Page:Memoirs of Vidocq, Volume 2.djvu/98

 of the naval service, who congratulated me, as if I had taken so many prisoners. If it were so brilliant a capture, I could really have said that it had only caused me one single fright. However that may be, in the company, it procured for me a very high opinion.

I continued to fulfil my duties with exemplary punctuality, and three mouths glided away, during which I had nothing but praise. This I determined always to deserve, but an adventurer's career was still to be my lot. A fatality which I was compelled to submit to unresistingly, and often unknowingly, perpetually threw me in contact with persons and things which were most in opposition to the destiny I was attempting to cut out for myself. It was to this singular fatality, that, without being enrolled in the secret societies of the army, I was indebted for being initiated into its mysteries.

It was at Boulogne that these societies were first formed. The first of all, notwithstanding what M. Nodier says in his "History of the Philadelphes," was that of the Olympiens, whose founder was one Crombet of Namur. It was at first only composed of a few young naval officers, but it rapidly increased, and all military men were admitted; principally, however, those of the artillery corps.

Crombet, who was very young (only a volunteer of the first class), laid aside his title of "chief of the Olympiens," and returned to the ranks of the brotherhood; who elected a "Vénérable," and formed themselves into a masonic order.

The society had not at first any political motive; or if it had, it was only known to the influential members. The avowed intent was mutual advancement.