Founded in 1754 by the enigmatic Martinez de Pasqually, the Order of Knight-Masons Elect Priests of the Universe (or Élus-Coëns) left an indelible impression on French Freemasonry and worldwide Martinism.

Pasqually's Élus-Coëns worked tirelessly for the restoration of man's inner divinity and eventual reintegration with God. The fraternity practised a system of white magic (theurgy) aimed at recovering humanity's original, spiritual memory.

Composed by Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin, Jean-Baptiste Willermoz and Jean-Jaques Du Roy D'hauterive, The Lessons of Lyons are a contemporary commentary on the instructions given by Pasqually, reproduced here in English for the first time.

Also contained in this edition are several of Pasqually's surviving letters, together with illustrations taken from the Carte Philiosophique et Mathematique.