Preface

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Catalogue Raisanne
OF WORKS ON THE
Occult Sciences
BY
F. LEIGH GARDNER
(Late Hon. Secretary Soc. Ros. in Anglia).
VOL. I.
Rosicrucian Boohs.
WITH AN INTRODUCTION
BY
Dr. WILLIAM WYNN WESTCOTT
(M. W. Supreme Magus Soc. Ros. in Anglia).
Second Edition
PRIVATELY PRINTED.
1 9 2 3.
Printed by MULLERS DRUCKEREI, LEIPZIG.
PREFACE.
IN bringing before the public a work of this description I feel it necessary to say a few words by way of Preface. The name of “ Rosicrucian “ does not appear to have been known until the commencement of the Seventeenth Century, when Europe was beginning to emerge from the dephts of the intellectual darkness of the middle ages. The Reformers, notably Calvin and Luther, had to a great extent broken up the ground preparatory to a new era. This welcome change did not, however, prevent religious fanatics of many sorts from trading on the credulity of the masses, as is witnessed by the number of quacks who extorted money under the pretence of being able to tell fortunes, and to perform transmutation, even by means of a compact with the evil one. It seemed as though a horde of shar¬ pers was let loose, and they gulled people in a wholesale manner. Things were in this state when in the year 1614 two anonymous pamphlets appeared, the one called The Universal and General Reformation of the whole wide World , and the other The Fama F rater nitatis, or Brother¬ hood of the Praiseworthy order of the Rosicrucians, a message to the Governments , Nobles , and Scientists of Europe. These works caused an immense excitement, and were translated into several languages; a large number of pamphlets were circulated in reply, and the whole of Christendom was
PREEA CE
viii
stirred to its utmost depths. This state of things went on for some considerable time, and finally seemed to exhaust itself; but curiously enough fresh evidences of interest in Rosicrucianism crop out at intervals. In the Encyclopaedia Metropolitana it is stated definitely that in 1630 there was a London College of Rosicrucians. Another remarkable instance occurs in the work No. 179, by a Count Eckhoffen, who wrote under the Pseudonyms of Pianco and Phcebron; in this work a very important Folding Table appears; this was translated into English and published by Kenneth Mackenzie in his now scare work The Royal Masonic Cyclopaedia (p. 617), it contains the full details of an order based upon Rosicrucian design. The Places of Assembly, Consulates , Countries, Symbols, etc., are given, and the contents of the work reveal to my mind sufficient evidence that about 1750 such an Order undoubtedly existed, and was worked on Kabalistic lines. In further confirmation of this actual existence of the Order I must refer my readers to an article that appeared in a German publication called The Sphinx, published at Brunswick, and a translation of which appeared in the Theosophist, for April, 1886; it is written by a certain Karl Kisewetter, who states that he found amongst his great grandfather’s papers documents shewing that he was the then Imperator of a Rosicrucian Lodge (1769); he goes on to say that in 1792 it was deci¬ ded to release the Brethren from their oath of secrecy, and to destroy the Library and the Archives. Whether this was done or not, there is no evidence forthcoming, but he dwells at length on the “innumerable secret arts with which the Rosicrucians were acquainted. “ In the present day we have an organisation of Masonic Students, who are joined to¬ gether under the title of uSocietas Rosicruciana in Anglia, i( and whose ramifications extend to Germany, and abroad to India and the United States of America, and in whose service I have the honour to be Secretary to the Supreme Council, and of which my worthy colleague, Dr. W. Wynn Westcott, is M. W. Supreme Magus. We have a number of earnest and thoughtful students and Literati in our ranks.
