XIII. Rosicrucian Apologists: John Heydon

CHAPTER XIII.

ROSICRUCIAN APOLOGISTS: JOHN HEYDON.

THE last of the line of apologists who has any claim on our
notice is the extraordinary Royalist mystic and geomancer,
John Heydon, who, in the preface to “The Holy Guide,”
has left us the following interesting and curious fragment
of autobiography:—
“I was descended from a noble family of London in

England, being born of a complete tall stature, small limbs,
but in every part proportionable, of a dark flaxen haire, it
curling as you see in the Effigies,¹ and the above figures of

¹The portaits prefixed to several of John Heydon’s works representhim
as a young. beardless man, of an amiable but melancholy
countenance.

page 316
Astrologie at the time I was born: this also is the Character
of my Genius Malhitriel, and Spirit Taphza Benezelthar
Thascraphimarah. I had the small pox and rickets very

young—Ascendent to Conjunction, Mars, and Sol to the
quartile of Saturn. I was at Tardebich in Warwickshire,
neer Hewel, where my mother was borne, and there I
learned, and so carefull were they to keep me to the book
and from danger, that I had one purposely to attend me at
school and at home. For, indeed, my parents were both of
them honourably descended. They put me to learn the
Latine tongue to one Mr. George Linacre, the minister of the
Gospel at Golton; of him I learned the Latine and Greek
perfectly, and then was fitted for Oxford. But the Warrs
began, and the Sun came to the body of Saturn and frustrated
that design; and whereas you are pleased to stile me
a noble-natured, sweet gentleman,¹ you see my nativity:—
Mercury, Venus, and Saturn are strong, and by them the
Dragon’s head and Mars, I judge my behaviour fun of
rigour, and acknowledge my conversation austere. In my
devotion I love to use the civility of my knee, my hat, and
hand, with all those outward and sensible motions which
may express or promote invisible devotion. I followed the
army of the King to Edgehill, and commanded a troop of
horse, but never violated any man, &c., nor defaced the

¹ This account is addresed to the high priest or grand master of the
Rosicrucians, in whose presence he represents himself to be standing.

page 317
memory of any saint or martyr. I never killed any man wilfully,
but took him prisoner and disarmed him; I did
never divide myself from any man upon the difference
of opinion, or was angry with his judgment for not
agreeing with me in that from which, perhaps, within
a few dayes, I should dissent myse1f. I never regarded
what religion any man was of that did not question mine.
And yet there is no Church in the world whose every
part so squares unto my conscience, whose articles, constitutions,
and customs seem so consonant unto reason,
and, as it were, framed to my particular devotion as
this whereof I hold my belief, the Church of England, to
whose faith I am a sworn subject, and therefore in a double
obligation subscribe unto her articles, and endeavour to
observe her constitutions. Whatsoever is beyond, as points
indifferent, I observe according to the rules of my private
reason, or the humour and fashion of my devotion; neither
believing this because Luther affirmed it, or disproving that
because Calvin hath disfavoured it. Now as all that dye in
the war are not termed souldiers, neither can I properly
term all those that suffer in matters of religion martyrs.
And I say, there are not many extant that in a noble way
fear the face of death lesse than myselfe; yet from the
moral duty I owe to the commandement of God, and the
natural respects that I tender unto the conversation of my
essoine and being, I would not perish upon a ceremony,
politique points, or indifferency , nor in my belief of that
untractable temper, as not to bow at their obstacles or
connive at matters wherein there are not manifest impieties.
The leaves, therefore, and ferment of all, not only civil, but
religious actions, is wisdome, without which to commit ourselves
to the flames is homicide, and, I fear, but to passe
through one fire into another. I behold, as a champion,

page 318
with pride and spirites, and trophies of my victories over
my enemies, and can with patience embrace this life, yet
in my best meditations do often defie death; I honour any
man that contemns it, nor can I love any that is afraid of
it—this makes me naturally love of souldier that will follow
his captain. In my figure you may see that I am naturally
bashful. Yet you may read my qualities on my countenance.
About the time I travelled into Spain, Italy, Turkey,
and Arabia, the Ascendent was then directed to the Trine of
the Moon, Sextile of Mercury and Quartile of Venus. I
studied philosophy and writ this treatise,¹ and the ‘Temple
of Wisdome,’ &c. Conversation, age, or travell hath not
been able to affront or enrage me, yet I have one part of
the modesty which I have seldom discovered in another,
that is (to speak truly), I am not so much afraid of Death
as ashamed thereof. It is the very disgrace and ignominy
of our natures, that in a moment can so disfigure us that
our beloved friends stand afraid and start at us; the birds
and beasts of the field that before in a naturall feare obeyed
us, forgetting all allegiance, begin to prey upon us. This
very thought in a storm at sea hath disposed and left me
willing to be swallowed up in the abyss of waters, wherein
I had perished unseen, unpitied, without wondering eyes,
tears of pity, lectures of morality, and none had said:—
Quantum mutatus ab illo. Not that I am ashamed of the
anatomy of my parts or can accuse Nature of playing the
pupil in any part of me, or my own vitious life for contracting
any shameful disease upon me, whereby I might
not call myself a compleat bodyed man, free from all
diseases, sound, and, I thank God, in perfect health.
“I writ my ‘Harmony of the World,’ when they were
all at discord, and saw many revolutions of kingdomes,

¹ “The Holy Guide.”

page 319
emperours, grand signiours, and popes; I was twenty when
this book was finished, but me thinks I have outlived myself,
and begin to be weary of the Sun, although the Sun
now applies to a Trine of Mars. I have shaken hands with
delight and know all is vanity, and I think no man can
live well once but he that could live twice, yet for my part
I would not live over my howres past or begin again the
minutes of my dayes, not because I have lived them well,
but for fear I should live them worse. At my death I mean
to take a total adieu of the world, not caring for the burthen
of a tombstone and epitaph, nor so much as the bare memory
of my name to be found anywhere, but in the Universal
Register of God. I thank God that with joy I mention
it, I was never afraid of Hell, nor never grew pale at the
mention of Sheol, or Tophet, &c., because I understand the
policy of a pulpit and fix my contemplations on Heaven.
“I writ the ‘Rosie Crucian Infallible Axiomata’ in foure
books, and study not for my own sake only but for theirs
that study not for themselves. In the Law I began to be a
perfect clerk; I writ the “Idea of the Law,’ &c., for the benefit
of my friends and practice in the King’s Bench. I envy no
man that knows more than myself, but pity them that know
lesse. For Ignorance is rude, uncivill, and will abuse any
man, as we see in bayliffs, who are often killed for their
impudent attempts; they’ll forge a warrant and fright a
fellow to fling away his money, that they may take it up;
the devill, that did but buffet St. Paul, playes me thinks at
sharpe with me. To do no injury nor take none, was a
principle which my former years and impatient affection
seemed to consist enough of morality, but my more settled
years and Christian constitution have fallen upon severer
resolutions. I hold there is no such thing as injury, and if
there be, there is no such injury as revenge, and no such

page 320
revenge as the contempt of an injury. There be those that
will venture to write against my doctrine, when I am dead,
that never durst answer me when I was alive. I see Cicero is
abused by Cardan, who is angry at Tully for praising his
own daughter; and Origanus is so impudent, that he adventures
to forge a portion of the heavens and calls it Cornelius
Agrippa’s nativity, and they say that Cornelius was borne to
believe lyes and to broach them. Is this not unworthiness to
write such lyes, and shew such reasons for them? His nativity
I could never finde, I believe no man knows it, but by a
false figure thus they scandalized him. And so they may use
me, but behold the scheam of my nativity in Geomancy,

page 321
and the character of my spirit Taphzabnezeltharthaseraphimarah,

projected by a learned lord for the honour (?hour) of birth.
Now let any astrologer, geomancer, philosopher, &c., judge
my geniture; the figures are right according to the exact
time of my birth, rectified by accidents and verified by the
effects of directions. Now in the midst of all my endeavours,
there is but one thought that dejects me—that my
acquired parts must perish with myself, nor can be legacyed
amongst my dearly beloved and honoured friends. I do not
fall out or contemn a man for an errour, or conceive why a
difference in opinion should divide affection; for a modest
reproof or dispute, if it meet with discreet and peaceable
natures, doth not infringe the laws of charity in all arguments.
“When the mid heaven was directed to the Trine of the
Moon, I writ another book, and entituled it, ‘The Fundamental
Elements of Philosophy, Policy, Government and the
Laws,’ &c. After this time I had many misfortunes, and
yet I think there is no man that apprehends his own miseries
less than myself, and no man that so nearly apprehends
another’s. I could lose an arm without a tear, and with few
groans, methinks, be quartered into pieces, yet can I weep
seriously, with a true passion, to see the merciless Rebels
in England form a debt against the King’s most loyall sub-

