The public fascination with Freemasonry goes back to the very beginning of the Order's history, but grew when a member of the nobility--the Duke of Montagu--became Grand Master in 1721. This interest fueled many exposes alleging to reveal the nature of Freemasonry, of which The Grand Mystery Laid Open, left, published in 1726, is an early example. Interestingly, about a third of the way down the left column is a comment stating that certain Masonic words are 'Cabalisttical'--perhaps an indication that the Order was thought to be associated with the Hermetic/Cabbalistic tradition of the Renaissance. This could have been understood as a positive or negative idea, depending upon the reader.

The illustrations on the right are from a French exposure of a little later. It purports to show the signs and symbolic devices used in the various Degrees. There have been some studies that suggest that during this time a few 'exposures' which contained intentional misinformation were published by Masonic Lodges. Persons seeking admittance to Lodges using this material could then be identified and excluded.