home , flying through the air . That when she was rejected as " Maitresse Templiere " by the triangle St . Jacques , and acquitted by her own triangle in Louisville many then declared that they could have raised their hands to condemn her , but found themselves powerless to do so . That at the Sanctum Regnum , at Charleston , Lucifer

himself appeared on the Sth of April 1889 , and ordered Albert Pike to issue the decree of that date above referred to . That by reason of her own will , her father ' s influence , and the favour of Lucifer , she escaped the rite of Postos ( sacrifice of virginity ) to which all others of hor rank had to submit . That she was inspired by a great admiration of Joan of Arc , whose statue she had in her room ; and that when a priest wrote to her to refrain from evilspeaking of the Blessed Virgin in " Le Palladium , " she fell on her knees before

this statue and resolved to comply for Joan ' s sake . That when she had breathed this vow she was roughly knocked down , and saw four potent deities , Asmodeus , her protector , being one , before her , threatening her life . She cried to Joan for help , and her glorious gods turned into hideous demons instantly , and disappeared with howls and expressions of rage and despair . That the scales fell from her eyes and she was converted to the Catholic faith .

These private revelations would seem to mark out Diana Vaughan of the Memoirs as being Diana Vaughan the Palladist . The literary style is tho same in both . What tells equally in favour of this view is that no other Diana Vaughan takes the field . Au impostor would have no chance , since photos of the Palladist are in many hands . The authoress says she cannot show herself , as her assassination has been decreed . Moreover , if the

authoress of the " Memoires " is an impostor , her clerical friends must be cognizant of it , since a photograph of Diana Vaughan the Palladist in the tenue of "Insppctrice-General du Palladium" is reproduced in the third number of the" Memoires , " dated September 1895 , more than l 2 months ago . Per contra . We have one or two mistakes of names in historical or biographical research , slips that any one might make . We have a letter ,

Diana Vaughan.

which I have read , which shows thafc the authoress thinks in French whilst writing in English . And we have the statement of Margiotta . Here it is , taken from the " Memoires , " No . 10 , p . 316 : " La Diana Vaughan que j ' ai oonnue en 1889 , a Naples , et pour laquelle il n ' y eut jamais aucuno exception a la rdgle de Postos , est toujours chez les pallauistes : l'histoire de sa conversion n ' est qu ' unc mystification pour leurrer les catholiques . La Diana Vaughan qui ecrit les Memories d ' une ex-Palladiste , la Neuvieme

Eucharistique , etc ., et qui announce le 33 e Crispi , est une fausse Diana Vaughan . Je la mets au defi de se montrer ; car ceux qui se servent du nom de la grande-maitresse de New York ne pourraieut exhiber q ' une aveuturiere , et immediatement je la convaincrais d'imposture . Quant a la vraie Diana Vaughan , il lui est indifferent que cette comedie se joue ; elle est la premiere eu a rire . Elle diabolise plus que jamais dans les Triangles . Elle a fait sa paix avec Lemmi . "

What a pity Margiotta did not think of giving Diana Vaughan ' s present address in New York ? It would have been so easy to compare her with her photograph , and so end this question . It seems strange , too , that she is indifferent to the way her name is being used in Europe . It is not a feminine characteristic . And why tickle her with the moral turpitude of the Postos ? Why ? As for defying her to come out aud show herselfifc is very cheap

, defiance , if men have been told off to assassinate her , and are at present trying to find her hiding-place , as she states herself . Here I leave this question . It is currently reported that a commission is investigating it at Rome , by whom the identity of Diana Vaughan will be finally settled . We must reserve our judgment on this interesting case , as strange as any in fiction .

Believe me , yours truly , JAMES H . RATION . Cresswell Park , Blackheath , 9 th November 1896 . SIB , —It may interest many of your readers to know that Mgr . Fava , the Bishop of Grenoble , has written to " La Semaine " as follows : " Recent circumstances have occurred which have thrown doubt upon the very

existence of Miss Diana Vaughan . We have been written to on this subject from many quarters , and we have always replied in the following terms ' She does exist , she is a convert , she has been baptised , she has made her first communion , she is still writing against Freemasonry and the reign of Satan . ' We can also add that she has sent us a copy of her book ' Crispi , ' with a dedication on the first page , written and signed ' with her own hand , ' as follows : ' A Monseigneur Fava , Eveque de Grenoble . Humble hommage et remerciements . Diana Vaughan . 31 st August 1896 . ' "

The Bishop's letter , of which the above is only an extract , appears " in extenso " in to-day's issue of " La Croix . " There is also published in the same paper a letter written by Mgr . Villard , Secretary to Cardinal Parrocohi , addressed to Miss Vaughan , in which he says : " . I have had material and psychological proofs , not only of your existence , but also of the sincerity of

your conversion . Thanks to these I have had the opportunity , and I may add the happiness , to defend you energetically more than once . I can only see in this war which is declared against you an infamous manoeuvre on the part of that being whom yon know to be , beyond all others , the father of lies . "

These testimonies from two such eminent prelates should satisfy any reasonable person as to the identity of Miss Vaughan . The editor of " La Croix " says that other indisputable evidence will shortly be published , which will finally settle that part of the question . Yours truly , ARCHIBALD J . DUNM . llfch November 1896 .

CHRISTMAS PRESENTS AND NEW YEAR'S GIFTS . NOTHING is more acceptable or can be offered with better taste than a nicely cut bottle of perfume , or a pair of bottles for the dressing table , either being a treasured and permanent souvenir . J . Delcroix & Co ' s Concentrated Essence of Parma Violets is the choicest and most recherche

of its kind , and any Brother writing or calling upon Bro . Arthur J . Cove , of Langdale ' s Distillery , 72 Hatton Garden , E . G ., will be pleased with what he can do in this way . In arranging this Bro . Cove goes a little out of the usual course , as his business is wholesale , but we know he relaxes the rule in favour of his friends " , and no doubt he will do the same for any of our readers , who should address their letters to him personally .

BRO . George Thompson , of the Viaduct Booking Office , 71 Hatton Garden , E . G ., has made excellent arrangements for the collection and forwarding of Christmas presents to all parts , at exceedingly low rates . Parcels should be sent in early , so that they can receive proper attention . Our Brother recommends that senders should place a copy of the addresa of the consignee inside aU parcels , in addition to the regular address on the outside label . Railway Tickets by the Midland and Great Northern Railway can be had in advance .

Havana Cigars , 1894 crop . —It is well known that the 1894 crop is one ot the best Havana has produced in recent years , and ia held in high esteem by connoisseurs . The demand for cigars of this crop is brisk , the chance of securing those of good quality of other crops being very rare . Tr / e 1895 was not a satisfactory crop at all . The 1896 is small , and has been principally used for cigar wrappers . As to 1897 , the prospects are , by all accounts , unfavourable . It will therefore be good news to smokers that they

can obtain cigars of the 1894 crop carefully selected and well conditioned from one of the leading houses in the trade—Spiers and Pond—who hold one of the largest and finest stocks in the kingdom . Spiers and Pond have just issued , in an elegant form , an illustrated list of Havana cigars , 1894 crop , which has been produced regardless of cost , and is indeed a work of

art . It can be asserted , without hesitation , that such a list of any one fine crop has seldom , if ever , been offered to the public . In it a fine selection of this famous crop , comprising most of the leading brands , is carefully and faithfully depicted , the illustrations representing the exact size and general appearance of each cigar . No better guide to intending purchasers could possibly be devised .

OLD Books and Curiosities relating to Freemasonry , Knight Templars , Rosicrucians or other Secret Societies wanted . Address , W . W . Morgan , New Barnet .