page 322
jects, purposely to put them in the Marshalsey, or other
Houses of Hell to be destroyed in prison, or starved, or
killed by the keepers, and then two or three poore old
women for as many shillings shall perswade the Crowner and
the people to believe the men dyed of consumptions. It is
a barbarous part in humanity to add unto any afflicted
parties’ misery, or endeavour to multiply in any man a
passion whose single nature is already above his patience.
“The Ascendent to the Quartile of Saturn, and part of
Fortune to the Sextile of the Moon came next; and it is
true I had loved a lady in Devonshire, but when I
seriously perused my nativity, I found the seventh House
afflicted, and therefore never resolve to marry; for, behold,
I am a man, and I know not how: I was so proportioned
and have something in me that can be without me, and
will be after me, and here is the misery of a man’s life; he
eats, drinks, and sleeps to-day that he may do so tomorrow,
and this breeds diseases, which bring death, ‘for
all flesh is grass.’ And all these creatures we behold are
but the herbs of the field digested into flesh in them, or
more remotely carnified in ourselves; we are devourers not
onely of men but of ourselves, and that not in an allegory
but a positive truth, for all this masse of flesh which we
behold came in at our mouth; this frame we look upon
hath been upon our trenchers, and we have devoured ourselves,
and what are we? I could be content that we
might raise each other from death to life as Rosie Crucians
doe without conjunction, or that there were any way to
perpetuate the world without this trivial and vain way of
coition as Dr. Brown calls it. It is the foolishest act a wise
man commits all his life, nor is there anything that will more
deject his cold imagination than to consider what an odd

page 323
errour he hath committed.¹ Had the stars favoured me, I
might have been happy in that sweet sex.
“I remember also that this Quartile of Saturn imprisoned
me at a messenger’s house for contending with Cromwell,
who maliciously commanded I should be kept close in
Lambeth House, as indeed I was two years. My person
he feared, and my tongue and pen offended him, because,
amongst many things, I said particularly, such a day he
would die, and he dyed. It is very true Oliver opposed me
all his life, and made my father pay seventeen-hundred
pounds for his liberty; besides, they stole, under pretence
of sequestering him, two thousand pounds in jewels, plate,
&c., and yet the King’s noblest servants suffer upon suspition
of death.
“When the moon was directed to the Quartile of Sol,
and the M. C. to the opposition of Sol, I was by the phanatick
Committee of Safety committed to prison, and my
books burnt, yet I would not entertain a base design, or an
action that should call me villain, for all the rich in
England; and for this only do I love and honour my own
soul, and have, methinks, two arms too few to embrace
myself. My conversation is like the Sun with all men, and
with a friendly aspect to good and bad. Methinks there is
no man bad, and the worst best, that is, while they are
kept within the circle of those qualities wherein there is
good. The method I should use in distributive justice I

¹ “I could be content that me might procreate like trees, without
conjunction, or that there were any way to perpetuate the world
without this trivial and vulgar way of coition: it is the foolishest
act a wise man commits in all his life, nor is there anything
that will more deject his cooled imagination, when he shall consider
what an odd and unworthy piece of folly he hath committed. I speak
not in prejudice, nor am averse from that sweet sex, but naturally
amorous of all that is beautiful.”—Religio Medici, pt. ii. sec. 9.

page 324
often observe in commutation, and keep a geometrical proportion
in both, whereby becomming equal to others, I become
unjust to myself, and suberogate in that common
principle, ‘Doe unto others as thou wouldst be done unto
thy self’; yet I give no alms to satisfie the hunger of my
brother, but to fulfil and accomplish the wish and command
of God. This general and indifferent temper of mine doth
nearly dispose me to this noble virtue amongst those million
of vices I do inherit and hold from Adam. I have
escaped one and that a mortal enemy to charity, the first
and father sin, not onely of man, but of the devil, Pride—
a vice whose name is comprehended in a monosyllable, but
in its nature not circumscribed with a world. I have
escaped it in a condition that can hardly avoid it; these
petty acquisitions and reputed perfections that advance and
elevate the conceits of other men add no feather unto mine.
And this is the observation of my life—I can love and
forgive even my enemies.”
The materials supplied in this singular fragment of an
autobiography are supplemented by a “Life of John
Heydon,” from the pen of Frederick Talbot, Esq., which
was prefixed to “The Wise Man’s Crown,” and which I
shall present to my readers in a compressed form, to avoid
the prolixity and irrelevance of much of the original.
John Heydon, the son of Francis and Mary Heydon, now
of Sidmouth in Devonshire, is not basely but nobly descended.
Antiquaries derive them from Julius Heydon,
King of Hungary and Westphalia, that were descended
from the noble family of Cæsar Heydon in Rome, and since
this royal race the line runs down to the Hon. Sir Christopher
Heydon of Heydon, near Northwick; Sir John
Heydon, late lord-lieutenant of the king’s Tower of Lon-

page 325
don, and the noble Chandlers in Worcestershire of the
mother’s side, which line spread by marriage into Devonshire,
among the Collins, Ducks, Drues, and Bears. He
had one sister, named Anne Heydon, who dyed two years
since, his father and mother being yet living. He was
born at his father’s house in Green-Arbour, London, and
baptized at S. Sepulchre’s, and so was his sister, both in
the fifth and seventh years of the reign of King Charles I.
He was educated in Warwickshire, among his mother’s
friends, and so careful were they do keep him and his sister
from danger, and to their books, that they had one continually
to wait upon them, both to the school and at home.
He was commended by Mr John Dennis, his tutor in
Tardebick, to Mr. George Linacre, priest of Cougheton,
where he learned the Latine and Greek tongues. The war
at this time began to molest the universities of this nation.
He was then articled to Mr. Michael Petty, an attorney at
Clifford’s Inn, with eighty pound, that at five years’ end he
should be sworn before Chief Justice Roll. Being very
young, he applyed his minde to learning, and by his happy
wit obtained great knowledge in all arts and sciences.
Afterwards he followed the armies of the King, and for his
valour commanded in the troops. When he was by these
means famous for learning and arms, he travelled into
Spain, Italy, Arabia, Ægypt, and Persia, gave his minde
to writing, and composed, about twenty years since, “The
Harmony of the World,” and other books, preserved by
the good hand of God in the custody of Mr Thomas Heydon,
Sir John Hanmer, Sir Ralph Freeman, and Sir Richard
Temple. During the tyrant’s time first one had these books,
then another, and at last, at the command of these honourable,
learned, and valiant knights, they were printed.

page 326
He wrote many excellent things, and performed many
rare experiments in the arts of astromancy, geomancy, &c.,
but especially eighty-one—the first upon the King’s death,
predicted in Arabia by him to his friends; the second
upon the losses of the King at Worcester, predicted at
Thauris, in Persia; the third predicted the death of Oliver
Cromwell in Lambeth House, to many persons of honour,
mentioned in his books; the fourth he wrote of the overthrow
of Lambert, and of the Duke of Albymarle his bringing
again of the King to his happy countries, and gave it
to major Christopher Berkenhend, a goldsmith at the
Anchor, by Fettes Lane End in Holborn; the fifth precaution
or prediction he gave to his Highness the Duke of
Buckingham, two months before the evil was practised,
and his enemy, Abraham Goodman, lies now in the Tower
for attempting the death of that noble prince; the sixth,
for Count Grammont, when he was banished into England
by the King of France; and he predicted, by the art of
astromancy and geomancy, the King’s receiving of him
again into favor, and his marriage to the Lady Hamelton;
the seventh, for Duke Minulaus, a peer of Germany, that
the Emperour sent to him when the Turk had an army
against him, and of the death of the pope. The rest are
in his books. By these monuments the name of Heydon,
for the variety of his learning, was famous not onely in
England, but also in many other nations into which his
books are translated. He hath taught the way to happiness,
the way to long life, the way to health, the way to
wax young, being old; the way to resolve all manner of
questions, present and to come, by the rules of astromancy
and geomancy, and how to raise the dead.
He is a man of middle stature, tending to tallness, a

