Masonic Lodge of the Fifteen Suns, 1789
Why kill each other in a war between brothers who want to be free? Maximillian Robespierre
Hello delegates, Get ready to dive into the world of freemasonry during the French Revolution! I am Daria Locher and I will be your director for WUMUNS 2018. I m a junior studying International and Area Studies at Washington University, with a second major in Political Science. This is the first time I am directing for WUMUNS, but I have been involved in Model UN since my sophomore year of high school. This committee is going to place you into the aftermath of the execution of Louis XVI in December of 1793, one of the essential events leading to the radicalization of the French Revolution. The revolution was in part inspired by elitist masonic ideals, but the peasantry has now taken charge of this upheaval. France is ironically now becoming increasingly dangerous for members of the aristocracy. What ties this committee together is its common membership to the same freemason lodge, during a time when the new revolutionary government is beginning its aggressive crackdown on masons. The years of the French Revolution are full of dangerous accusations, betrayal, divisive loyalties, and lust for power. It is your job to try to control the revolution and not be swallowed up in its momentum! I m so excited to have you at WUMUNS 2018 and to join this exciting committee. If you have any questions or concerns about the committee or the conference before the weekend, please don t hesitate to contact me at daria.locher@wustl.edu or any of the Secretariat. Best of luck! Enjoy WUMUNS 2018. Daria Locher
Contents Committee Mandate... 1 Historical Background..... 2 Philosophical and Technological Roots... 2 Incipient Phase of the Revolution..... 3 Freemason Influence.... 5 Topic A: Newcomers to Lyon Lodges 6 Topic B: Inhibiting the Radicalization of the French Revolution... 7 Topic C: Lyon Masons Planning an Insurrection.. 8 Delegate Positions. 8 Sources... 14
Committee Mandate Guillaume Montpellier Venerable Master Lodge of the Fifteen Suns Lyon, France To my brothers: You have probably heard by now the latest round of shocking news from Paris. King Louis XVI, has been executed. This is an incredibly dangerous time for our lodge. Now, more than ever, I must remind you of your vows: to protect The Lodge of the Fifteen Suns, to protect your brothers, and most of all, to prioritize our secrets above all else. As your venerable master, I urge you to adhere to the values of the venerable society you swore to protect. Do not join this madness that was this Revolution. This unlawful uprising has gained more power than any one of us could have imagined. I will do everything in my power to keep you safe, but you must necessarily look out for each other and do everything you can to stand behind your brothers without exposing our organization. To those of you with friends abroad: this is the time to reach out to them. This is the time to pull in all of your favors to aid the holy counterrevolution and restore our evermore legitimate, rightful place in society. This is the beginning of a dark time. I do not know when we will see the next sunrise. There are now ghastly whispers of lodges around Paris moving their ritual texts to safer lodges. Some are even expelling members on allegations of treason. Brothers, the secrecy of our organization is even more important than before, I wish upon you the best of luck during these difficult times, Venerable Master 5
Philosophical and Technological Roots A 1789 political cartoon showing the clergy and nobles living off the work of peasants Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons Historical Background It is the end of the 18 th century and the feudal system of Europe is a shadow of its previous self. The bourgeoisie (the city-dwelling wealthy middle class) are bitter about the imbalance between their wealth and relative power in society. Despite the fact that they are often as wealthy as the aristocracy, they are undoubtedly a lower social class. The philosophes (scholars and intellectuals such as Voltaire and Rousseau whose writings espouse Enlightenment ideas) fight against the artificially inflated powers of the monarchy, nobility, and church. 1 They rally behind the ideas of the power and importance of human reason and individual potential. The peasants also face significant hardship under the dying feudal system, despite a significant improvement in their lot during the centuries following the Bubonic Plague in the 14 th century. The incredible amount of death in Europe made human capital a more valuable resource. It also contributed to more socio-economic mobility as many jobs needed desperate replacement. Many peasants were now able to dress better, hold permanent housing, and gain influence in general society. 2 This gradual breakdown of the feudal system set the stage for the French Revolution of 1789 in which these oppressed people see a way to rapidly empower themselves with the backing of a national movement. A huge revolution in the technological world is simultaneously underway. The invention and the proliferation of the semaphore telegraph in 1765 has redefined long-distance communication in France. 