East, which was communicated by the Deity to Adam, and from him passed to Moses and the Prophets, was confined to the few elect. It was the great secret of

Weissheit zu kommen, wie nemblich ein Mensch sich prepäriren und vorbereiten, und wie er seine Seele reinigen und bekehren solle, das sie zu empfähung solcher allerhöchster Gabe Gottes geschickt und bequem sey."-Echo der von Gott hocherleuchten Fraternitet, &c., p. 110, Danzig, 1617, 12mo." Hence this art of heavenly wisdom is by some called in the Hebrew tongue, Cabala; or in Latin, Receptio; which in German is as much as to say an art obtained by revelation from God. But the knowledge, which in this respect one man can obtain from another, consists chiefly in the way and process of arriving at such a high art of godly wisdom-how, namely, a man may prepare and dispose himself, and how he may cleanse and convert his mind, that he may be fit and proper for the reception of this highest heavenly gift."

But it should appear that there were various sorts of Cabalas; Flood, who had as much useless learning as most men, gives a very full account of them. "Ex veterum philosophorum scriptis colligimus Cabalam illam esse scientiæ speciem, quæ originem suam ab Antistite Moyse duxit. Nam Judæi volunt hanc cognitionem Moysi divino numine fuisse traditam, ac deinceps citra literarum monumenta, gradu successionis, posteris usque ad Esdræ tempus sola viva voce continuatam; unde Cabala ab Hebræis, quasi solo auditu unius ab altero, receptio nuncupata est. Hujus duo recensentur genera, quorum unum Cosmologia dicitur, videlicet rerum creatarum naturalium, tam sublunarium quàm cælestium, vires explicans, et legis bibliique arcana philosophicis rationibus exponens, quæ a magia illa naturali aliquo modo differre non videtur, in qua Salomonem regem superius excelluisse diximus, nam disputavit à cedro Libani usque ad Hyssopum ; item jumentorum, volucrum, reptilium, et piscium, immò et omnium rerum naturalium proprietates inspexit, optimèque divini numinis assistentia percalluit; nam magicas naturalium vires in centro delitescentes, virtute hujus speciei Cabalæ ad actum producere non dubitavit. Alia Cabalæ differentia nuncupatur Mercava, quæ est de sublimioribus divinarum Angelicarumque virtutum, sacrorum nominum, et signaculorum contemplationibus; atque hæc ejus species dividitur in Notariacon, quæ universaliter circa angelorum virtutes, nomina, et signacula, ad Dæmonum et animarum conditiones versatur. Vel in Theomanti

Paracelsus, as it was of his followers, and still is of the Freemasons; but with this difference; the Light from the East no longer supplies the key of knowledge to art or science, but is presumed to illuminate the adept in the way of morals and religion,-in fact to be that higher species of truth which the Jewish priests kept among themselves, and pretended were not revealed in the Bible.

Here then we have all the admitted tenets of the Rosicrucians, and we see a sect, though not a brotherhood. The next question therefore is, when did such a brotherhood first arise? The Cabalists will at least reply, it dates from the building of Solomon's temple, that being a favourite epoch with all Christian mystics, though it involves their creed in many difficulties and contradictions. In spite, however, of such high authorities, even the name of Rosicrucian does not seem to have been known till the commencement of the seventeenth

century. There is no mention of such a thing in the works of Albertus Magnus, Friar Bacon, Cornelius Agrippa, nor even of Paracelsus; yet surely had it existed, it must have been known to one, if not to all of them, and as surely we should have found some traces of it in their writings. The total absence of any thing of the kind is as conclusive as a negative proof can be.*

cam, quæ divinæ Majestatis mysteria, sacraque nomina, et pentacula, scrutatur, quam qui novit, hunc aiunt admirandis pollere virtutibus, ita ut cum velit, futura omnia presciat, totique naturæ imperet. Hac arte putant Moysen tot signa et miracula edidisse et Josuen stare solem præcipisse.". Apologia Compendiaria, &c., Auctore R. de Fluctibus (Flood) Leydæ, 1616, p. 27.

* There was indeed a Militia Crucifera Evangelica, established in Nuremberg, A.D. 1586; but this was only a fanatic Protestant society. See Buhle; p. 119.