FREE A CE
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Considering all of the collected evidence it is certainly a fact that the Rosicrucians did exist. They did work Lodges, and were in possession of knowledge that was not acces¬ sible to the man in the street; neither did they adopt the modern scientific method of making every discovery public property, the propriety of which many even now question. They evidently adopted high ideals, as they worked un¬ selfishly for the good of the world and accepted no re¬ muneration for so doing; they made no display from mo¬ tives of vanity, and worked unknown and unostentatiously, leading quiet and secluded lives, secure in their own knowledge which was not to be obtained by any but worthy people. This knowledge was also not to be pur¬ chased for money, but descended from lovers of the Her¬ metic art to others who trod in the same footsteps. “We wrap ourselves in mystery/4 says one, “in order to avoid the censure and violent importunity of those who regard us as no philosophers but wanting in common prudence, except we employ our knowledge to some worthy use and profit.44 Whether as some writers suggest, this knowledge has descended from the Ancient Philosophers of Egypt, the Chaldaens, the Persian Magi, or the Gymnosophists of India, it hardly falls within my province to discuss, but I may mention en passant that the Rose and Cross are Sym¬ bols of Great Antiquity - the former was dedicated to Venus as the Symbol of Secrecy and Immortality and is sacred both in Life and Religion; the latter according to the Christians is well known to typify Salvation; but it is of much greater antiquity than Christianity, and amongst the ancient Egyptians it symbolised “ Life.44 According to Masonic Tradition it was foreshadowed in King Solomon’s Temple: again the Rose and Cross combined were the badge of a Knight Templar. Robert Fludd or his friends who wrote the „Summum Bonum44 state its meaning to be “the Cross sprinkled by the rosy blood- of The Christ,44 which is a purely religious illustration. Again there is the Rose of Sharon, and amongst the Indians, the Mystical Rose is continually met with in legends; so that we may have to
PREFACE
xr
-/V i
look to the East for its origin. Lord Beaconsfield declared that the Secret Societies and the Papacy were the only two Institutions endowed with permanency; and this is possibly the reason why the latter has always been so persistent in its intense hatred of the former. In fact any Order that is possessed of real Occult knowledge is hated by the Church of Rome, which brooks no rivals; its history is one of unrelentless cruelty and spiritual despotism; its pathway is strewn with the human wrecks whom it has used as its tools in the service of its restless ambition; power was its one goal, and achievement was desired irrespective of cost; the end alone justifying the means.
As in the present day I have no desire to perpetuate the follies of the middle ages, nor to suggest to anyone the necessity of yielding up his freedom of thought and will to any Imperator, Magister, or to the Chief of any secret society, however high sounding and high faluting a title may be assumed, rightly or wrongly; so I think it ad¬ visable at this point to caution any would-be aspirant in mysticism against dangers which I know to be current at the present day. Certain quasi Secret Orders, which pre¬ tend to impart occult knowledge, and which possibly do posses some slight qualifcations sufficient to justify their existence, are used simply as a means of obtaining money.
I am informed on credible authority that the daughter of an English nobleman recently applied tor admission to such a society as I have described, and after the ceremony had taken place the chief had the audacity to demand a sum of money approaching five and twenty pounds; fortunately both the mother and daughter were not such pigeons as they were supposed to be, and I do not suppose they troubled the gentleman again. I merely mention this case to impress upon my readers the fact that true Rosicrucians have always taught “That Divine wisdom is not to be bought, nor sold for private gain“ With regard to the compilation of this catalogue, 1 may say that I have been collecting books on Rosicrucianism and other mystical subjects for upwards of twenty five years, and consequently possess
PREFA CE
XI
a library of some magnitude. The volumes here catalogued that I do not possess, and which P was unable to obtain at the British Museum, I have chiefly taken from that ex¬ cellent though now exceedingly scarce work by Dr. George Kloss, “ Bibliographie der Freimaurerei,u published at Frank¬ furt am Maine, A. D. 1844; it is indeed a store- house of Masonic literature and it also contains a great; number of Rosicrucian works. Owing to the rarity of the Kloss Cata¬ logue, coupled with the fact that there were a large number of other Rosicrucian works scattered in various places, I though it would be useful, and in fact a necessity for our descendants to be able to refer to a work such as this of mine, in which I have endeavoured to collect in one volume the titles of all the literature of this subject. I do not pre¬ tend to say that it is complete, and I shall be very grateful to any of my literary coadjutors for any hints and corrections they may think fit to jjiake, for use in any future editions; but as hitherto no such work as this has been available, I thought I could not do better than set to work and present this Catalogue in its present form.
1 should like to say a word as regards its arrange¬ ment. I have endeavoured to adopt the method employed by our National Library, and have arranged the books under authors’ names, but where only initials have been used 1 have taken these in full and placed them under the first initial; where any book fails to fall under either of these categories I have taken the first word of the actual title, discarding all small articles; again where there have been a number of works written by some authors such as “Robert Fludd.“ “Michael Maier,“ “Thomas Vaughan, “ &r.,
1 have arranged their particular works according to chrono¬ logical order, because of the special interest attached to any particular controversy which these writers may have had with any opponent, such as was frequently the case. Kloss has adopted this latter plan entirely in his work; but this renders reference to any particular author exceedingly difficult; whereas by following my method you can turn up any author or work at once without trouble.
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In conclusion I trust to merit the grateful memory of book lovers in the future, for having collected in a permanent form the hitherto scattered fragments of a literature that embodies the beliefs and ideals of the older Rosicrucians which are cherished by a small but select group of thinkers on this most interesting subject in the present day.
F. LEIGH GARDNER.
14, Marlborough Road,
Gunnersbury,
London, W. (4)
IHTRODUCTIOn.
