THE "ABODE OLOVE."

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 204, 26 August 1905, Page 11

THE "ABODE OLOVE."

AGAPEMONITES' REMARKABLE DOINGS IN THEIR SECRET HOME. Our cable news last week gave some particulars with regard to the extraordinary proceedings of the Rev. Smyth Piggott and his deluded followers. The following description of the "Abode of Love" is from the special correspondent of the London "Expiess":— There are few more picturesque spots in the British Isles than the tiny hamlet of Spaston, where the Agapemonites reside in the "Abode of Love." The building is large and handsome, with spacious gardens, surrounded Ivy high walls placed there to prevent prying eyes from seeing what is going on in the place.

Spaston itself is a quaint, old-time village, nestling at the foot of the Quantock Hills, the glory of Somersetshire. It is far away from the world, and neither cares nor wishes to have anything to do with the world. It is six miles from anywhere, and many of the villagers have never seen a train in their lives. Such is the place which the Agapemonites chose as their reastlngolaee. Why? The question is not hard to answer. These people wanted privacy, ami to get perfect privacy they had to select «in out-of-the-way nook, where their doings would remain unnoticed. Then by heaping gifts on the viU-agers they gained first their gratitude and then then- confidence. Is it any wonder, then, that the villagers to a man regard the Agapemonites with admiration? for they know if they require anything they have only to ask for it. HUSH MONEY. The natural result has followed, that now the villagers regard the residents of the ■■Abode of Love" as their lawful prey, and exact to the full hush-money for silence. That is putting the matter plainly, but the fact remains that the Agapemonites, after 60 years of residence in the villfcge, have bought the consciences of the inhabitants, and are now safe from tattling tongues. Each villager speaks lovingly of Brother Prince, but of Mr Pigott they speak with awe, as many of them regard him as divine. There is, however, one sturdy dame in Spaxton who will have nothing to do with the Agapemonites, and when I saw her she told mc that quite recently she had received a visit from several ladies from the •■Abode of Love" who tried to convert her to their way of thinking. "They told mc," she said, "that Mr Pigott was the Messiah, and that he was the Lord come a second time on earth. They then talked to mc about other things, and noticed that I was poor and had a big family to bring up. "I listened to them for qttite half an hour, but when they began to tell mc that in their religion married people didn't Uve together, and that having children was against their principles, 1 spoke my mind to them pretty smart. " 'Look here, my ladies,' I said, 'jnet you get out of my house. You are not going to separate mc from my husband or ray children.' And they soon went when they saw I was getting my temper up." Lrxmiors "Messiah." I had an opportunity on .luly Ist of becoming a silent witness of the "Messiah's"* garden party. Everything was nxist luxurious, and the costumes of the ladies were touched by the hands of Parisian modistes. Poverty WV> unknown there, and the central figure basked in the sunshine surrounded by his faithful women disciples. It was a remarkable thing that in the whole time during which I was a witness of the scene not one man spoke to the "Messiah."

He was always holding levees of his fair subjects. Aud some of them were fafr indeed—one tall girl with a mass of golden hair and the figure of a Venus standing ont like a statue in her white clinging draperies of lace. It was not "Ruth." It was the latest recruit to the "Aboele of Love."

The men formed a striking contrast to tha women, for most of the sterner sex appocred to be feeble old gentlemen, and the younger ones looked aesthetic fools. I use the word advisedly. There is no other word In the English vocabulary to adequately describe their appearance. But there was one mar. who looked neither a fool ncrr feeble in health, a ltd that was the "Lamb," the beloved of all the disciples— especially the ladies.

There is little humility about'Mr Pigott nor has his hody beeu wasted by prayer or fasting. He looks what he is—a handsome, full-blooded young man. a man who has an indescribable charm for women. That is the secret of his "Messiahship." BLASPHEMY. REMARKABLE SERVICR AT "ABODE OF LOVE." It was rumoured on the morning of July Ist that the Rev. Smyth Pigott, the selfstyled Messiah, would leave the Spaxton "Abode of Love." and. in an open-air service, proclaim his divine mission. A great crowd, drawn from Taunton, Bridgwater, Weston-super-mare, Bristol, and other western towns, had gathered, only to be disappointed, for the "Lamb" remained within the precincts of the "Abode of Love," preferring the homage of his disciples to the attentions of the crowd. Outside the "Abode" all was excitement. Guards paraded the roads, and even a patrol of bicyclists was instituted to keep the unworthy from gleaning any of the mysteries that were taking place -within. Repeated knocks at. the doors brought no answer, for the disciples had received instructions from their lord and master that no one was to be allowed to enter. Towards noon, however, carriages drove up containing members of the sect, and shortly afterwards a service probably unparalleled in the annals of religion took place.

