CHAPTER XXII

THE RO SI CRUCIANS AND ALCHEMY

THE mystery of the Rosicrucians, that strange and secret
fraternity of the Rosy Cross, which is supposed to have
flourished between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries, has
never been satisfactorily solved. Did such a society ever exist
or was its foundation merely a fable only believed in by some of
the mystic alchemists of the latter period? The question still
remains to be answered.

Study of the subject reveals that nothing was known of the
fraternity until the early years of the seventeenth century ; what
appears to be the first indication of its existence is found in an
anonymous pamphlet entitled Fama Fraternitatis , or A Discovery
of the most Laudable Order of the Rosy Cross , said to have been
circulated in manuscript about 1610 and afterward printed
at Cassel in 1614. The publication of this pamphlet aroused
great interest and excited much controversy in Germany at
the time and also in the latter half of the century among both
philosophers and scholars. Such men as Descartes and Leib¬
nitz endeavoured without success to discover the existence of
the fraternity or its members.

Some light was thrown on the mystery when it was alleged
that the author of the pamphlet was a Lutheran named Johann
Valentin Andrea, of Wurtemberg. This theologian admitted
that he was the author of another Rosicrucian work, printed in
1616, in which he stated that he intended to ridicule the mania
of the times for occult marvels, and that he borrowed the idea of
a fraternity from contemporary romances of chivalry and travel.
He chose the Rosy Cross as the symbol of the order, firstly
because it was an ancient symbol used in the occult sciences,

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LURE S? ROMANCE OF ALCHEMY

and secondly because it occurred in the armorial bearings of his
family. But although the authorship and the intention of the
pamphlet were thus revealed, it was accepted seriously by many
who professed belief in the fraternity as an ancient order.

The fraternity was supposed to possess immense power and
its members to comprise the great alchemists of two centuries,
the sure depositaries during that time of the ancient mysteries
of the Hermetic Art. According to one account, the order was
founded in 1408 by Christian Rosencreutz, a Dutchman, but
in another the founder is stated to have been a German noble¬
man who lived between 1378 and 1484. The story as told in
Fama Fraternitatis states that the brotherhood, or fraternity,
was formed with the intention of bringing about a general
reformation. The founder is alluded to as the

most godly and illuminated Father, Our Brother C. R. C., a Ger¬
man, the Chief and original of the Fraternity, who hath much and
long time laboured, who by reason of his poverty (although de¬
scended of noble parents) in the fifth year of his age was placed
in a cloyster where he learned indifferently the Greek and Latin
tongues and (upon his earnest desire and request) being yet in his
growing years was associated to a brother P. A. L., who determined
to go to the Holy Land. Although this brother died in Cyprus
and so never came to Jerusalem, yet Our Brother C. R. C. did not
return but shipped himself over and went to Damascus, intending
from thence to go to Jerusalem ; but by reason of the feebleness of
his body he remained still there, and by his skill in physic he ob¬
tained much favour with the Turks and in the meantime he be¬
came acquainted with the Wise Men of Damascus in Arabia and
beheld what great wonders they wrought and how Nature was dis¬
covered unto them.

This story further relates how C. R. C., who was but sixteen
years of age, “yet of strong Dutch constitution,” became very
friendly and intimate with the Wise Men, who showed him
secrets whereat he could not but mightily wonder. He learned
the Arabic language, physick, and mathematics. After three
years he went to Egypt, then came by the whole Mediterranean
204

THE ROSICRUCIANS AND ALCHEMY

Sea unto Fez, where they were most skilful in mathematics,
physic, and magic. Here he was taught many secrets and re¬
mained two years, after which he sailed with many costly things
to Spain. There he conferred with the learned, showing unto
them the errors of their arts and prescribed their new Axiomata
whereby all things might be fully restored.

These Axiomata were to be a combination out of all faculties,
sciences and arts and whole nature, which should only serve to the
wise and learned for a rule ; that also there might be a Society in
Europe which might have gold, silver, and precious stones, suffi¬
cient to bestow them on Kings for their necessary uses and law¬
ful purposes, with which [society] such as be governors might be
brought up for to learn all that which God hath suffered man to
know, and thereby to be enabled in all times of need to give their
counsel unto those that seek it like the Heathen Oracles. . . .

But C. R. C. was received with ridicule and after many painful
travels returned to Germany and settled. Although he could have
bragged with his art, but specially of the transmutation of metals,
yet did he esteem more Heaven and Men the citizens thereof than
all vain glory and pomp.

After five years had passed the idea again came into the mind of
R. C. of a Reformation, and together with three of his brethren,
Brother G. V., Brother I. A., and Brother I. O., who had some know¬
ledge of the arts. He did bind these three unto himself to be faith¬
ful, diligent and secret, as also to commit carefully to writing all
that which he should direct and instruct them in the end, that
those which were to come and through especial revelation should
be received into this Fraternity.

After this manner began the Fraternity of the Rosie Cross.

Eventually five other Brethren were added, making the frater¬
nity nine in number, all bachelors and of vowed virginity. The
objects of the brotherhood are set out as follows: