The Masons and the Mysteries in 18th Century Drama

Matthew Leigh

Published by De Gruyter 2020

The Masons and the Mysteries in 18th Century Drama

Three Masonic Comedies: Pierre Clément, Les Fri-maçons; Carlo Goldoni, Le Donne Curiose; Francesco Griselini, I Liberi Muratori

Matthew Leigh

Volume 2 in the series Trends in Classics – Pathways of Reception

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110676297

Overview
Contents

About this book

The fathers of modern freemasonry sought a classical pedigree for their rituals and forms of association. This volume offers the first academic study of how freemasons writing in the first half of the 18th century deployed their knowledge of antiquity to bolster this claim and how the creative literature of the period reflected their ideas. The scholarly investigation of freemasonry is a relatively new phenomenon. The writings of active freemasons tend either to generate new masonic myths or to focus on the minutiae of insignia, rank, and ritual. Only in the last 50 years have non-masons given serious thought to freemasonry as a social practice and to its place within the intellectual and political life of Enlightenment Europe and beyond. Study of masonic elements in literary texts lags much further behind. This volume offers the first English translations of three mid-18th century comedies on female curiosity about this exclusively male order and shows how they reflect contemporary attempts to forge a link with ancient mystery cult. The theatrical aspect of masonic ritual and the ancient mysteries is examined in depth. This volume opens up important new ground in classical reception and 18th century theatre history.

Author information

Matthew Leigh, St Anne's College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	I
Preface to Three Masonic Comedies Publicly Available Download PDF	VII
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	IX
Abbreviations for Texts and Sources Publicly Available Download PDF	XI
1. The Masons and the Mysteries in 18th Century Thought and Drama Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
2. P. Clément, Les Fri-Ma Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	82
3. Carlo Goldoni, Le Donne Curiose Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	125
4. Francesco Griselini, I Liberi Muratori Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	178
Appendix Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	250
Bibliography Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	257
Index for Three Masonic Comedies Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	263

(Deutsch)

Language: English
Publisher: De Gruyter
Audience: Scholars of Classics and Classical Reception, Theatre History, 18th Century Comedy, Social History, and Freemasonry
Pages
- Front matter: 17
- Main content: 267
Illustrations
- Coloured Illustrations: 4
Keywords: Classics; Freemasonry; comedy; ritual

eBook

Published: December 2, 2019
ISBN: 9783110676297

Hardcover

Published: December 2, 2019
ISBN: 9783110676198