LIKE A BOCDOIR. Its venue was the temple of the "Abode" —an edifice more like a lady's bondoir than a place of worship. The great room has little of the church about it. There are no news, but in their place large, comfortable lounges, settees, easy chairs, sofas, rocking-chairs, and every device that the lover of luxury could invent. All are upholstered in art patterns, and the curtains on the windows are of the richest red silk plush. The windows themselves are magnificent, being works of art representing love in mnny of its phases as depicted in the Old Testament.

Round each window is a great band of sold quite three inches wide. The pulpit, sacred to the "Messiah," is emblazoned with gold and precious stones. To complete the picture, the great carpet is priceless, and was made some years ago ln Persia by command of the late Brother Prince.

The great room is interesting enough, but the congregation which filled it was more interesting. There were women there dressed in the height of fashion, endowed with wealth, healthh, beanty—with everything hi this world that is prized. But there were other women there who had given their wealth and beauty to the "Abode," and were now in the evening of life. English, French, Russian, and Norwegian were there, all awaiting the selfstyled "Lamb of God." ENFEEBLED HTTMANITY. The men were either old, decrepit specimens of humanity, or else youths to whom aestheticism appealed rather than athletics. Some were fashionably dressed, while others

„ wore long hair and velvet jackets. Quietly, but with his face set firm as a rock, the "Messiah," dressed in ordinary clerical clothes, entered the great room. A second before all was chatter and gossip. On his appearance a great stillness prevailed. "Behold the Lamb of God!" was his salu- i tation to his faithful flock. Then the whole congregation rose and chanted these words of welcome:—"Shout, brothers, shout, let the echoes fly! Behold he cometh, the Lord is nigh!" As these words rang through the room j the "Messiah" raised his hand and blessed j his people, who, falling on their knees, did homage. | Then followed the service, which in parts ! was like the Church of England service, and I consisted of prayers, hymns, and a sermon, by the "'Messiah." This, however, did nc* contain any utterances other than tho «„• which might come from a newly ordairied curate. It was, however, the music that rei?;n ed supreme—music that appealed to the srgises rather than to the soul. Women play ed on harps and violins, while the great threemanualcd instrument called the "Vlerpin" pealed out a paean of adoration. EXTRAORDIXARY HVMNfi. Towards the end of the service a remarkable hymn was sung in which the "Messiah" played his part. The music was beau- ' Uful, and the words weirdly strange. It ran. as follows: — All hail, Thou King of Glory! Now Thy love our homage brings, JNor wait until the nations bow, But crown thee King of Kings. Majestic now in love's bright reign. We hail love's sweetest chords, While listening seraphs catch the strain, And own Thee Lord of Lords. For high Thou art enthroned in light. Eternal God the Lamli. And we Thy doves with fond delight Do own Thee great I Am. Another hymn, sung to- the tune, "Gladness of Evening," was:—

