On Conspracy Theories. Dr. Barton

Langdon, like 'Eliphas Levi', is keen on conspiracy theories. Everything ties in with the 'Priory of Sion'. The Templar, the Crusades. It's all very handy really. And if Levi agreed with him, then our bright boy would be home and dry. The only trouble is, Levi doesn't. No, Levi ties everything in with the Illuminati, an organisation that was founded by Zoroaster in Persia, and introduced into Europe by the Templar in the twelfth century. According to Levi anyhow. Levi's notorious tendency to make up his 'facts' out of whole cloth is demonstrated by the fact that the Illuminati was actually a secret society within German Freemasonry created by Adam Weishaupt in 1776 and suppressed by the Bavarian government in 1785, after Illuminati attempted to overthrow the government of Bavaria.
In other words, the Illuminati were a short-lived subset of Freemasonry. But from this foundation conspiracy theorists have woven a whole history. Or rather four hundred-odd different histories. So it is with the Knights Templar. Every crackpot I meet has some theory or other about them. If I wasn't such a balanced individual I'd lose me temper with them more often.
Which reminds me, next month I'm going to the London Symbology Conference at the May Fair Hotel, where I hope to be able to speak to Dr. Langdon. I doubt he'll listen. His mind is made up, and he does not want to be confused with the facts.

A rather good article on the Illuminanti is here.