3 The semaphore telegraph is used to communicate through an esoteric method of visual signals. Although the semaphore telegraph has significant issues with privacy over long distances, it is a significantly faster communication method than the previously used post riders. 4 However, the cost of installation for telegraph relays remains incredibly high and their use is generally restricted to aristocrats and other members of the Second Estate. By May 1790, a line of 230 km connects Paris and Lille, but more are being built between Paris and major French cities. However, the sudden onset of the Revolution derailed government infrastructure projects like this one. 5 1 http://www3.gettysburg.edu/~tshannon/hist106web/site6/enlightenment_in_france.htm 2 http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/middle_ages/black_impact_01.shtml#three 3 Historically, the semaphore telegraph was invented a few years after, in 1792, but for the purposes of this committee I have pushed this earlier. 4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/semaphore_line 5 http://ethw.org/france_builds_visual_telegraph 6
Incipient Phase of the Revolution Depiction of the characteristi c outfits of the Three Estates within the Estates- General Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons The first phase of the Revolution was inspired in part by a bad farming season harvest failures caused widespread famine, and there were nationwide peasant revolts due to the desperation of starvation. To deal with this, the Estates-General was convened in Paris in May 1789. It was the first meeting of France s only legislative organization in 150 years. The delegations present composed equal representation of the clergy, the nobility, and the masses. A huge overlap between the First (clergy) and Second (nobility) led to their dominating discussion and voting, further infuriating the starving poor who felt increasingly removed from the national conversation as their situation seemed ever bleaker. The Estates General was sufficiently ineffective that during the July 1789 Grand Peur (Great Fear) peasant revolts intensified. 6 Such dissatisfaction with both the crown and the Estates General led the Third Estate to revolt. In June of 1789, representatives of the Third Estate succeeded and formed the National Assembly (later the National Constituent Assembly). In Paris, riots became infused with a nationalistic fervor centered around enlightenment ideas. On July 14, 1789, mobs seized a fortified prison and armory known as the Bastille. The French Revolution had begun. The first dramatic act of the National Constituent Assembly came in August 1789. The Declaration of Rights of Man and of the Citizen was a radical assertion that all men are born and remain free and equal in rights, guaranteeing rights of liberty, private property, equality before the law, free practice of religion, and freedom of speech and press. 7 Publishers could now publish anti-government articles for the first time in French history without fear of royal censorship; the result is a vibrant pamphlet industry which feeds growing radicalism among urban mobs. Another consequence of the Declaration was a proliferation of scientific thought among the growing intelligentsia. Scientists in the elite Académie de Sciences publish scientific articles that spread information about the Scientific Revolution from Parisian salons to the common people. The National Constituent Assembly became the Legislative Assembly as political debate advanced. The body was successful in acting on revolutionary ideas but providing work and food to the French people is more challenging. Food riots broke out in Paris in January of 1791 and continued at regular intervals, becoming a tumultuous staple of life in the capital. As time goes by, the Third 6 http://histoiressingulieres.over-blog.com/2016/09/bottin-mondain.html 7 https://www.britannica.com/topic/declaration-of-the-rights-of-man-and-of-the-citizen 7
Estate wielded increasingly more power and became increasingly radicalized. Both the crown and the nobility were rapidly spiraling out of power. In the Autumn of 1792 the monarchy was abolished and the Legislative Assembly formally became the National Convention. This 850-seat governing legislative body was more robust and capable than its predecessors, but was soon dominated by a small group of radical leaders known as the Committee of Public Safety. Many leaders of the revolutionary movement were freemasons. Among their ranks were the Count of Mirabeau, Maximilien Robespierre, and Jean-Paul Marat. Mirabeau was the original leader of the Third Estate and led the movement to form the National Assembly in June of 1789. 