MYSTICAL PHILOSOPHY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 811, 7 May 1910, Page 15

MYSTICAL PHILOSOPHY.

SECRETS OP THE ROSICRUCIAN 1 ' ORDER. A dispute between the alleged chief and an ox-member of tin Hosicfiician Order came before the Court of Appeal recently, consisting of Lords .Tustices Vaughan Williams, Moulton, and Farwell, on the appeal of the defendant in the case of Macgregor v. Crowley from an order of IJr. Justice Bucknill in Chambers, granting an interim injunction restraining the defendant, the editor and proprietor of a magazine called "The Equinox" from disclosing certain matter'in the third number of that magazine. Mr. Whateiy read an affidavit made by the plaintiff, in which ho said ho was the chief or head of the Rosicriician Order, which was instituted in its mo'dern form in 1888 for the study of mystical philosophy and tho mysteries of antiquity, somewhat on the lines of the institution of Freemasonry. He (counsel) read tho affidavit, froin which it appeared that the defendant on November 18, 1908, signed the preliminary pledge form before beccniing a member of the order,' and afterwards ratified the obligation of the pledge by a Solemn obligation in the temple of the order. In the September' number of "The Equinox" there appeared a quantity of matter emanating from the defendant, which, tho plaintiff said, was the grossest possible breach ,of , the defendant's obligations and a serious infringement of tho plaintiff's right. It was further said that the article, entitled "The Temple of Solomon tho King," embodied a wholesale revelation of the rituals and cere-

monies of the order, and an intimation that the revelations would be continued in Nos. 3 and i of "The Equinox." Defendant denied infringing any of theplaintiff's rights, or that tho plaintiff was the founder and compiler of the alleged rituals and ceremonies and manuscripts, of the co-called order: Sir Frederick Low, K.C., oh behalf of the plaintiff, in reply to Lord Justice Vaughan Williams, 4 said there were lio rules of the society, in fact, but there was a pledge of secrecy, which the defendantsigned.

Lord Justice Farwell said that, having regard to what was published in No. 2 of "The Equinox," he could riot see that irreparable damage would be doho by allowig the publicatiin in question. Sir Frederick Low: The cat would be out o£ the bagi Lord Justice .Farwell: I think it ia a dead cat, Sir Frederick. Sir Frederick Low: If you cannot stop this sort of thing by an injunction, there is practically no .remedy at all. The defendant' has been turned out of the order, and what he had done was really out of revenge for his exclusion. In reply to a question from the Bench, counsel said the plaintiff was only the earthly head of the order, but there might be some spiritual head of, whom they knew nothing. They could not get at the sbiritual head for costs and damages. (Laughter.) In the result Lord Justice Vaughan Williams, in giving judgment allowing the appeal, said ho thought the plaintiff had delayed too long ; before applying/ for an interim injunction. In those circuit stances, lie did not think that the plain-, tiff was entitled to restrain the publication in question..

Lord Justice Fletcher Houlton and Lord Justice Farwell agreed, and the- appeal was accordingly allowed.