page 327
handsome, straight body; an ovall, ruddy face, mixed with
a clear white, his hair of a dark flaxen-brown colour, soft,
and cur1ing in rings gently at the ends of the locks; his
hands and fingers long and slender, his legs and feet well
proportioned, so that to look upon he is a very compleat
gentleman. But he never yet cast affection on a
woman, nor do I find him inclined to marry. He is very
often in great ladies’ chambers, and, I believe, his modest
behaviour makes them the more delighted in his company.
The princes and peers, not only of England but of Spain,
Italy, France, and Germany, send to hi, dayly, and upon
every occasion ha sheweth strong parts and a vigorous
brain. His wishes and aims speak him owner of a noble
and generous heart; his excellent books are admired by
the world of lettered men as prodigies of these later times;
indeed (if I am able to judge anything), they are full of
the profoundest learning I ever met withal. If any man
should question my judgement, they may read the comendations
of both universities, besides the learned Thomas
White and Thomas Revell, Esquires, both famous in Rome
and other parts beyond sea, that have highly honoured this
gentleman in their books. Yet he hath suffered many
misfortunes. His father was sequestered, imprisoned, and
lost two thousand pounds by Cromwell; this Oliver imprisoned
this son also two years and a half, or thereabout,
in Lambeth House, for he and his father’s family were
always for the king, and endeavoured to the utmost his
restoration; and indeed the tyrant was cruel, but John
Thurloe, his secretary, was kind to him, and pittied his
curious youth. Joshua Leadbeater, the messenger, kept
him (at his request and Mr. John Bradley’s) at his own
house, and gave him often leave to go abroad, but being yet

page 328
zealous and active for the king, he was again taken and clapt
up in Lambeth House. In these misfortunes it cost him
£1000 and upwards. After this, some envious villains forged
actions of debt against him, and put him in prison. It seems
at the beginning of these misfortunes a certain harlot would
have him marry her, but denying her suit, or that he ever
promised any such thing, and that he ever spake to her in
his life good or evil she devised, with her confederates,
abundance of mischief against him. Many courted him to
marry, but he denyed. Now there was left amongst a few
old almanacks and scraps of other men’s wits, collected and
bequeathed unto the world by Nicholas Culpeper, his
widdow, Alice Culpeper; she hearing of this gentleman
that he was an heir to a great fortune, courts him by letters
of love to no purpose. The next saint in order was she
that calls herself the German princess; but he flies high
and scorns such fowl, great beasts. The first of these two
blessed birds caused Heath to arrest him, and another after
him laid actions against him that he never knew or heard of.
In this perplexity was he imprisoned two years, for they
did desire nothing but to get money or destroy him, for fear,
if ever he got his liberty, he might punish them; but he,
being of a noble nature, forgave them all their malice, and
scorns to revenge himself upon such pittiful things. God
indeed hath done him justice, for this Heath consumes to
worse then nothing; and, indeed, if I can judge or predict
anything, his baudy-houses will be pawned, and he will die
a miserable, diseased beggar. Heydon’s mistress, when he
was very young, and a clerk, desired him to lye with her;
but he, like Joseph, refusing, she hated him all her life.
God preserved him, although one of these three lewd
women swore this gentleman practised the art magick.

page 329
She told Oliver Cromwell she saw familiar spirits come and
go to him in the shape of conies, and her maid swore she
had often seen them in his chamber when he was abroad,
and sometimes walking upon the house top in a moonsshine
night, and sometimes vanishing. away into a wall or
aire; yet she never saw him in her life, nor could she tell
what manner of man he was. These stories were not
credited, and for all these, and many more, afflictions and
false accusations, I never saw him angry, nor did he ever
arrest or imprison any man or woman in all his life, yet no
client of his was ever damnyfied in his suit.
He was falsly accused but lately of writing a seditious
book, and imprisoned in a messenger’s custody; but his
noble friend, the duke of Buckingham, finding him innocent
and alwaies for the king, he was discharged, and
indeed this glorious duke is a very good and just judge; although
some speak slightly of him, he studies the way to
preserve his king and country in peace, plenty, and prosperity.
It is pitty the king hath no more such brave men
as he, a thousand such wise dukes as this,
“Like marshall’d thunder, back’d with flames of fire,”
would make all the enemies of the King and Christendome
quake, and the Turk fly before such great generals. In all
submission we humbly pray for this great prince, and leave
him to his pleasure, and return to our subject.
John Heydon hath purposely forsaken Spittle-Fields, and
his lodgings there, to live a private life, free from the concourse
of multitudes of people that daily followed him; but if
any desire to be advised, let them by way of letter leave their
business at his booksellers, and they shall have answer and
counsel without reward, for he is neither envious nor enemie
to any man; what I write is upon my own knowledge.

page 330
He writes now from Hermeupolis, a place I was never
at. It seems, by the word, to be the City of Mercury, and
truly he hath been in many strange places, among the
Rosie Crucians, and at their castles, holy houses, temples,
sepulchres, sacrifices; all the world knows this gentleman
studies honourable things, and faithfully communicates
them to others; yet, if any traduce him hereafter, they
must not expect his vindication. He hath referred his
quarrel to the God of Nature; it is involved in the concernments
of his truths, and he is satisfied with the peace
of a good conscience. He hath been misinterpreted in his
writing; with studied calumnies, they disparage his person
whom they never saw, nor perhaps will see. He is resolved
for the future to suffer, for he says, “God condemns no
man for his patience.” His enemies are forced to praise his
vertue, and his friends are sorry he hath not ten thousand
pounds a year. He doeth not resent the common spleen;
and when the world shall submit to the general tribunal,
he will find his advocate where they shall find their judge.
When I writ this gentleman’s life, God can bear me witness,
it was unknown to him, and for no private ends. I was
forced to it by a strong admiration of the mistery and
majesty of Nature written by this servant of God and
secretary of Nature. I began his life some years since, and
do set it down as I do finde it. If any man oppose this I
shall answer; if you are for peace, peace be with you; if
you are for war, I have been so too (Mr. Heydon doth resolve
never to draw sword again in England, except the
King command him). Now, let not him that puts on
the armour boast like him that puts it off. Gaudet
patientia duris is his motto, and thus I present myself a
friend to all artists, and enemy to no man.

page 331
The list of Heydon’s published works is as follows:—
Eugenius Theodidactus, The Prophetical Trumpeter . . .
illustrating the Fate of Great Britain. (A celestial vision
in heroic verse) . . . By the Muses’ most unworthy John
Heydon. London, 1655.
A New Method of Rosie Crucian Physick; wherein is
shewed the cause and . . . cure of all diseases. London,
1658. 4to.
Advice to a Daughter in opposition to advice to a Son,
or directions for your better conduct through the various
and most important events of this life. London, 1658. 12mo.
The Idea of the Law charactered from Moses to King
Charles. London, 1660. 8vo.
The Rosie Crucian Infallible Axiomata; or, generall
rules to know all things past, present, and to come. London,
1660. 12mo.
The Holy Guide, Leading the Way to the Wonder of the
World: A Compleat Phisitian, teaching the knowledge of
all things, past, present, and to come. London, 1662. 8vo.
Theomagia; or, The Temple of Wisdome. In three parts
spirituall, celestiall, and elementall. London, 1662-3-4. 8vo.
The Harmony of the World, being a discourse of God,
Heaven, Angels, Stars, Planets, Earth, &c., whereunto is
added the State of the New Jerusalem. . . . London,
1662. 8vo.
Psonthonpanchia; Being a Word in Season to the
Enemies of Christians, and an appeal to the natural faculties
of the mind of man, whether there be not a God.
London, 1664. 8vo.
The Wise Man’s Crown; or, The Glory of the Rosie-
Cross . . . with the full discovery of the true Coelum Terræ,
or first matter of the Philosophers. . . . With the Regio

page 332
Lucis, and Holy Household of Rosie Crucian Philosophers,
London, 1664. 8vo.
El Havarevna; or, the English Physitian’s Tutor in the Astrobolismes
of Mettals Rosie Crucian. London, 1665. 8vo.
The philosophical principles of John Heydon need hardly
detain us long. That Typhon is the adversary of
Beata Pulchra, that Hyle is the spirit of the cold and dry
earth, that Beata Pulchra is the vivifying spirit of Nature,
that the bodies of the dead rebellious angels became a fruitless
and unprofitable chaos, are matters which will scarcely
interest the serious student. His alchemical theories and
experiments belong to the lowest dregs of this much degraded
science, except in those parts which are bodily stolen
from Eugenius Philalethes;¹ and all that is of value in his
numerical mysticism, geomantic revelations, astromancy,
and investigations of spiritual mysteries, is derived from
anterior writers. His medical treatises are disfigured by
his gross superstition and credulity; but the unheard of
experiments and recipes which they occasionally provide
make them extremely curious reading. Très rare, très curieux,
et récherchés des amateurs, his books, one and all, command
large prices in the market, and the republication of his
marvellous Rosicrucian reveries and romances, is a venture
that deserves well at the hands of all students of the byways
of occultism.
In John Heydon we find the names Rosicrucian, Rosicrucianism,
&c., used in a general sense, and as terms to
conjure with. The supposed brethren are confounded with
the elder alchemists, theosophists, etc., and an irrational

¹ Compare the “Temple of Wisdome,” vol. i., last pages, with
the Preface to Vaughan’s “Euphrates,” and also with the “Occult
Philosophy” of Agrippa, book iv.

page 333
antiquity is gratuitously bestowed on them. The author
denies that he is a member of the Fraternity, but he interprets
all its secrets, and expounds all its doctrines, in an
authoritative manner, and he claims personal acquaintance
with various members of the Society, as will appear from
the following:—