8 Mirabeau and many other early revolutionaries were strong proponents of the British ideal of a constitutional monarchy. A noble himself, Mirabeau desired more recognition in government rather than a complete overhaul of the French system. Mirabeau was elected President of French Assembly January 1791, but almost immediately died before he could instate his policies. The death of this prominent moderate created a power vacuum rapidly filled by more radical influences: enter Marat and Robespierre. Taking the reins of the idealistic Revolution, the two charismatic and militant citizens swept the movement into the Reign of Terror: aristocrats feared for their lives, as death by guillotine became a regular weapon against political rivals. The politics in Paris and other major French cities quickly escalated to fatal heights. Marat created a cult of personality and swung a huge number of politicians over to the Jacobin side before his dramatic, martyred death at the hand of Charlotte Corday, a Girondin conservative, further increasing support for the Jacobin. 9 Finally, Robespierre, best known for his manipulative powers of speechifying, gave one of his most famous speeches, On the Enemies of the Nation, in which he stated: They will perish, all of the tyrants armed against the French people. 10 With these polemical words, Robespierre inspired the madness and overwhelming desire for the eradication of his imagined enemies of the nation. Wealthier noble families of the Second Estate flee France throughout this period, joined by persecuted clergy members and those with ties to the crown together, they were called émigrés. All former property of the émigrés was confiscated in February 1791. Not surprisingly, this widespread flee frightened the government, because émigrés had begun plotting against the Revolution with help from foreign governments. 11 An act was passed that decrees that émigrés who did not return by January 1792 could be put to death if caught and all their property confiscated by the state. 12 Émigrés unsuccessfully planned skirmishes under the leadership of the Comte de Provence, the exiled brother of the former King Louis XVI. 8 http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/historical/biography/mirabeau.html 9 https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/charlotte-corday-assassinates-marat 10 https://www.marxists.org/history/france/revolution/robespierre/1794/enemies.htm 11 http://alphahistory.com/frenchrevolution/emigres/ 12 https://www.britannica.com/topic/emigre 8
Freemason Influence Freemason Symbol Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons Masonic values mirror the revolutionary call of liberty, equality, and fraternity. An enlightenment movement, the Freemasons value personal growth, liberty, and comradery amongst their members. Indeed, Masonic symbolism features prominently in revolutionary propaganda; in official pamphlets, symbols like the All-Seeing Eye and the Plumb-Rule portray the Revolution s enlightenment and justice. 13 A freemason lodge is a collection of men bond together under one roof by secret vows. The connections and brotherhood cultivated there help each Brother further himself politically, economically, and socially. The Brothers are organized into levels based on their level of secrecy and knowledge of ritual texts. The common, blue freemason levels are compagnon (companion), apprentif (apprentice), maître (master), and further levels depending on how ambitious a Brother is. Each level of freemasonry allows more access to people, money, secrets, and stability in society. The ascension of levels to and past master requires an intimate knowledge of specific Biblical texts unique to each ascension and connections willing to teach the rituals. During ascension to a higher level, a Brother is sworn to new levels of secrecy and can lose all the benefits of the lodge if they break this vow. However, only by reaching out to another trusted Brother can one rise in the Lodge. Once a mason becomes a master, they can also be inducted as an officer of the lodge, as the secretary, treasurer, speaker, etc. which all have different access and special allowances. The Freemason levels Compagnon The first freemason level Apprentif The second, in "blue freemasonry" Maître The third, last common freemason level??? To be discovered! Freemason influence during this time is strong and pervasive Their membership included virtually every grandee, writer, artist, lawyer, soldier or other professional in the country, as well as notable foreigners such as Franklin and Jefferson some 30,000 people. 14 Large towns usually have more than one lodge: members communicate in codes and coded semaphore telegraphs. 15 In 1791 a split begins to emerge between the more moderate liberal Masons, the great majority, who are responsible for liberal reforms like the Declaration of the Rights of Man, and a more violent and revolutionary minority. 16 This split is 13 https://dr-david-harrison.com/papers-articles-and-essays/freemasonry-and-the-french-revolution/ 14 http://www.orthodoxchristianbooks.com/articles/336/-jews,-masons-french-revolution/ 15 http://www.orthodoxchristianbooks.com/articles/336/-jews,-masons-french-revolution/ 16 http://www.orthodoxchristianbooks.com/articles/336/-jews,-masons-french-revolution/ 9