In 1614 appeared a pamphlet with the title of, Allgemeine und General Reformation der ganzen weiten Welt, beneben der Fama Fraternitatis, oder Entstehung der Brüderschaft des löblichen Ordens des Rosenkreutzes, &c. Cassel, 1614, 8vo. The author's name was not given, but the work was said to be published without his consent, and to be the production of John Valentine Andreä,* an assertion, the truth of which however has been questioned. Α second edition, and it is to that my references are made, appeared at Frankfort in 1617, under the title of Fama Fraternitatis, oder Entdeckung der Bruderschafft dess löblichen

* John Valentine Andreä was born in 1586, at Herrenberg in Wurtemberg, and excelled in theology, mathematics, and philosophy. He is spoken of very highly by the poet, Herder, and seems to have entered earnestly into the religious disputes of his time. Many have doubted his being the author of the Fama, but it would be difficult to say on what reasonable grounds. It was generally so believed in his own day, and Arnold bears the most decisive testimony to the same effect in his Kirchen und Ketzer-Historie, (p. 899). He there says, "Man hat in M. Christoph Hirschen's, (predigers zu Eissleben) hinterlasseuen Schriften gefunden, dass Joh. Arnd an ihn als seinen vertrauten freund und ehemals daselbst gewesenen Collegen in vertrauen berichtet gehabt, wie ihm D. Joh. Valentinus Andreæ auch sub rosâ dieses secretum entdecket hätte, dass er (D. Andreæ) nebst andern 30 personen im Würtembergerland die Famam Fraternitatis zu erst heraus gegeben, dadurch hinter dem Vorhange zu erfahren was vor judicia in Europa darüber ergehen, und was vor verborgene Liebhaber der wahren weissheit hin und wieder stecken, und sich hiebey vorthun würden."-" In the posthumous writings of M. C. Hirschen, pastor at Eissleben, it has been found that John Arnd informed him in confidence, as a near friend and former colleague, how he had been told by John Valentine Andreä,-also sub rosâ-that he, namely Andreä, with thirty others in Wurtemberg, had first sent forth the Fama Fraternitatis, that under this screen they might learn the judgment of Europe thereon, as also what lovers of true wisdom lay concealed here and there, and would then come forward."

Ordens dess Rosen-Creutzes Beneben der Confession, &c. ;* and here for the first time we have an account of the Rosicrucian brotherhood, or indeed any mention of them. According to Andreä's tale, a certain Christian Rosenkreuz, though of good birth, found himself compelled from poverty to enter the cloister at a very early period of life. He was only sixteen years old when one of the monks proposed going on a pilgrimage to the holy grave, and Christian as an especial favour was permitted to accompany him. At Cyprus the brother is taken ill, and dies, but, nothing daunted by this accident, Christian resolves not to abandon his first design, and goes on to Damascus, with the intention of proceeding to Jerusalem. Here, while he is delayed by fatigue, he chances to hear talk of the wonders performed by the Damascene sages, and, his curiosity being excited, he puts himself under their direction. After the lapse of three years spent in acquiring their most hidden mysteries, he sets sail from the Arabian gulf for Egypt, where he studies the nature of plants and animals, and then having traversed the Mediterranean he arrives at Fez in Africa as he had been advised by his Arabian masters. At this place it was the custom of the Arab and African sages to meet once a year for the purpose of mutually communicating the results of their experience and enquiries; and here he passes two years in study, after which he travels into Spain, but not finding a favourable reception determines to give his own country the benefit of his researches. But even in Germany, swarming as it was with mystics of all kinds, his proposed reformation in morals and

* I have not seen the first of these editions, but it seems to want the Confessio, while it has the Reformation, which is not in the second. This Reformation, according to Murr, is nothing more than a literal translation of lxxvij. Ragguaglio di Parnasso di TRAJANO BOCCA

science meets with so little public sympathy that he determines to establish a society of his own, and with this view selects three of his most favourite companions from his old convent. To them, under a solemn vow of secrecy he imparts his knowledge, their office being to commit it to writing, and form a magic tongue and vocabulary for the benefit of future students. But it seems that in addition to this task they had also undertaken to prescribe gratuitously for all the sick, who chose to claim their assistance, and the concourse of patients in a short time is so great as materially to interfere with their other labours. Christian's new building therefore of the Holy Spirit being by this time finished, he resolves to encrease the number of his brotherhood, and accordingly initiates four new members.

When all is completed, and the eight brothers are thoroughly instructed in the mysteries, they separate according to agreement, two only staying with Father Christian; but they are to return at the year's end that they may mutually communicate the fruits of their acquired experience. The two, who stayed at home, are then to be relieved by two others, so that the founder may never be quite alone, and they again divide for another twelvemonth. The laws to which they bind themselves are

1st. That none should devote themselves to any occupation except physic, and should practice it gratuitously. 2nd. That none should be compelled on account of the brotherhood to wear a particular habit, but should conform in this respect to the custom of the land, in which they happen to be.

3rd. That each should present himself on a certain day in the year at the House of the Holy Spirit, or should send a reason for his absence.

4th. That each should look out for a brother to succeed him in the event of his death.