Oh, my love, all love excelling, Sweetly whispers "thou art mine," In thy bosom brightly dwelling I will answer "Thou art mine." Tell mc, oh. my more than brother, Why" art thou so dear to mc. Tell mc. too, oh, tell mc whether Still I am so dear to thee. This was sung by the ladies of the congregation. The "Messiah's" reply was:— Yes. my sisters. I will show thee What doth make thee dear to mc; Oh. 'tis this that I am to thee, Love in all its purity. Then, turning to the faithful "Ruth," the Lamb" said:— Yea, and one there is the dearest, Dear to mc must ever be; One that's foudesL nearest, fairest. Oh, my loved one, thou art she! This extraordinary service ended by the "Lamb" withdrawing to his vestry, after receiving once more the homage of his disciples. VICAR'S DENUNCIATION. In the course of a conversation which tbe representative of the "Express" had with the vicar of Spaxton, he was quickly given to understand that the vicar thought little or nothing of the Agapemonites. "I think," said he, "that the Rev. Smyth Pigott would be better for a cold douche. "At present the inmates of the 'Abode' are leading a very selfish and self-irdulgent life, and their doctrines are extraordinary." "Have you ever been in the Abode of Love?" the "Express" representative asked. "No." was the reply, "but I know that in the past there was mAh immorality and cruelty practised there." A singular feature of the "Abode" is the number of married women there. In the course of an interview with the gentleman who wrote to the "Bridgwater Independent" stating that the "Abode" had robbed him of his wife, the "Express" representative was told that in spite of visiting the place six times he could gain no information about his wife. "I tell you," he said, speaking in a voice throbbing with anger, "I mean to get into that place, if I have to break open the doors. If my wife is there I mean to see her; if she is dead, then I shall know she is dead. But I mean to learn the truth, cost what it may."

BLIGHTED LIVES. 200 WOMEN WORSHIPPERS OF PIGOTT MARRIAGE AN "EVIL." The publicity given to the doings at the "Abode of Love" has caused many men who hare lost their wives to make the journey to Spaxton in the hope of gleaning some information about them. Many of them have scoured the countryside in search of information and clnes. Others have gone so far as to make attempts to force a way into the buildings. Men who have come into contact with Pistott all tell the same story of his extraordinary fascination for women. "Six years ago I just succeeded in extricating a girl from Pigott's influence. I should like to go now and pull the "Abode of Love' down with a pickaxe." Mr Arthur G. Christmas, of Tottenham, made the foregoing statement to an "Express" representative. "The yonng lady was being gradually drawn into the society of the "Agapemonites. to which her mother and sisters already belonged," he said, "and I was naturally anxious to save her. "I went to Cedar Lodge at Clapton and bad an interview with Pigott, who was at that time a man of cadaverous appearance with searching eyes. He tried to 'fix' mc with his eyes, but he did not succeed, as I was much too angry with him. SPOILS WOMEN'S LIVES. "We had a heated dispute about the girl in question, but he declined to withdraw his influence over her. and, quoting Biblical texts, passionately defended his doctrine that women should not marry. He tried to persuade mc that I should bring about the ruin of her sonl by inducing her to marry. "Happily I was able to persuade the girl to have nothing to do with the Agapemonites and their detestable 'no marriage' doctrine, but because she would have nothing to do with Pigott and his followers her mother and sisters treated her as an outcast.

"Pigott has absolutely spoiled the lives of women who have come under his blighting iufiuenee. His manner fascinates them. They have no pleasure in life, and no thought of anything save Pigott. whom they all devoutly believe to be the 'Messiah.'

"It is no use trying to show them the absurdity cf the thing, or arguing with them about* marriage, which they are forbidden. They denounce marriage as evil, and they will' not listen to argument. "The family I mention, bpfore becoming ripott's followers, were religious women, and used to do a good deal of parish work. That is all given np. All their attention is devoted to the 'Messiah.' TWO HUNDRED WOMEN AGAPEMONITES. "It is, of course, very difficult to obtain definite evidence about the 'Abode of Love.' The 'Messiah's' devotees are all anxious to keep silence on the matter. So far as I can gather, there are 200 or 300 women ln his band, and the number is slowly increasing. There is a small colony of them at Stamford Hill. All the women who join absolutely forsake the idea of marriage. "They take it in turn to stay at the 'Abode "of Love.' so that tbe place is kept fairly full all the year round. There Is not the slightest doubt that he has got many of them under his power to such an extent that they really worship him. "It may be that, from being continually surrounded by women passionately worshipping him, his mind has been turned to the extent of believing himself a divine being. "It is a wonder that men whose womenfolk have -been brought under Pigott's influence do not go and pull down the "Abode of Love.' But in many no doubt, the husband Is persuaded that there is nothing objectionable going on. "Some time ago I met at some friends' house a young lady who I believe Is now the *Rutir" described ln the newspapers. She was a tall, beautiful, golden-haired girt.