Apologue for an Epilogue. I shall here tell you what Rosie Crucians are, and that
Moses was their Father, and he was Θεοῦ παῖς; some say
they were of the order of Elias, some say the Disciples
of Ezekiel; others define them to be the Officers of the
Generalissimo of the World, that are as the eyes and ears of
the Great King,¹ seeing and hearing all things; they are seraphically
illuminated, as Moses was, according to this order of
the Elements, Earth refined to Water, Water to Air, Air to
Fire, so of a man to be one of the Heroes, of a Hero a Dæmon,
or good Genius, of a Genius a partaker of Divine things, and
a companion of the holy company of unbodied Soules and
immortal Angels, and according to their vehicles, versatile,
life, turning themselves, Proteus-like, into any shape.
But there are yet arguments to procure Mr Walfoord,
and T. Williams, Rosie Crucians by election, 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 also to the
power of working miracles, as Moses, Elias, Ezekiel, and
the succeeding Prophets did, being transported where they
please, and one of these went from me to a friend of mine
in Devonshire, and came and brought me an answer to

¹ This is stolen from a treatise on the Immortality of the Soul by
Henry More, the Platonist, who applies it to the beneficent genii.

page 334
London the same day, which is four dayes 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 aspect of Witches; they cure all Diseases. I desired
one of them to tell me whether my Complexion were
capable of the society of my good Genius? 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 again, then he said, Ye should pray to God; for
a good and holy man can offer no more acceptable sacrifice
to God than the oblation of himself, his soul.¹
He said also, that the good Genii are the benigne eyes
of God, running to and fro in the world, with love and pity
beholding the innocent endeavours of harmless and singlehearted
men, ever ready to do them good, and to help
them; 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. Many
things more he told me before we parted, but I shall not
name them here.
This Rosie Crucian Physick or Medecines, I happily and
unexpectedly light upon in Arabia, which will prove a
restauration of health to all that are afflicted with sickness
which we ordinarily call natural, and all other diseases.
These men have no small insight into the body; Walfoord,
Williams, and others of the Fraternity now living, may
bear up in the same likely equipage with those noble Divine

¹ This remark is also pirated from the same treatise by Henry
More.

page 335
Spirits their Predecessors; though the unskilfulness in men
commonly acknowledges more of a supernatural assistance in
hot, unsettled fancies, and perplexed melancholy, than in
the calm and distinct use of reason; yet for mine own part,
I look upon these Rosie Crucians above all men truly inspired,
and more than any that professed themselves so this
sixteen hundred years, and I am ravished with admiration
of their miracles and transcendant mechanical inventions,
for the salving the Phenomena of the world; I may without
offence, therefore, compare them with Bezaliel and
Aholiab, those skilful 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 more argument that those Rosie Crucians
were not inspired, because they do not say they are, then
that others are inspired, because they say they are; the
suppression of what so happened would argue sobriety and
modesty, when as the profession of it with sober men would
be suspected of some piece of melancholy and distraction,
especially in these things, 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. If any more zealous pretender
to prudence and righteousness, wanting either leisure
or ability to examine these Rosie Crucian Medecines to the
bottome, shall notwithstanding either condemn them or
admire them, he hath unbecoming ventured out of his
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 Physitian,

page 336
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 performed in order that the worth and
knowledge within them may be taken notice of, and that
God thereby may be glorified, whose witnesses they are;
but no other happiness accrues to them, but that hereby
they may be in a better capacity of making others happy.
This “Apologue” forms a sort of preface to the sixth
book of “The Holy Guide,” which is thus entitled—

The Rosie Cross Uncovered, and the Places,
Temples, Holy Houses, Castles, and
Invisible Mountains of the Brethren
discovered and communicated to the
World, for the full satisfaction of
Philosophers, Alchymists, Astromancers,
Geomancers, Physitians, and Astronomers.
By John Heydon, Gent, φιλόνομος, a Servant of God, and
a Secretary of Nature.

This publication is a sort of perverted version of the
“Fama Fraternitatis.” It represents the Rosicrucians as
acknowledging the renewed church in England, and its
Christian head Carolus Magnus Secundus, and warning
“all learned men to take heed of the ‘Aurum Chymicun
Britannicum,’ published by Elias Ashmole, Esquire.”¹ It
contains some information on English Rosicrucians, which
can hardly be taken seriously even by an enthusiastic

¹ A reason for this animosity will be found in the preface of Ashmole’s
“Way to Bliss,” which states that work to have been published
to prevent the issue of an imperfect copy by Heydon, which
Heydon, however, denies.

page 337
believer, but which is worth reprinting on account of the
curiosity of its details.

The Rosicrucians in England. At this day the Rosie Crucians, that have been since
Christ, say their fraternity inhabits the west of England,
and they have likewise power to renew themselves and wax
young again, as those did before the birth of Jesus Christ,
as you may read in many books.
Dr. F. saith, somewhere there is a castle in the west of
England, in the earth and not on the earth, and there the
Rosie Crucians dwell, guarded without walls, and possessing
nothing they enjoy all things. In this castle are great
riches, the halls fair and rich to behold, the chambers made
and composed of white marble. At the end of the hall
there is a chimney, whereof the two pillars that sustain the
mantle tree are of fine jasper, the mantle is of rich calcedony
and the lintel is made of fine emeralds trailed with a wing of
fine gold, the grapes of fine silver. All the pillars in the
hall are of red calcedoine, and the pavement is of fine amber.
The chambers are hanged with rich clothes, and the
benches and bedsteads are all of white ivory, richly garnished
with pretious stones; the beds are richly covered;
there are ivory presses, whereon are all manner of birds
cunningly wrought; and in these presses are gowns and
robes of most fine gold, most rich mantles furred with
sables, and all manner of costly garments.
And there is a vault, but it is bigger then that in Germany,
which is as clear as though the sun in the midst of
the day had entred in at ten windows, yet it is sevenscore
steps underground. And there are ten servants of the
Rosie Crucians, fair young men. C. B. reports this:—
“When I first came to the Society, I saw a great oven with

page 338
two mouths, which did cast out great clearness, by which four
young men made paste for bread, and two delivered
the loaves to other two, and they sit them down upon a rich
cloath of silk. Then the other two men took the loaves and
delivered them unto one man by two loaves at once, and he
did set them into the over to bake. At the other mouth of
the over there was a man that drew out the white loaves and
pasts, and before him was another young man that received
them, and put them into baskets which were richly painted.”
C. B. went into another chamber, eighty-one cubits from
this, and the Rosie Crucians welcomed him. He found a
table ready set and the cloth laid; there stood pots of silver
and vessels of gold, bordered with precious stones and
pearle, and basons and ewers of gold to wash their hands.
Then we went to dinner. Of all manner of flesh, fowl, and
fish, of all manner of meat in the world, there they had
plenty, and pots of gold, garnished with precious stones,
full of wine. This chamber was made of chrystal, and
painted richly with gold and azure; upon the walls were
written and engraven all things past, present, and to come,
and all manner of golden medecines for the diseased. Upon
the pavement was spread abroad roses, flowers, and herbs,
sweet smelling above all savours in the world; and in this
chamber were divers birds flying about and singing marvellous
sweetly.
In this place have I a desire to live, if it were for no
other reason but what the sophist sometimes applied to the
mountains—Hoc primum sol salutat, ultimosque deserit. Quis
locum non amet, dies longiores habentem. But of this place I
will not speak any more, lest readers should mistake me, so
as to entertain a suspition that I am of this Order.¹

¹ This passage is stolen from Eugenius Philalethes. Cf. p. 313 of
this history.

page 339
The medical and other recipes which are given on the
authority of the Fraternity may be judged from the following
specimens:—
The Rosie Crucians say pearl helpeth swoundings, and
withstands the plague of poysons; and smarge and jacinth
help the plague, and heale the wounds of venomous stings.
The water of Nile makes the women of Egypt quick of
conceite and fruitful: sometimes they bear seven children
at a birth, and this is salt-peter-water. There is a wonderful
vertue in the oyl of tobacco, in the tincture of saffron,
in the flower of brimston, in quicksilver, in common salt;
and coppress, molten and made a water, kills the poyson of
the toadstool. Juyce of poppy and amber, which is no
stone but a hard, clammy juyce, called bitumen, easeth the
labour of women and the falling-sickness in children.
Now for mettals, if it be true, which all men grant, that
precious stones show such power and vertue of healing,
what shall the mixtures of all these mettals under a fortunate
constellation, made in the conversion of their own
planets, do. This mixture they call electrum, sigil, telesme,
saying it will cure the cramp, benumming, palsie, fallingsickness,
gout, leprosie, dropsie, if it be worn on the heartfinger.
Others they make to cause beauty in ladies, &c.
A perfume of R. C. is compounded of the saphirick
earth and the æther. If it be brought to its full exaltation,
it will shine like the day-star in her fresh eastern glories.
It hath a fascinating, attractive quality, for it you expose it
to the open air, it will draw to it birds and beasts, and
drive away evil spirits. Astrum Solis, or the R. C. mineral
sun, is compounded of the æther, and a bloody, fieryspirited
earth; it appears in a gummy consistence, but with
a fiery, hot, glowing complexion. It is substantially a cer-

page 340
tain purple, animated, divine salt, and cureth all manner of
venereal distempers, consumptions, and diseases of the mind.
We give another medicine, which is an azure or skiecoloured
water, the tincture of it is light and bright, it reflects
a most beautiful rainbow, and two drops of this water
keeps a man healthy. In it lies a blood-red earth of great
vertue.
In the pages that immediately follow, I shall reprint
the stories, and allegories which are to be found in the
works of John Heydon, and which have reference to the
Rosicrucian Order. They may be permitted to speak for
themselves. It is obvious that they are devoid of historical
value, but they are all excessively curious, and the piece
which I have entitled, “Voyage to the Land of the Rosicrucians,”
and which forms the general preface to “The Holy
Guide,” is an interesting romantic fiction.