mirrored in the Revolution with the radical Jacobin club and the moderate Girondins since masons are the leaders of the revolution. As a side project, historically, Judaism and freemasonry are intrinsically linked (due to the amount of the Old Testament used in masonic rituals) and the emancipation of the Jews in 1789-1791 is carried out chiefly by the freemasons. 17 This is an important connection that Brothers can use to perpetuate their goals, because of the ongoing relationship between these two groups of people. Therefore, this is another web of connections in France. Topic A: Newcomers to Lyon Lodges Lyon, France Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons Lyon is a hotbed of revolutionary opposition in the Girondin freemason lodges. 18 Since the masons in this city are majority Girondin, this is the stronghold for anti-radicalization sentiments beginning before the execution of Louis XVI. Girondins are advocates primarily for a constitutional monarchy, but this desire is dashed with the irreconcilable act on the part of the Jacobin majority. Starting in 1792, the Girondins in Lyon begin planning a bold act as proof of their defiance to the oppression of the Jacobins. However, the way that the Revolution is going, they do not know how severe the repercussions would be. Many lodges in Lyon are closing due to the danger of peasant attacks, the loss of members fleeing the country, and the danger of being publicly identified as a Girondin by associations with their brothers. Numerous lodges close in Lyon during the Revolution, meaning masons are looking for new lodges, such as that of the Fifteen Sons, which has remained open. 19 Usually, a masonic lodge would grow gradually, with a few new members at a time joining after being heavily screened. Despite usually being uncommon, switching between masonic lodges can be done with a short ritual, and a stranger with unknown origins and loyalties can easily join our Lodge of the Fifteen Suns. Furthermore, even though Brothers are from the same Lodge, that does not necessarily mean that they get along, trust each other, or want to help each other. While the Lodge is based on an ideal of mutual Brotherhood, changing loyalties and uncertain bonds of Brotherhood are pervasive during this time. Therefore, the Brothers loyalties and community standards cannot necessarily be trusted. How can you insure that Brothers will choose each other over all else with such uncertainty? Lodge bonding and seals of Brotherhood are incredibly important at this time to ensure everyone s safety. 17 http://www.orthodoxchristianbooks.com/articles/336/-jews,-masons-french-revolution/ 18 http://www.orthodoxchristianbooks.com/articles/336/-jews,-masons-french-revolution/ 19 http://www.orthodoxchristianbooks.com/articles/336/-jews,-masons-french-revolution/ 10
Topic B: Inhibiting the Radicalization of the French Revolution Due to the very incredible instability of any nobleman s position during this time, the Lodge wants to inhibit the radicalization of the French Revolution. As upper-class men, Brothers are vulnerable to the attacks of the Revolution, whether or not they are guilty of working for the Counterrevolution. The Revolution is fighting the old monarchical society in which their nobility is steeped. The revolutionary government is attacking the nobility and old ways that the masonic lodge s power comes from. Many non-revolutionary nobles are being targeted on the fundamental premise that they have been profiting off the unequal and oppressive regime leading up to the revolution. This is why some of the members of the First and Second Estate flee from the Revolutionary era France to other countries such as Germany, Switzerland, and England. These émigrés flee from the Revolution, but some choose to stay and fight. One way to potentially gain power, prestige, and safety during this Revolutionary time is by joining the Jacobins in their revolutionary track. This choice can be either a security choice or based on personal loyalties and incentives. Recall that the Jacobin Club is originally created by communities of like-minded masons who jump on the opportunity to put their radically liberal ideals into action. Therefore, it isn t unheard of for some masons in predominantly Girondin-leaning lodges to hold more Jacobin-leaning sentiments. Therefore, in order to support the Girondins in Lyon Lodges, Brothers have to work around Marat and Robespierre, their masonic brothers. These two freemasons have as much (or more) political power and connections than the average mason, and more importantly, they have the French populace behind them. Because of this dichotomy, every mason s loyalties are questionable. Other nobility accuses masons of perpetuating the revolution and the Radicals believe they are trying to take it down. Therefore, they are stuck between wanting to end this dangerous Revolution and being threatened by this exact action. All anti-revolutionary actions by any of the Brothers may not only immediately spell his own death, but also the death of his Brothers and loved ones. Anyone under the slightest (even unfounded) suspicion can be lost in the bloodlust. If the Revolutionary government finds out the names of any of the masons, it will immediately sentence them to death. Therefore, Brothers must remain secretive and safe, and plan what to do in the case of exposure. 11