The history of the Rosicrucian Fraternity, the date and manner of its origin, and the peculiar doctrines and pursuits of its members have always been subjects of the greatest interest to such literary men as find a charm in tracing the developments of genius along what are now considered somewhat erratic lines.
The proceedings of those Societies which are credited with the pursuit of a knowledge of the Occult world, of magic and of alchymy,in secret assemblies and with solemn ceremonials, have always attracted certain students who fail to find full satisfaction in the pursuits of common life, and the subjects of general literature.
The mists of many past centuries hang over the early history and proceeding of the Rosicrucians, as they do over the history of the Templars and over the origin of Specu¬ lative Freemasonry. In the case of the Rosicrucians the obscurity is much the deeper because the peculiar consti¬ tution of the Fraternity required the utmost secrecy from all its members; who were admitted in privacy, pledged to the concealment of their status and forbidden to teach or manifest in any way as Rosicrucians, although they were, as is alleged, always concerned in deeds of charity and benevolence, in working for the benefit not only of indivi¬ duals, but for the progress of mankind, as well as seeking everywhere for increase of knowledge for their Society and its members. Only very few of the Fratres have ever been permitted to reveal their position, even in printed works.
XIV
INTRODUCTION
Nearly all the so-called Rosicrucian books were apparently written by outsiders who had only scanty knowledge of the work and tenets of the Society. We find them made up of Oriental legends, false history, and of erroneous . guesses at the aims, duties and achievements of the mem¬ bers, whether on the Continent or in this country. It is very doubtful whether the original disclosure of the exis¬ tence of the Society was written by the Imperator or authorized by the Council of the Fratres.
The Rosicrucian Fraternity was brought to public notice in Germany by means of two tractates, the “Fama Fraternitatis," and the „Confessio Fraternitatis,“ which were printed in Cassel in 1614 and 1615.
: ; According to the „Fama Fraternitatis benedicti Ordinis Rosae Crucis" and the “Confessio Fraternitatis R. C.“'the notable Mystic and Adept known as Christian Rosenkreuz, the Founder of the Rosicrucian Fraternity, was born in 1378, of a noble family, and received his education in a cloister. A certain monk, P. A. L., took him as a companion on a journey to the Holy Land; they reached Cyprus, and there P. A. L. died. Christian Rosenkreuz went on alone to Damascus, and to the Sanctuary of Mount Carmel where he studied with the wise men, from thence to Egypt, to Fez and;; then to Spain, learning in all countries the doc¬ trines of their religion and philosophy, and their arts of medicine; and he last settled down in South Germany about the year 1413. After several years spent in the study of the knowledge and arts so collected, C. R. chose three companions, Fratres G. V., I. A. (who it was noted was not a German) and I. O., and instructed them fully in the precious results of his travels, and so these four Fratres founded the “Fraternity of the Rose and Cross". They made a Magical Alphabet, language and dictionary, and wrote the books (Magicon), Axiomata, Rota Mundi and Protheus; they also designed and built the house called “Domus Sancti Spiritus“ as the Home of the Fraternity. After a few years a second Circle of four other Fratres was formed; these were C. R., the son of the deceased
1 NTRO'DUCfrdN
father’s brother of C. R., B., a skilful painter, O. G., and
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P. D., who acted as Secretary to the others. While two Fratres always remained with the Founder C. R, the others - went about doing good, relieving the poor and sick and collecting further knowledge. m
The Fraternity then was a Society of Students of religion, philosophy and medicine, whose members sought for spiritual development and practised arts of benevolence.
In the “Fama Fraternitas“ we read that they bound themselves by six rules: — (1) To profess nothing, but to cure the sick, and that freely. (2) To wear only the usual dress of the country in which they were. (3) To assemble at the Domus S. S. once in every year on a certain day (the Festival of C. C.), or send reason for absence. (4) That each Frater should select a proper person to succeed him. (5) That the letters R. C. should be their Seal, Mark and Character. (6) To maintain the secrecy of the Fraternity for at least one hundred years.
Frater I. O., a learned Kabalist and doctor, author of te book FI., cured the young Earl of Norfolk of leprosy, and was the first member to die, and that in England.
About 1450 a funeral Vault of seven sides decorated
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with symbols was erected for the repose of the Founder. Frater P. D. was the second to die.
In 1457 the curious Alchemical tractate called “Chy- mische Hochzeit“ (Chemical Wedding) was written in German by C. R., but was not then published. It narrates the attainement by him of the grade of “Eques aurei lapi- dus“ or Knight of the Golden Stone. “
In 1484 the Founder and Imperator C. R. died, his body was embalmed and put into the Vault, which was closed and concealed from the members of the latest Circle of junior students.