A very true Narrative of a Gentleman R. C., who hath the
continual society of a Guardian Genius.¹

Oblation of itself was such a sacrifice to God, that a good
and holy man could offer no greater, as appears by the
acceptance of a gentleman by descent from the lynes of the
Plantaginets, who was in Egypt, Italy, and Arabia, and
there frequented the society of the inspired Christians, with
whom he became acquainted after this manner. In England,
being at a tavern in Cheap-side more to hear and better
his judgment of the reputed wise than to drink wine, their
discourse being of the nature and dignity of Angels, which
was interrupted by a gentleman, for so he appeared, that
said to another in the company—”Sir, you are not far

¹ This story is another theft from the works of Henry More, who does
not state that the subject of the narrative was “a gentleman R. C.”

page 341
from the Kingdome of God.” At this many were silent,
yet several thoughts arose; some desired this strange gentleman
to stay, but he refused, and being pressed, he gave the
gentleman a paper of white and yellow powder, bade him
read the chapter that lay open in the Bible in his chamber,
and sing such psalms; then the window flew open and the
gentleman vanished.
He burnt the pouder as he was bid, and there appeared
a shining flye upon the Bible which he had in his hand.
This vanished whilest he slept, which was then about eight
in the morning, Gemini being the ascendant, and Mercury
in Virgo. The gentleman conceived that this spirit had
been with him all his life-time, as he gathered from certain
monitory dreams and visions, whereby he was forwarned as
well of several dangers as vices.
Mr. Waters and two gentlemen more were at his house,
and desired him to go along with them to the Exchange,
and dine with them and some other merchants, which he
did, and going along, one of them espied a ball of gold upon
his breast shining so gloriously that it dazled the eyes of
them all, and this continued all the rising of Mercury, who
was then in Vergo. This spirit discovered himself to him
after he had for a whole year together earnestly prayed to
God to send a good angel to him, to be a guide of his life
and action; also he prayed for a token that this was the
will and pleasure of God, which was granted, for in a bright
shining day, no cloud appearing, there fell a drop of water
upon his hat, which to this day is not dry, and, I think,
never will be, although it be worne in this hot weather.
He prayes God to defend him and guide him in the true
religion, reading two or three hours in the Holy Bible.
After this, amongst many other divine dreams and visions,

page 342
he once in his sleep seemed to hear the voice of God, saying
to him, “I will save thy soul; I am he that before appeared
unto thee.” Since doth the spirit every day knock at his
doore about three or four o’clock in the morning. He rising,
there appeareth a child of faire stature, very comely, who
gave him a book which he keepeth very well, yet letteth many
see it that can prevaile with him; this book is full of divine
things, such as I never red or heard of. Another time his
candle did fall down upon the ground and went out, and
there appeared before him something about the bignesse of
a nut, round and shining, and made a noyse; he strived to
take it up, but it turned like quicksilver, so that he could
not handle it.
Many gentle men have been in his company when he hath
been pulled by the coat, as they have seen but could not
perceive who did it; sometimes his gloves, lying at one end
of the table, have been brought and given him, but they see
the gloves, as they thought, come of themselves.
Another time, being with some merchants at dinner that
were strangers to this spirit, and were abashed when they
heard the noise but saw nothing, presently a paper was
given to the gentleman, who read it, and so did the others.
It said that he should serve God and fear nothing, for the
enemies of his father which hated him should all surely die,
and so should all that sought to do him hurt, and to be
assured he named such a man, and said he shall die such a
day, and he died. The merchants were strucken with fear,
but he bid them be of good courage, for there was no hurt
towards them, and, the better to assure them of it, he told
the truth of the whole matter.
Ever since this spirit hath been alwaies with him, and by
some sensible signe did ever advertise him of things, as by

page 343
striking his right eare, if he did not well, if otherwise, his
left; if any danger threatened, he was foretold of it. When
he began to praise God in psalms, he was presently raised
and strengthened with a spiritual and supernatural power.
He daily begged of God that He would teach him His will,
His law, and His truth; he set one day of the week apart
for reading the Scripture and meditation, with singing of
Psalms all the day in his house, but in his ordinary conversation
he is sufficiently merry, if he like his company and
be of a cheerful minde; if he talk of any vain thing, or indiscreetly,
or offer to discover any secret he is forbidden, or
if he at any time would discover any inspired secret, he is
forthwith admonished thereof in his eare. Every morning
he is called to prayer. He often goes to meet the Holy
Company at certain times, and they make resolution of all
their actions.
He gives almes secretly, and the more he bestows the
more prosperous he is; he dares not commit any known
fault, and hath by Providence of God been directed through
many eminent dangers; even those that sought his life died.
At another time, when he was in very great danger, upon
the ascendant coming to the body of the Sun, and the conjunction
of Saturn and Jupiter opposing his ascendant, he
being newly gone to bed, he said that the spirit would not
let him alone till he had raised him again and told him he
was falsly accused, wherefore he watched and prayed all
that night. The day after he escaped the hands of his persecutors
in a wonderful manner—one died and the other is
very sick. Then came a voice to him, saying, “Sing Qui
sedit in Latibulo Altissimi.”
Many other passages happen to this party daily, as a
hundred will testifie; but it is an endless labour to recite

page 344
them all. The man is now alive, in good health, and well
known among all men to be a friend to all and desirous to
do good.

John Heydon encounters the Spirit Euterpe.
Walking upon the plains of Bulverton Hill to study
numbers and the nature of things one evening, I could see,
between me and the light, a most exquisite divine beauty,
her frame neither long nor short, but a main decent
stature; attired she was in thin long silks, but so green
that I never saw the like, for the colour was not earthly;
in some places it was fancied with gold and silver ribbans,
which looked like the sun and lyllies in the field of grass.
Her head was overcast with a thin floating tiffany, which
she held up with one of her hands, and looked, as it were,
from under it. Her eyes were quick, fresh, and celestial,
but had something of a start, as if she had been puzzled
with a suddain occurrence. From her vaile did her locks
break out, like sun beams from a mist; they ran disheveld
to her brest, and then returned to her cheeks in curls and
rings of gold. Her hair behind her was rowled to a curious
globe, with a small short spire flowered with purple and
skie-colour knots. Her rings were pure intire emeralds,
for she valued no metal, and her pendants of burning carbuncles.
In brief, her whole habit was youthful and
flowerly; it smelt like the East, and was thoroughly ayrd
with rich Arabian diapasms.
Whilst I admired her perfections, and prepared to make
my addresses, she prevents me with a voluntary approach.
Here, indeed, I expected some discourse from her, but she,
looking very seriously and silently in my face, takes me by
the hand and softly whispers: “My love I freely give you,

page 345
and with it these tokens—mystery and signet; the one
opens, the other shuts; be sure to use both with discretion.
As for the mysteries of the Rosie Cross, you have my
Library to peruse them all. There is not anything here
but I will gladly reveal it unto you; I will teach you the
virtues of numbers, of names, of angels, and genii of men.
I have one precepts to commend to you—you must be silent.
You shall not in your writings exceed my allowance; remember
that I am your love, and you will not make me a
prostitute. But because I wish you serviceable to those of
your own disposition, I give you an emblematical type of
my sanctuary, namely, the Axiomata of the R. C., the
secrets of numbers, with a full priviledge to publish it. And
now I am going to the invisible region, amongst the
ethereal goddesses. Let not that proverb take place with
you, Out of sight, out of mind. Remember me and be
happy.”
I asked her if she would favour me with her name. To
this she replyed very familiarly, as if she had known me
long before:—”My dear friend H., I have many names,
but my best beloved is Euterpe. Observe in your R. C.
Axiomata that the genuine time of impression of characters,
names, angels, numbers, and genii of men, is when the
principles are Spermade and Callado; but being once
coagulated to a perfect body, the time of stellification is
past. Now the R. C. in old time used strange astrological
lamps, images, rings, and plates, with the numbers and
names engraven, which at certain hours would produce incredible
extraordinary effects. The common astrologer he
takes a piece of metalls, another whining associate he helps
him with a chrystal stone, and these they figure with
ridiculous characters, and then expose them to the planets,