Topic C: Lyon Masons Planning an Insurrection Lyon masonic lodges have been planning an insurrection for the past couple of months. They want to send a strong message to the Radicals, but they have to plan it in a way that the proceedings are kept secret from the Parisian Jacobins and their allies until the execution of this insurrection. At present, there is much discussion as to what the nature of this demonstration should be, whether an uprising or a violent or nonviolent rally. The rally would demonstrate the existence of strong anti-revolutionary sentiments outside of Paris in the intellectual spheres. The Girondins are still slightly in the public s favor, but they are losing grasp of their favor and power in the National Assembly. Girondins need this uprising to prove to the Jacobins that they are still influential and willing to influence politics. They need to save the Revolution before its radicalization alienates the public and swallows them in its frenzy. Recall that Girondins don t necessarily want to take down the Revolution, but they want to inhibit the spread of its radicalization. Their motivations lie with the purity of masonic ideals rather than the stereotypical personal wealth- and prestige-grabbing of the Jacobins. Delegate Positions Olivier Bernard Thomas Fournier Father Jean- Phillipe Lemée Bernard is an older nobleman from a very old family in Lyon. While known for his extreme wealth, his means of obtaining that wealth are less than savory. Olivier is infamous for his cruelty to his peasants due to his extreme paranoia of uprising and inner need to be in control of everything in his estate. A member of this lodge for 30 years, Olivier knows all the old members of the Lodge very well. He lives near Pierre Beaumont. Fournier is an elderly esteemed scientist in the Académie des Sciences, known for his incredible skill in the practice of sewing up injuries and setting bones. Due to his years of study at the Université de Lyon, he is incredibly gifted in both knowledge and practice, and was the maître for late Louis XVI and in Paris with the royal family. Now, he is back in Lyon after the King s execution and is trying to keep a low profile from the Jacobins. Coming from a Parisian lodge, he joined our Lodge immediately after arriving in Lyon. He is close friends with Anton Leblanc and hosts weekly card games with him. Lemée is an older nobleman who was a member of the First Estate in the failed Estates-General. As a representative of the Second Estate, he still believes in the 12
original ideals of the Revolution as a constitutional monarchy rather than a full revolution, like the track that it is currently on now. Given that he is a part of the First Estate, Philippe is a Catholic priest and an active participant in the Catholic web of connections in Lyon and nationally. He is one of the longest-standing current Brothers at this Lodge. Pierre Beaumont Clement Dupont Laurence Duval Didier Lucas François Leroux Beaumont is a 30-year-old nobleman with a mid-sized amount of land, but not the proportional amount of wealth to go along with it, due to his inordinate kindness towards his peasants. He gives them Sundays off and gifts them food for their children during Christmas. He is incredibly well-liked by his peasants and loved by peasants of nearby landlords, making other noblemen suspicious because of his connections to the peasant rumor mill. He is originally from another Lyon lodge which closed down. Dupont is wealthier than most of the nobility in the lodge, even though he is not a nobleman and only 25. Clement comes from the upper levels of the Third Estate in the National Assembly and was in the process of buying himself a title from the King when the King was executed. He has many friends in the upper society of the Third Estate, because he is known for throwing dinner parties with good food and drink. He was recently admitted into this Lodge, right before the Revolution, when he told the Lodge that he was going to become noble. While Duval is a less wealthy member of the nobility, he is known for his position as a newspaper publisher for the Nouvelle News, a nationally-distributed newspaper centered out of Lyon. His newspaper is read by aristocracy as well as wealthy landowners, especially since he has been using the recently attained Freedom of Speech article of the Declaration to publish anti-revolution articles. This role has made him very well-respected in the intellectual circles in Lyon, and the 35-year-old profits off their newspaper purchases. He was previously a part of another Lyon Lodge, but recently joined this one when his closed down. Lucas is a nobleman with a mid-sized plot of land that is slightly removed from the city of Lyon. He has been called slightly eccentric by his nearby neighbors because he doesn t host or go to many dinner parties because he is so distracted by his extreme book reading. However, he seems to be a good person, despite the mystery surrounding him. He just joined this Lodge recently, even though he is in his mid-50s. Leroux is a middle-aged noble who was also a member of the failed Second Estate, but he got his spot in the Estates General by bribing other nobility who did not believe in the Revolution to take their spots. He loves getting involved in other s affairs and goes gambling to meet new friends. He has been involved in the Lodge for decades and has a rocky history with Father Lemée due to their conflicting life philosophies. 13
