Chapter 7
C. are seraphically illuminated, as Moses was, according to this
Order of the Elements ; Earth refyn'd to Water, Water to Air,
Air to Fire. So if a man be one of the Heroes, of a Heros, a
Damon, or good Genius, if a Genius, a partaker of divine things,
and a Companion of the holy Company of unbodied Souls and
immortall Angells, and according to their vehicles, a versatile life,
turning themselves Proteus-like into any shape.
" But the richest happiness they esteem, is the gifb of healing and
medicine. It was a long time great labour and travell before
they could arrive to this Blisse above set, they were at first poor
gentlemen, that studied God and nature, as they themselves con-
fesse : (saying) Seeing the only wise and mercifull God in these
latter dayes hath poured out so richly his mercy and goodness to
mankind, whereby wee do attain more and more to the perfect
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knowledge of his Son Jesus Christ and Nature : that justly we
may boast of the happy time wherein there is not only discovered
unto us the half part of the world which was heretofore unknown
and hidden ; but he hath also made manifest unto us many won-
derfull and never heretofore seen works and Creatures of nature,
and moreover hath raised men, indued with great wisdome, which
might partly renew and reduce all Arts (in this our age, spotted
and imperfect) to perfection.
" Although in Theologie, Physick, and the Mathematick, the
truth doth oppose itself, nevertheless the old enemy by his
subtilty aud craft doth shew himself in hindering every good pur-
pose by his instruments and contentious (wavering people) to such
an intent of a generall Reformation, the most Godly and Seraphi-
cally illuminated Father, our Brother C. R., a German, the chief
and originall of our Fraternity, hath much and long time laboured,
who by reason of his poverty (although a gentleman bom, and
descended of noble parents) in the 5th year of his age was placed
in a Cloister, where he had learned indifferently the Greek and
Latin tongues (who upon his earnest desire and request being yet
in his growing years, was associated to a Brother P. A. L., who
had determined to go to Apamia.
" Although his brother dyed in Cyprus and so never came to
Apamia, yet our brother C. R did not return but shipped himself
over, and went to Damasco, minding from thence to go to Apamia,
but by reason of the feebleness of his body he remained still there,
and by his skil in Physick, he obtained much favour with the
Ishmalits. In the mean time he became by chance acquainted
with the wise men of Damcar in Arabia, and beheld what great
wonders they wrought and how Nature was discovered unto
them ; hereby was that high and noble spirit of brother C. R. so
stirred up that Apamia was not so much now in his mind as
Damcar ; also he cculd not bridle his desires any longer, but made
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76 JOHN HEYDON AND THE ROSICRUCIANS.
a bargain with the Arabians that they should carry him for a
certain summe of money to Damcar, this was in the 16th year of
his age when the Wise received him (as he himself witnesseth) not
as a Stranger, but as one whom they had long expected, they called
him by his name, and showed him other secrets out of his Cloyster,
whereat hee could not but mightily wonder.
" He learned there better the Arabian tongue : so that the year
following he translated the book M. into good Latine, and I have
put it into English wearing the title of The Wiseman's Crown ;
whereunto is added A new Method of Rosie Crucian Physick. This
is the place where he did learn his Physick and Philosophie, how
to raise the dead ; for example, as a Snake cut in pieces and rotted
in dung will every piece prove a whole Snake again, &c., and then
they began to practise further matters and to kill birds and to
bum them before they are cold in a Glass, and so rotted, and then
inclosed in a shell, to hatch it under a hen, and restore the same ;
and other strange proofs they made of Dogs, Hogs, or Horses, and
by the like corruption to raise them up and again and renew them.
And at last they could restore by the same course every brother
that died to life again, and so continue many ages.
" Brother C. R. after many travels, returned again into Germany,
and there builded a neat and fitting habitation, upon a little hill or
mount, and on the hill there rested always a cloud ; and he did
there render himself visible or invisible, at his own will and
discretion.
" After five years came into his minde the wished return of the
children of Israel out of Egypt, how God would bring them out of
bondage with the Instrument Moses. Then he went to his Cloys-
ter, to which he bare affection, and desired three of his brethren
to go with him to Moses, the chosen servant of God. Brother
G. v.. Brother J. A., and Brother J. 0., who besides that they had
more knowledge in the Arts than at that time many others had,
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he did binde those three unto himselfe, to be faithful, diligent, and
secret ; as also to commit carefully to writing what Moses did; and
also all that which he should direct and instruct them m, to the
end that those which were to come, and through especial Revela-
tion should be received into this Fraternity, might not be deceived
of the least syllable and word.
"After this manner began the Fraternity of the Rosie Cross, first
by four persons, who died and rose again until Christ, and then
they came to worship as the Star guided them to Bethlem of
Judea, where lay our Saviour in his mother's arms ; and then they
opened their treasure and presented unto Him Qifts, Gold,
Frankinsense, and Myrrhe, and by the commandment of God went
home to their habitation.
" These four waxing young again successively many hundreds of
years, made a Magical Language and Writing, with a large Dic-
tionary, which are yet in daily use to God's praise and glory, and do
finde great wisdome therein ; they made also the first part of the