Produced by Delphine Lettau, Clive Pickton, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net _UNDER THE SUPERINTENDENCE OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE DIFFUSION OF USEFUL KNOWLEDGE._ THE LIBRARY OF ENTERTAINING KNOWLEDGE. SECRET SOCIETIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES. COMMITTEE. _Chairman._--The Right Hon. LORD BROUGHAM, F.R.S., Member of the National Institute of France. _Vice-Chairman._--JOHN WOOD, Esq. _Treasurer._--WILLIAM TOOKE, Esq., M.P., F.R.S. W. Allen. Esq., F.R. and R.A.S. Capt. F. Beaufort, R.N., F.R. and R.A.S., Hydrographer to the Admiralty. G. Burrows, M.D. Peter Stafford Carey, Esq., A.M. William Coulson, Esq. R. D. Craig, Esq. J. Frederick Daniell, Esq., F.R.S. J. F. Davis, Esq., F.R.S. H. T. Delabeche, Esq., F.R.S. The Rt. Hon. Lord Denman. Samuel Duckworth, Esq. B. F. Dupfca, Esq. The Right Rev. the Bishop of Durham, D.D. The Rt. Hon. Visc. Ebrington, M.P. Sir Henry Ellis, F.R.S., Prin. Lib. Brit. Mus. T. F. Ellis, Esq., A.M., F.R.A.S. John Elliotson, M.D., F.R.S. Thomas Falconer, Esq. I. L. Goldsmid, Esq., F.R., and R.A.S. B. Gompertz, Esq., F.R., and R.A.S. G. B. Greenough, Esq., F.R., and L.S. M.D. Hill, Esq. Rowland Hill, Esq., F.R.A.S. The Rt. Hon. Sir J.C. Hobhouse, Bart., M.P. David Jardine, Esq., A.M. Henry B. Ker, Esq. Thos. Hewitt Key, Esq., A.M. J. T. Leader, Esq., M.P. George C. Lewis, Esq., A.M. Thomas Henry Lister, Esq. James Loch, Esq., M.P., F.G.S. George Long, Esq., A.M. J. W. Lubbock, Esq., A.M., F.R., R.A., and L.S.S. Sir Fred. Madden, K.C.H. H. Malden, Esq., A.M. A. T. Malkin, Esq., A.M. James Manning, Esq. J. Herman Merivale, Esq., A.M., F.A.S. Sir William Molesworth, Bart., M.P. The Right Hon. Lord Nugent. W. H. Ord, Esq., M.P. The Right Hon. Sir H. Parnell, Bt., M.P. Dr. Roget, Sec. R.S., F.R.A.S. Edw. Romilly, Esq., A.M. Right Hon. Lord J. Russell, M.P. Sir M. A. Shee, P.R.A., F.R.S. John Abel Smith, Esq., M.P. The Right Hon. Earl Spencer. John Taylor, Esq., F.R.S. Dr. A. T. Thompson, F.L.S. Thomas Vardon, Esq. H. Waymouth, Esq. J. Whishaw, Esq., A.M., F.R.S. John Wrottesley, Esq., A.M., F.R.A.S. Thomas Wyse, Esq., M.P. J. A. Yates, Esq. THOMAS COATES, Esq., _Secretary_, No. 59, Lincoln's Inn Fields. _THE LIBRARY OF ENTERTAINING KNOWLEDGE._ [Keightley (Thomas) handwritten] SECRET SOCIETIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES. LONDON: CHARLES KNIGHT & Co., LUDGATE-STREET. MDCCCXXXVII. LONDON: Printed by WILLIAM CLOWES and SONS, Stamford Street. CONTENTS. Page