Raphael Martin Anton Leblanc Rolf Krauss General Mathieu Fontaine Father Guillaume Vidal Luc Breton Martin is a master of a guild of armorers. His guild has been famous for decades nationally and internationally for its high quality (and expensive) armor. He used to be Official Armorer of France, an esteemed title given by the King to his personal armorer, and he lived in Versailles until he fell out of favor with the King shortly before the Revolution though there is no official story as to why. He is very famous in Lyon and has his guild people following his every command. Leblanc is a nationally acclaimed scientist and a member of the Académie des Sciences. He and Thomas Fournier have had a friendly scientific rivalry for decades but have animated weekly card games. One of his papers concerning his experiments with alchemy became a stable in literary circles a few years ago. He stays in his home lab for most of his days and is currently working under a very wealthy anonymous benefactor. When Leblanc isn t working, he is a very active member of the Lodge, which he has been a part of for years. Rolf Krauss is an exceedingly rich, extraordinarily young merchant from Germany has been a part of the Lodge for a couple of years. He moved to Lyon to be closer to the hotbed of the French silk industry, which is exploding in Europe and centered in Lyon at the inception of the French Revolution. Unfortunately, since the beginning of revolutionary conflict, the silk industry has been suffering and Rolf has been looking into different industries. Fontaine had been a high ranking general in the King s army until the King s execution, after which Fontaine came back to his hometown, Lyon. Although the King s Army has been rebranded as the Revolutionary Army, the Revolutionary government keeps the majority of their generals, especially older, experienced ones like Mathieu, in a state of waiting as they decide what to do with them. In the meantime, Mathieu has been an active member of this Lodge, to which he transferred from his Parisian one, but he has many friends and followers in Paris. Another member of the failed First Estate, Vidal is the 65-year-old priest of an influential church in Lyon. The church, l Église de la Trinité, hosts masses that a large number of noblemen and women, as well as some of the wealthier Third Estate, attend. His daily masses are full of fiery words reminding people to follow the word of God and the Bible and to trust Authority in general. He has been a part of the Lodge as long as he has been a priest which is before anyone can remember. Breton is one of the few experienced cartographers in Lyon and is known for the inordinate amount of detail he puts into his maps. He travels around Lyon often, making new maps for citizens for use and for nobility to know their lands. Therefore, he s the individual in Lyon that people go to for his extensive knowledge of caves, hunting spots, and obscure resources. The lodge uses him to find them meeting places for their outside rituals. He is a legacy in the Lodge, 14
since his father and grandfather were both the Vénérable Maître of the Lodge during its formation. Vincent Benoit Eliot Foucher Thibault de Villehardouin Christophe Bouchet Alessandro Bonhomme Benoit is one of the older philosophes in the Académie des Sciences, specializing in the science of government and the advancement thereof. Although the Revolutionary government is generally very suspicious of members of the Académie, they are using him and other government specialists to help them organize their new government. Although he has been a member of this Lodge for years, others are getting suspicious of his constant communication with Paris. Benoit was one of the scribes of the Lodge s texts and knows the rituals better than the majority of the other masons. Foucher has been a Lyon bureaucrat for a decade, since he left university. Foucher is currently working as a liaison between Lyon and Paris for taxes in the Lyon city and surrounding countryside. He initially worked for Louis XVI, but the Revolutionary government continued to use him to maintain the same bureaucracy as the previous regime. Foucher has been using his position to maneuver tax breaks for himself and members of the Lodge since his hiring. He is devoted to the Lodge and aspires to be its Trésorier. De Villehardouin is Lyon s premier socialite and gossip monger. People see the 30-year old around the Lyon coffeehouses. He always has an invitation to everyone s dinner parties and always shows up in the latest Parisian fashion with his equally fashionable and talkative wife. He