Here are a few of the articles which Mousons had drawn up, and which every member was obliged to keep sacred on his oath.
The first law of all was the most inviolate secrecy, and rather to suffer to have the tongue cut out than betray a single secret of the society.
All the members that were chosen must promise to watch every one with whom they should happen to have any intercourse, and to listen attentively to all their discourses. To report faithfully, and in writing, to me and Mousons, all they had observed and heard. They were to insinuate themselves into the Courts of Judicature, and every now and then to undertake little trips into the country, in order to discover what was going forward there, either to our advantage or disadvantage. This arrangement enabled me to be informed of every thing that happened in the cabinet of the K—g, the ministers, and the generals; to know all the verdicts given in the different departments of the law and police, as also all the orders issued in every regiment. I was acquainted with the secrets of every family, nay, with the temper of almost every individual person, and, of course, might take my measures accordingly.
Each member had, for the private use of his correspondence, the following figures or cyphers:
| 12, | 11, | 10, | 9, | 8, | 7, | 6, | 5, | 4, | 3, | 2, | 1, | 13, | 14, | 15, |
| a, | b, | c, | d, | e, | f, | g, | h, | i, | k, | l, | m, | n, | o, | p, |
| 16, | 17, | 18, | 19, | 20, | 21, | 22, | 23, | 24. | ||||||
| q, | r, | s, | t, | u, | w, | x, | y, | z. | ||||||
If any of our letters had been intercepted, it still would, with these precautions, have been difficult to unravel their contents. Besides the above cyphers, Mousons, I, and B——, had other different sets of figures, which we changed from time to time, and as circumstances would require.
Our principles admitted assassination, suicide, poisoning, murder, perjury, treason, rebellion, and, in short, all the means which prejudiced men have termed crimes.
Much less obedience was to be shewn to the K—g and the laws than to me. And should any one presume to adhere to the K—g and the magistrates rather than to me, he must be crushed, as it was the case with E—— and the architect B——.
A general confusion in the government must, of course, increase the extent of my power, and, therefore, it was our grand object to excite distrust in the K—g against his subjects, in the ministers against their subalterns, and in the counsellors against their own colleagues. No power could save the man who shewed me the least shadow of neglect or contempt.
We had found means to bribe those who were employed at the post-offices in the country-towns, and they would let us have certain letters, which we either destroyed or opened and sealed again, without its being visible.