This letter fell into the hands of the authorities and was published by them in the volume entitled, _Nachtrag von weiteren Originalschriften_, Munich, 1787, vol. i, p. 14. The stigma of a new disgrace was thus attached to the order. Weishaupt made a pitifully weak effort to suggest extenuating circumstances for his conduct, in his volume, _Kurze Rechtfertigung meiner Absichten_, 1787, pp. 13 _et seq._ Taken in connection with the objectionable papers referred to above, this private scandal of the head of the order made the accusation of gross immorality on the part of the Illuminati difficult to evade. A spirit of intense revulsion penetrated the public mind. [430] Other secret documents of the order were seized by the police in a search of the quarters of Baron Bassus, whose membership in the order on account of his close friendship with Zwack, brought him under the government’s suspicion. The police visitation referred to yielded no very important result, apart from establishing more solidly the government’s claim that the order had not obeyed the first edict. The papers seized in this instance were published by the government under the title, _Nachtrag von weiteren Originalschriften ... Zwei Abtheilungen_, Munich, 1787. [431] Forestier, pp. 504 _et seq._ [432] Mändl, in the most cowardly fashion, charged the order with unmentionable practices. He seems to have been the Judas in the order’s inner circle. _Cf._ Forestier, pp. 505 _et seq._ _Cf._ Engel, pp. 331 _et seq._ [433] Massenhausen was Ajax in the order. The papers seized by the police identified him as one of Weishaupt’s intimates. [434] The “revelations” of Mändl appear to have been immediately responsible for the edict. _Cf._ Forestier, p. 507. [435] Engel, _op. cit._, p. 280. [436] “Unter der nemlichen confiscations—und relegations Straf werden die illuminaten Logen, sie mögen gleich auf diesen oder anderen Namen umgetauft seyn, ebenfalls verbothen, worauf man auch allenthalben gute Spehr’ [Späher] bestellen, und die Gesellschaften, welche entweder in Wirth—oder Privathäusern mit versperrten Thüren oder sonst auf verdächtige Weise gehalten werden, als wahre Logen behandeln lassen, und die so leer als gewöhnliche Ausrede, das es nur ehrliche Compagnien von guten Freunden sind, zumal von jenen, welche sich des Illuminatismi und der Freygeisterei vorhin schon suspect gemacht haben, nicht annehmen wird....” Quoted by Engel, p. 280. [437] Forestier, _op. cit._, p. 509. [438] Forestier, _op. cit._, pp. 511 _et seq._ _Cf._ Engel, _op. cit._, pp. 378 _et seq._ [439] _Ibid._, p. 369. _Cf._ Forestier, pp. 511 _et seq._ [440] _Ibid._, p. 512. [441] _Ibid._, pp. 512 _et seq._ An effort to secure the extradition of Weishaupt was defeated by an appeal to Duke Ernst. _Cf._ Engel, pp. 231 _et seq._