is known to come to a party wanting to know someone and walking out knowing that person s life story. He is a recently added member of the Lodge because of previous concerns about his scruples. Bouchet, who goes by Chris and his youthful demeanor reflects that of a 25- year-old. He is a lawyer for the local Lyon government and is known for his impressive resume of win after win. He has friends in the judiciary but wins based on his extensive knowledge of law and how to manipulate it. He wields an incredible amount of influence in local politics and his opponents tend to lose all their money before they can take a stand against him. He was a member of a Lyon Lodge that closed down before he joined this one. Alessandro Bonhomme is a middle-aged Italian nobleman whose family left Italy the generation before him but kept their titles and land in charge of relatives. Bonhomme and his business partner who lives with him go back to Italy every so often to vacation and check on their land, on which is a very fertile crop of olives. Bonhomme and this business partner send out their olives to international markets and make a killing due to their devoted buyers and personable temperaments. He is a new member of the Lodge, but his partner is not a mason. 15
Marc Gillet Felix Normand Charles Moreau Henri Voisin Geoffroi Toussaint Denis Cornu Marc Gillet is one of the premier engineers for the semaphore telegraph, which he helped invent when he was only 30. Due to his extensive knowledge of this technology, he controls communication between the Lyon government, Paris, and between the multiple Lyon Lodges. When he is not in his telegraph tower, sending and receiving messages, Marc is at home designing new technologies. He has been a lesser involved member of the Lodge for a couple years, but has recently become more involved as his communications become more vitally relevant to the Lodge. One of the most beloved Brothers, Felix Normand is one of the few Brothers who knows every Brother of the Lodge, even the new members. He is always getting invited to dinner parties and inviting others over to his. He is known for his honesty, and all the Brothers know he will tell them if those culottes actually do make their behinds look oversized. Felix is a wealthy member of the Third Estate due to his banking enterprise in which he gives loans with high interest rates. He has been a member of the Lodge for ten years, since he left university with his bosom buddy, Charles Moreau. Moreau is a Lyon native but a new member of this Lodge, having recently moved back from Tours, where he spent most of his adult life. De Villehardouin has been telling people that Moreau was in Tours to follow his lover, who recently kicked him out of her house, which would explain why he s back in Lyon. Not much is known about Charles, except that he is close childhood friends with Felix (they were birthed by the same midwife on the same night 32 years ago) and is often reaching out to Marc Gillet to send coded telegraphs all over the country. Voisin is a well-known 27-year-old member of Lyon cosmopolitan society and a new member of this Lodge, having been previously a member of a smaller, more elitist masonic Lodge on the edge of town. His neighbors aren t fond of him because he is always trying to work himself up in society, but his networking has afforded him a few powerful friends in the local government who had been known to cover up some of his inebriated scandals. Toussaint was raised to be a general in the King s Army since he was old enough to walk but given that he is only 20 he didn t get the chance before the King was executed. He was slated to join in the next year but is currently hunting for some other occupation while he waits to hear back from the Revolutionary government about the nature of his impending service. The youngest member of the Lodge, he was introduced through General Fontaine, who he met while training. He joined earlier this year but is very ambitious other Brothers are anticipating him running for a position in the Lodge. Cornu is the master of the most well-known guild of bakers in Lyon. Denis is the go-to man for ritual food and wine for the Lodge and is also known for supporting the vast majority of the peasants of Lyon with his relatively inexpensive bread. He 16
is well liked in the town generally, but there are a few people who think he is overextending in his friendliness to the peasantry. He is a very new member of this Lodge, since his Lodge closed a week ago. 17
Sources https://www.britannica.com/topic/emigre https://www.marxists.org/history/france/revolution/timeline.htm http://www.orthodoxchristianbooks.com/articles/336/-jews,-masons-french-revolution/ http://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-andmaps/french-revolution-and-crisis-science https://dr-david-harrison.com/papers-articles-and-essays/freemasonry-and-the-frenchrevolution/ http://ethw.org/france_builds_visual_telegraph http://reflectim.com/geography/map-of-france-lyon/ https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/txt_s/hd_txt_s.htm https://www.loc.gov/item/2004676889/ 18