To understand Cagliostro, one must understand the period in which he lived and acted his strange world-drama, its philosophical and religious background. The arch-enchanter appeared on this mortal scene when the times were “out of joint.” It was the latter part of that strange, romantic eighteenth century of scepticism and credulity. The old world like a huge Cheshire cheese was being nibbled away from within, until little but the {46} rind was left to tell the tale. The rotten fabric of French society, in particular, was about to tumble down in the sulphurous flames of the Revolution, and the very people who were to suffer most in the calamity were doing their best to assist in the process of social and political disintegration. The dogmas of the Church were bitterly assailed by learned men. But the more sceptical the age, the more credulity extant. Man begins by denying, and then doubts his doubts. Charles Kingsley says: “And so it befell, that this eighteenth century, which is usually held to be the most ‘materialistic’ of epochs, was in fact a most ‘spiritualistic’ one.” The soil was well fertilized for the coming of Cagliostro, the sower of superstition. Every variety of mysticism appealed to the imaginative mind. There were societies of Illuminati, Rosicrucians, and Alchemists. [Illustration: From a painting in the Versailles Historical Gallery After an engraving which served as a frontis piece of Balsamo’s Life, published in 1781 Joseph Balsamo, Known as Count Cagliostro.] [Illustration: MEMOIRE POUR LE COMTE DE CAGLIOSTRO, ACCUSE; CONTRE M. LE PROCUREUR-GENÉRAL, ACCUSATEUR; En présence de M. le Cardinal DE ROHAN, de la Comtesse DE LA MOTTE, et autres Co-Accusés. M. DE CAGLIOSTRO NE DEMANDE QUE TRANQUILLITÉ ET SURETÉ; L’HOSPITALITÉ LES LUI ASSURE. EXTRAIT _d’une Lettre écrite per M. le Comte de_ VERGENNES, _Ministre des Affaires Etrangères, à_ M. GÉRARD, _Préteur de Strasbourg, le 13 Mars 1783_. 1786. TITLE-PAGE OF THE DEFENSE OF CAGLIOSTRO.] [Illustration: VIE DE JOSEPH BALSAMO, CONNU SOUS LE NOM DE COMTE CAGLIOSTRO, _Extraite de la Procédure instruite contre lui à Rome, en 1790_, Traduite d’après l’original italien, imprimé à la Chambre Apostolique; enrichie de Notes curieuses, et ornée de son Portrait. A PARIS, Chez ONFROY, libraire, rue Saint-Victor, n^o. 11. ET A STRASBOURG, Chez JEAN-GEORGE TREUTTEL, libraire. 1791. TITLE-PAGE OF THE LIFE OF CAGLIOSTRO.]