page 346
not in an Alkemust, but as they dream they know not
what. When this is done, all is to no purpose, but though
they faile in their practice, they yet believe they understand
the Axiomata of numbers well enough. Now, my
beloved J. H., that you may know what to do, I will teach
you by example:—Take a ripe grain of corn that is hard
and drye; expose it to the sun beams in a glass or other
vessell, and it will be a dry grain for ever; but if you do
bury it in the earth, that the nitrous saltish moysture of the
element may dissolve it, then the sun will work upon it
and make it sprout to a new body. It is just thus with the
common astrologer; he exposeth to the planets a perfect
compacted body, and by this meanes thinkes to perform the
Rosie Crucian Gamaoea, and marry the inferiour and
superiour worlds.
“It must be a body reduced into sperme, that the heavenly
feminine moisture, which receives and retains the impress
of the Astrall Agent, may be at liberty, and immediately
exposed to the masculine fire of Nature. This is the
ground of the Beril, but you must remember that nothing
can be stellified without the joynt magnetism of three
heavens—what they are you know already.”
When she had thus said, she took oat of her bosom two
miraculous medalls with numbers and names on them;
they were not metalline, but such as I had never seen,
neither did I conceive there was in Natura such pure and
glorious substances. In my judgment, they were two
magical Telesms, but she called them Saphiricks of the sun
and moon. These miracles Euterpe commended to my
perusal, and stops in a mute ceremony. She lookt upon
me in silent smiles mixt with a pretty kind of sadness, for
we were unwilling to part, but her hour of translation was

page 347
come, and, taking, as I thought, her last leave, she past
before my eyes into the ether of Nature, excusing herself
as being sleepy—otherwise she had expounded them to me.
I lookt, admired, and wearied myself in that contemplation;
their complexion was so heavenly, their continuation so
mysterious, I did not well know what to make of them. I
turned aside to see if she was still asleep, but she was
gone, and this did not a little trouble me. I expected
her return till the day was quite spent, but she did not appear.
At last, fixing my eyes on that place where she
sometimes rested, I discovered certain pieces of gold, full of
numbers and names, which she had left behinde her, and
hard by a paper folded like a letter. These I took up, and
now the night approaching, the evening star tinned in the
West, when taking my last survey of her flowery pillow, I
parted from it in these verses—

” Pretty green bank, farewel, and mayst thou wear
Sun-beams, and rose, and lillies all the year;
She slept on thee, but needed not to shed
Her gold, ’twas joy enough to be her bed.
Thy flowers are favourites, for this loved day
They were my rivals, and with her did play;
They found their heaven at hand, and in her eyes
Enjoy’d a copy of their absent skies.
Their weaker paint did with true glories trade,
And mingl’d with her cheeks one posy made;
And did not her soft skin confine their pride,
And with a skreen of silk her flowers divide,
They had suck’d life from thence, and from her head
Borrow’d a seal to make themselves compleat.
O happy pillow! though thou art laid even
With dust, she made thee up almost a heaven;
Her breath rain’d spices, and each amber ring
Of her bright locks strew’d bracelets o’er thy spring.
That earth’s not poor, did such a treasure hold,
But thrice inrich’d with amber, spice, and gold.”

Thus much at this time and no more am I allowed by my

page 348
mistress Euterpe to publish. Be, therefore, gentle reader,
admonished, that with me you do earnestly pray to God,
that it please Him to open the hearts and ears of all illhearing
people, and to grant unto them His blessing, that
they may be able to know Him in His omnipotency, with
admiring contemplation of Nature, to His honour and
praise, and to the love, help, comfort, and strengthening of
our neighbours, and to the restoring of all the diseased by
the medecines above taught.
I had given you a more large account of the mysteries of
Nature and the Rosie Cross, but whilst I studyed medecines
to cure others, my deare sister Anne Heydon dyed, and I
never heard she was sick (for she was one hundred miles
from mee), which put an end to my writings, and thus I
take my leave of the world. I shall write no more; you
know my books by name, and this I write that none may
abuse me by printing books in my name, as Cole does Culpeper’s.
I return to my first happy solitudes.

Voyage to the Land of the Rosicrucians.
We travelled from Sydmouth for London and Spain by
the south sea, taking with us victuals for twelve moneths,
and had good winds from the East, though soft and weake,
for five moneth’s space and more. But then the winds came
about into the West, so as we could make little way, and
were sometimes in purpose to turn back. Then again there.
arose strong and great winds from the South, with a point
East, which carried us up towards the North, by which
time our victuals failed us, and we gave ourselves for lost
men, and prepared for death. We did lift up our hearts
and voices to God, beseeching Him of His mercy that He
would discover land to us, that we might not perish. The

page 349
next day about evening we saw before us, towards the
North, as it were thick clouds, which did put us in hope of
land, knowing that part of the south sea was utterly unknown,
and might have islands or continents hitherto not
come to light. We bent our course thither all that evening,
and in the dawning of the next day discerned a land flat
and full of boscage. After an houre and a half’s sayling,
we entred into a good haven, the port of a faire city, not
great indeed, but well built, and that gave a pleasant view
from sea. We came close to shore, and offered to land, but
straighwayes we saw divers people with bastons in their
hands forbidding us, yet without any cryes or fierceness,
but onely warning us off by signs that they made, whereupon,
being not a little discomfitted, we were advising with
ourselves what we should do, during which there made
forth to us a small boat, with about eight persons in it,
whereof one had in his hand a tipstaff of yellow cane,
tipped at both ends with green, who came aboard without
any shew of distrust, and drew forth a little scroule of
parchment, somewhat yellower than our parchment, and
shining like the leaves of writing tables, but otherwise soft
and flexible, and delivered it to our foremost man. In this
scroule were written in antient Hebrew, antient Greeke,
good Latine of the School, and in Spanish, these words:—
“Land ye not, none of you, and provide to be gone from
this coast within sixteen dayes, except you have further
time given you. Mean while, if you want fresh water,
victual, or help for your sick, or that your ship needeth repaire,
write down your wants, and you shall have that which
belongeth to mercy.” This scroule was signed with
a stamp of cherubin’s wings, not spread but hanging
downwards, and by them a crosse. This being delivered,

page 350
the officer returned, and left onely a servant to receive our
answer. Consulting amongst ourselves, the denial of landing,
and hasty warning us away, troubled us much; on the
other side, to fine the people had languages, and were full
of humanity, did comfort us; above all, the signe of the
crosse was to us a great rejoycing and a certain presage of
good. Our answer was in the Spanish tongue—that our
ship was wall, our sick many, and in very ill case, so that
if they were not permitted to land, they ran in danger of
their lives. Our other wants we set down in particular, adding
that we had some little merchandize, which, if it pleased
them to deale for, might supply our wants without being
chargable unto them. We offered some reward in pistolet
unto the servant, and a piece of crimson velvet for the officer,
but he took them not, nor would scarce look upon them,
and so left us in another boat which was sent for him.
About three hours after there came towards us a person
of place. He had a gown with wide sleaves of a kinde of
water chamolot, of an excellent green colour, farre more
glossie than ours. His under apparel was green azure, and
so was his hat, being in the form of a turban, daintily made
and not so large as Turkish turbans. The locks of his
haire came below the brims of it. A reverend man was he
to behold. He came in a boat partly gilt, with foure persons
more, and was followed by another boat, wherein were
some twenty. When he was within a flight-shot of our
ship, signes were made that we should send some to meet
him, which we presently did in our ship boat, sending the
principall man amongst us, save one, and foure of our number
with him. When we were come within six yards of
their boat, they called to us to stay, and thereupon the man
whom I before described stood up, and with a loud voice,

