Book M. which I will shortly publish by the title of The Wise-

man's Crown.*'
In his Apologue to the sixth book of " The Holy Guide," after stating that Moses was the father of the Rosie Crucians, that they were the Officers of the Generalissimo of the World, of the order of Elias or Disciples of Ezekiel, &c., John Heydon proceeds : — " But there is yet arguments to procure Mr. Walfoord and T. Williams, Rosie Crucians by elections, and that is the miracles that were done by them, in my sight, for it should seem Rosie Crucians were not only initiated into the Mosaical Theory, but have arrived abo to the power of working Miracles, as Moses, Elias, Ezekiel, and the succeeding Prophets did, as being transported where they please, as Habakkuk was from Jewry to Babylon, or as Philip, after he had baptized the Eunuch, to Azotus, and one of these went from me to a friend of mine in Devonshire, and came and brought me an
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73 JOHN UEYDOD AND THE ROSICRUCUNS.
answer to London the same day, which is four day es journey ; they taught me excellent predictions of Astrology, and Earthquakes ; they slack the Plague in Cities ; they silence the violent Winds and Tempests ; they calm the rage of the Sea and Rivers ; they walk in the Air ; they frustrate the malicious aspects of Witches ; they cure all Diseases ; I desired one of these to tell me whether my Complexion were capable of the society of my good Genius 1 When I see you again, said he, I will tell you, which is when he pleases to come to me, for I know not where to go to him. When I saw him then he said, Ye should pray to God j for a good and holy man can offer no greater nor more acceptable sacrifice to Grod than the oblation of himself, his soul.
" He said also, that the good Genii are as the benigne eyes of God, running to and fro in the world, with love and pitty behold- ing the innocent endeavours of harmless and single hearted men, ever ready to do them good, and to help them ; and at his going away he bid me beware of my seeming friends who would do me all the hurt they could, and cause the Governours of the nations to be angry with me, and set bounds to my liberty ; which truly happened to me, as they did indeed ; many things more he told me before we parted, but I shall not name them here.
In this Rosie Crucian Physick or Medicines, I happily and unexpectedly light upon in Arabia, which will prove a restauration of health to all that are afl^cted with that sickness which wa ordinarily call natural, and all other Diseases, as the Gout, Dropsie, Leprosie, and falling sickness ; and these men may be said to have no small insight in the body, and that Walfoord, Williams, and others of the Fraternity now living, may bear up in the same likely Equipage, with those noble Divine spirits their Predecessors ; though the unskilfulness in men commonly acknowledges more of supernatural assistance in hot, unsettled fancies, and perplexed melancholy, than in the calm and distinct use of reason ; yet for
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JOHN HEYDON AND THE BOSICBUGIANS. - 79
mine own part, but not without submission to better judgments, I look upon these Rosie Crucians above all men truly inspired, and more than any that professed or pretended themselves so this sixteen hundred years, and I am ravished with admiration of their miracles and transcendent mechanical inventions, for the solving the Phenomena in the world : I may without offence therefore compare them with Bezaliel and Aholiab, those skilful and cunning workers of the Tabernacle, who, as Moses testifies, were filled with the Spirit of God, and therefore were of an excellent understanding to find out all manner of curious work.
'' Nor is it any argument that these Rosie Crucians are not inspired, because they do not say they are ; which to me is no argument at all ; but the suppression of what so happened, would argue much more sobriety and modesty ; when as the profession of it with sober men, would be suspected of some piece of melan- choly and distraction, especially in those thmgs, where the grand pleasure is the evidence and exercise of Reason, not a bare belief, or an ineffable sense of life, in respect whereof there is no true Christian but he is inspired ; but if any more zealous pretender to prudence and righteousness, wanting either leisure or ability to examine these Rosie Crucian Medicines to the bottome, shall not- withstanding either condemn them or admire them, he hath unbecomingly and indiscreetly ventured out of his own sphere^ and I cannot acquit him of injustice or folly. Nor am I a Rosie Crucian, nor do I speak of spite, or hope of gain, or for any such matter, there is no cause, God knows ; I envie no man, be he what he will be, I am no Phisitian, never was, nor never mean to be ; what I am it makes no matter as to my profession.
" Lastly, these holy and good men would have me know that the greatest sweet and perfection of a vertuous soul, is the kindly accomplishment of her own nature, in true wisdome and divine love ; and these miraculous things that are done by them, are.
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80 JOHN HBYDON AND THB R08ICRU0IANS.
that that worth and knowledge that is in them may be taken no- tice of, and that God thereby may be glorified, whose witnesses they are ; but no other happiness accrues to them from this, but hereby they may be in a better capacity of making others happy. SpitOo-fields, this JOHN HEYDON/'
lOthofMaif, 1662.
As, of course, it is impossible to give any lengthy extracts from the works of this celebrated John Heydon, a few quotations from the Index to his Holy Guide will show the nature of the work and must suffice for our present purpose, " How hj numbers the Rosie Crucians fore-know all future things, command all nature and do miracles, eta The resolution of all manner of questions, and how by numbers you may be happy, etc. How to make a man live to two hundred years. How to avoid all disease. The Rosie Crucian way to get health. How to live twenty years without food, as many creatures do. How to raise a dead bird to life. Of generating many serpents of one," etc.. etc.
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