page 351
in Spanish, asked, “Are ye Christians?” We answered that
we were, at which he lift up his right hand towards Heaven,
and drew it softly to his mouth (which is the gesture they
use when they thank God), and then said, “If you will
swear by the merit of the Saviour that ye are no pirates,
nor have shed blood, lawfully or unlawfully, within forty
dayes past, you may have license to land.” We said that
we were all ready to take that oath, whereupon one of those
with him, being, as it seemed, a notarie, made an entrie of
this act, which done, another, after his lord had spoken a
little to him, said:—”My lord would have you know that
it is not of pride that he commeth not aboard your ship,
but for that you declare that you have many sick amongst
you, he was warned by the conservation of health that he
should keep a distance.” We were his humble servants,
and accounted for great honour and singular humanity towards
us that which had already been done, but hoped that
the nature of the sickness was not infectious. So he returned,
and a while after came the notary aboard, holding
a fruit like an orange, but of colour between orange-tawney
and scarlet, which cast a most excellent odour. He used it
for a preservative against infection. He gave us our oath,
“by the name of Jesus and His merits,” and told us that
next day, by six in the morning, we should be sent to and
brought to the strangers’ house, where we should be accommodated
both for our whole and our sick. When we offered
him some pistolets, he smiling said he must not be twice
paid for one labour.
The next morning there came the same officer that
came to us first with his cane, to conduct us to the
strangers’ house. “If you will follow my advice,” said he,
“some few will first go with me and see the place, and how

page 352
it may be made convenient for you; then you may send for
your sick and the rest of your number.” We thanked him,
and said that this care which he took of desolate strangers
God would reward, and six of us went ashore with him.
He led us thorow three faire streets, and all the way there
were gathered some peop1e on both sides in a row, but in
so civill a fashion as if it had been not to wonder at us, but
to welcome us. Divers of them as we passed put their
arms a little abroad, which is their gesture when they bid
any welcome. The strangers’ house is faire and spacious,
built of brick, and with handsome windows, some of glass,
some of a kind of cambrick oyled. He brought us into a
faire parlour above staires, and then asked, what number of
persons we were, and how many sick? We answered that
we were in all 250, whereof our sick were seventeen. He
desired us to stay till he came back which was about an
houre after, and then he led us to see the chambers provided
for us, being in number 250. They cast it that foure
of those chambers, which were better than the rest, might
receive foure of our principal men; the rest were to lodge
us. The chambers were handsome, cheerful, and furnished
civilly. Then he led us to a long gallery, where he showed
us along one side seventeen cells, having partitions of cedar,
which gallery and cells, being in all 900, were instituted as
an infirmary. He told us withall that as any one sick waxed
well he might be removed to a chamber, for which purpose
there were set forth ten spare chambers. This done, he
brought us back to the parlour, and lifting up his cane a
little, as they doe when they give any command, said to
us:—”Ye are to know that the custom of the land requireth
that, after this day and to-morrow, which we give you for
removing your people from your ship, you are to keep within

page 353
doores for three dayes; do not think yourselves restrained,
but rather left to your rest. You shall want nothing; there
are six of our people appointed to attend you for any
businesse you may have abroad.” We gave him thanks
with all affection and respects, and said:—”God surely
is manifested in this land.” We offered him also twenty
pistolets, but he smiled, and said:—”What? twice paid!”
and so left us. Soon after our dinner was served
in, which was right good viands both for bread, meat,
wine, &c., better than any diet that I have known in
Europe. We had drink of three sorts, ale, beer, syder, all
wholesome; wine of the grape, and another drink of grain,
like our mum but more clear, and a kinde of perry, like the
peare juice, made of a fruit of that countrey, a wonderfull
pleasing and refreshing drink. Besides, there were brought
in great store of those scarlet oranges for our sick, which
were an assured remedy for sicknesse taken at sea. There
was given us also a box of small grey pills which they wished
our sick should take, one every night before sleeping, to
hasten their recovery. The next day, after that our trouble
of carriage of our men and goods out of our ship was somewhat
settled, I thought good to call our company together,
and said unto them:—”My dear friends, let us know ourselves,
and how it standeth with us. We are cast on land,
as Jonas was out of the whale’s belly, when we were as
buried in the deep, and now we are on land, we are but
between death and life, for we are beyond both the old
world and the new. Whether ever we shall see Europe
God onely knoweth. A kinde of miracle hath brought us
hither, and it must be little lesse that shall take us hence.
Therefore in regard of our deliverance past, and danger
present, let us look to God and every man reform his own

page 354
ways. We are come amongst a Christian people, full of
piety and humanity. Let us not bring confusion of face
upon ourselves by shewing our vices or unworthinesse.
They have cloistered us for three daies; who knoweth
whether it be not to take some taste of our manners and
conditions, and if they find them bad to banish us straight
wayes, if good to give us further time? For God’s love let
us so behave ourselves as we may be at peace with God
and may finde grace in the eyes of this people.” Our
company with one voice thanked me for my good admonition,
and promised to live soberly and civilly, without
giving the least occasion of offence. We spent our three
dayes joyfully, during which time we had every houre joy
of the amendment of our sick.
The morrow after our three dayes, there came to us a new
man, cloathed in azure, save that his turban was white
with a small red cross on the top. He had also a tippet
of fine linnen. He did bend to us a little, and put his arms
broad; we saluting him in a very lowly manner. He desired
to speak with some few of us, whereupon six onely
stayed, and the rest avoided the room. He said:—”I am
by office governour of this house of strangers, and by vocation
a Christian priest of the Order of the Rosie Crosse,
and am come to offer you my service, as strangers and
chiefly as Christians. The State hath given you licence to
stay on land for the space of six weeks, and let it not
trouble you if your occasions ask further time, for the law
in this point is not precise. Ye shall also understand that
the strangers’ house is at this time rich and much aforehand,
for it hath laid up revenue these 36000 years—so
long it is since any stranger arrived in this part. Therefore
take ye no care; the State will defray you all the time

page 355
you stay. As for any merchandize ye have brought, ye
shall be well used, and have your return either in merchandize
or gold and silver, for to us it is all one. If you have
any other request to make, hide it not, onely this I must tell
you that none of you must go above a juld, or karan
(that is with them a mile and an half), from the walls of the
city without special leave.” We answered, admiring this
gracious and parent-like usage, that we could not tell what
to say to expresse our thanks, and his noble free offers left
us nothing to ask. It seemed that we had before us a
picture of our salvation in Heaven, for we that were awhile
since in the jaws of death were now brought into a place
where we found nothing but consolations. For the commandement
laid on us, we would not faile to obey it, though
it was impossible but our hearts should be enflamed to tred
further upon this happy and holy ground. Our tongues
should cleave to the roof of our month ere we should forget
either his reverend person or this whole nation in our
prayers. We also humbly besought him to accept us as his
true servants, presenting both our persons and all we had
at his feet. He said he was a priest and looked for a
priest’s reward, which was our brotherly love, and the good
of our souls and bodies. So he went from us, not without
tears of tendernesse in his eyes, and left us confused with
joy and kindness, saying amongst ourselves that we were
come into a land of angels.
The next day, about ten of the clock, the governour came
to us again, and, after salutation, said familiarly that he
was come to visit us, called for a chair, and sat him down.
We, being some ten of us (the rest were of the meaner sort,
or else gone abroad), sat down with him, when he began
thus:—”We of this island of Apanua or Chrisse in Arabia

page 356
(for so they call it in their language, by means of our
solitary situation, the laws of secresy which we have for
our travellers, and our rare admission of strangers, know
well most part of the habitable world and are ourselves
unknown. Therefore, because he that knoweth least is
fitted to ask questions, it is more reason, for the entertainment
of the time, that ye ask me questions than that I ask
you.” We humbly thanked him, and answered that we
conceived, by the taste we had already, that there was no
worldly thing more worthy to be known than the state of
that happy land, but since we were met from the several
ends of the world, and hoped assuredly that we should meet
one day in the Kingdome of Heaven, we desired to know
(in respect that land was so remote, divided by vast, unknown
seas from where our Saviour walked on earth) who
was the apostle of that nation, and how it was converted to
the faith. It appeared in his face that he took great contentment
in this question in the first place, “for (said he)
it sheweth that you first seek the Kingdome of Heaven.
“About 20 years after the Ascension of our Saviour, it
came to pass that there was seen by the people of Damcar,
on the eastern coast of our island, within night, as it might
be some mile into the sea, a great pillar of light, in form of
a column or cylinder rising from the sea a great way towards
Heaven. On the top was a large crosse of light, more resplendent
than the body of the pillar, upon which so strange
a spectacle the people of the city gathered upon the sands
to wonder and after put into a number of small boats to go
neerer this marvellous sight. But when the boats were come
within about 60 yards of the pillar they found themselves
bound and could go no further. They stood all as in a
theatre, beholding this light as an heavenly signe. There

page 357
was in one of the boats one of the wise men of the Society
of the Rosie Crucians, whose house or colledge is the very
eye of this Kingdome, who, having awhile devoutly contemplated
this pillar and crosse, fell down upon his face,
then raise himself upon his knees, and, lifting up this
hands to Heaven, made his prayers in this manner:
” ‘Lord God of Heaven and Earth, Thou hast vouchsafed
of Thy grace to those of our order to know Thy works of
creation and the secrets of them, and to discern (as far as
appertaineth to the generation of men) between divine
miracles, works of Nature, works of art, and impostures
and illusions of all sorts. I do here acknowledge and
testifie before this people, that the thing which we now see
is Thy finger and a true miracle. And for as much as we
learn in our books that Thou never workest miracles but to
a divine and excellent end (for the laws of Nature are Thine
own laws, and Thou exceedest them not but upon great cause),
we most humbly beseech Thee to prosper this great signe, and
to give us the interpretation and use of it in mercy, which
Thou doest in some part promise by sending it unto us.’
“When he had made his prayer, he presently found the
boat he was in unbound, whereas the rest remained still
fast. Taking that for leave to approach, he caused the boat
to be softly rowed towards the pillar, but ere he came near
the pillar and crosse of light brake up, and cast itself abroad
into a firmament of many stars, which also soon vanished,
and there was nothing left but a small ark of cedar, not
wet at all with water, though it swam. In the force-end of
it grew a small green branch of palme, and when the Rosie
Crucian had taken it with all reverence into his boat, it
opened of itself, and there were found a book and letter,
both written in fine parchment, and wrapped in suidons of

page 358
linnen, the book containing all the canonical books of the
Old and New Testament, according as you have them,
while the Apocalypse itself, and some other books of the
New Testament, not at that time written, were, nevertheless,
therein. And for the letter, it was in these words:—
” ‘I John, a servant of the Highest and Apostle of Jesus
Christ, was warned by an angell, that appeared to me in a
vision of glory, that I should commit this ark to the floods
of the sea. Therefore I do testifie and declare unto that
people where God shall ordain this ark to come to land,
that in the same day is come unto them salvation and peace
and goodwill from the Father and from the Lord Jesus.’
“There was also as well in the book as the letter a great
miracle wrought, conform to that of the apostles in the
originall gift of tongues, for there being at that time in this
land Hebrews, Persians, and Indians,¹ besides the natives,
everyone read upon the book and the letter as if they had
been written in his own language. Thus was this land
saved from infidelity through the apostolicall and miraculous
evangelism of S. John.”
Here he paused, and a messenger called him from us, so
this was all that passed in that conference. The next day
the same Governour came again to us, immediately after
dinner, and after we were set, he said:—”Well, the questions
are on your part.” One of our number said, after a
little pause, that there was a matter we were no less desirous
to know than fearful to ask, but encouraged by his rare
humanity towards us, we would take the hardiness to propound
it. We well observed those his former words, that
this happy island was known to few, and yet knew most of

¹ The island, notwithstanding, had been unvisited by strangers
for the space of 36,000 years. See p. 354.

page 359
the nations of the world, which we found to be true, considering
they had the 1anguages of Europe, and knew much
of our state and business, yet we, notwithstanding the remote
discoveries of this last age, never heard the least inkling
of this island; we never heard tell of any ship of theirs
that had been seen to arrive upon any shore of Europe.
And yet the marvell rested not in this, for its scituation in
the secret conclave of such a vast sea mought cause it, but
that they should have knowledge of the languages, books,
affaires of those that lye such a distance from them, was a
thing we could not tell what to make of, for it seemed a
propriety of divine powers and beings to be hidden to others,
and yet to have others open us in a light to them. At this
speech the Governour gave a gratious smile, and said that
we did well to ask pardon for a question which imported as
if we thought this a land of magicians, that sent forth spirits
of the aire into all parts to bring them intelligence of other
countries. It was answered by us in all possible humblenesse,
but yet with a countenance takeing knowledge that
he spake it but merrily, that we were apt enough to think
there was something supernaturall in this island, but rather
as angelicall than magicall; but to let his lordship know
truly what made us doubtful to ask this question, was because
we remembred he had given a touch in his former
speech that this land had laws of secresy touching strangers.
To this he said:—”You remember aright, and in that I shall
say I must reserve particulars which it is not lawful to reveal,
but there will be enough left to give you satisfaction. You
shall understand that about three thousand years ago, the
navigation of the world (specially for remote voyages) was
greater than it is now. Whether it was that the example
of the Ark that saved the remnant of men from the univer-

page 360
sall deluge, gave confidence to adventure, or what it was,
but such is the truth. The Phoenicians and Tyrians had
great fleets, so had the Carthaginians, their colony. Toward
the East the shipping of Ægypt and Palestina was
likewise great. China also and America abounded in tall
ships. This island had fifteen hundred of great content.
At that time this land was known and frequented by ships
and vessels of all the nations before named; and they had
many times men of other countries that were no saylers,
that came with them—as Persians, Chaldeans, Egyptians,
and Grecians, so as almost all nations resorted hither, of
whom we have some stirps with us at this day. Our own
ships went sundry voyages.
“At the same time, the inhabitants of the Holy Land did
flourish. For though the narration and discription made
by a great man with you, that the descendants of Neptune
planted there, and of the magnificent temple, palace, city,
and hill (see my Rosie Crucian Infallible Axiomata), and the
manifold navigable rivers (which as so many chains environed
the site and temple), and the severall degrees of
ascent whereby men did climb up to the same as if it had
been a Scala Coeli, be all poeticall and fabulous, yet so
much is true that the said country of Judea, as well as Peru,
then called Coya—Mexico, then named Tyrambel—were
mighty, proud kingdomes in arms, shipping, and riches.
At one time both made two great expeditions, they of
Tyrambel through Judea to the Mediterrane sea, and they
of Coya through the South Sea upon this our island. For
the former of these, which was into Europe, the same author
amongst you had some relations from his Beata (see the
“Harmony of the World,” lib. i., the Preface). Assuredly
such a thing there was, but whether the ancient Athenians

page 361
had the glory of the repulse of those forces I can say
nothing; but certain it is there never came back either
ship or man from that voyage. Neither had those of Coya
had better fortune if they had not met with enemies of
great clemency. The King of this island, by name Phroates,
who was raised three times from death to life, a wise man
and great warrior, knowing his own strength and that of his
enemies, handled the matter so as he cut off their landforces
from their ships, and entoyled both their navy and camp
with a greater power than theirs, compelling them to render
themselves without striking stroke. After they were at his
mercy, contenting himself only with their oath that they
should no more beare armes against him, he dismissed them
in all safety; but the Divine revenge overtook, not long
after, these proud enterprises, for within less than the space
of one hundred years the island was utterly destroyed by
a particular deluge or inundation, these continents then
having far greater rivers and far higher mountaines to pour
down waters than any part of the Old World. The inundation
was not past forty foot deep in most places, so that,
although it destroyed man and beast generally, yet some
few wilde inhabitants of the wood escaped. Birds also
escaped by flying to the high trees and woods. As for men,
although they had buildings in many places higher than
the waters, yet that inundation had a long continuance,
whereby they of the vaile that were not drowned perished
for want of food. So marvel you not at the thin population
of America, nor at the rudeness of the people, younger
a thousand years, at the least, then the rest of the world,
for there was so much time between the universal flood and
their particular inundation. The poor remnant of humane
seed which remained in their mountains peopled the country

page 362
again slowly, and, being simple and savage, were not able
to leave letters, arts, and civility to their posterity. Having
likewise in their mountainous habitations been used (in
respect of the extream cold) to cloathe themselves with
skins of tygers, bears, and great hairy goates, when they
came down into the valley and found the intolerable heats
which are there, they were forced to begin the custome of
going naked, which continueth at this day, onely they take
great pride in the feathers of birds. . . . By this main accident
of time we lost our traffique with the Americans, with
whom, in regard they lay nearest to us, we had most commerce.
As for other parts of the world, navigation did everywhere
greatly decay, so that part of entercourse which could
be from other nations to sayle to us hath long since ceased.
“But now of the cessation of intercourse which mought
be by our sayling to other nations, I cannot say but our shipping
for number, strength, marriners, pilots, and all things
is as great as ever; and, therefore, why we should set at
home I shall now give you an account by itself. There
raigned in this island, about nineteen hundred years agoe,
a King whose memory of all others we most adore, not
superstitiously, but as a divine instrument, though a mortall
man. His name was Eugenius Theodidactus (you may read
this at large in our “Idea of the Law”), and we esteem
him as the lawgiver of our nation. This King had a large
heart, inscrutable for good, and was wholly bent to make
his kingdome and people happy. He, therefore, takeing
into consideration how sufficient this land was to maintain
itself without any aid of the forrainer, being 5600 miles in
circuit and of rare fertility in the greatest part thereof;
finding also the shipping might be plentifully set on worke
by fishing and by transportation from port to port, and

page 363
likewise by sayling unto some small islands not farr from
us, and under the Crown and laws of this State; recalling
the flourishing estate wherein this land then was, though
nothing wanted to this noble and heroicall intention but to
give perpetuity to that which was so happily established.
Amongst other fundamentall laws of this kingdome, he did
ordaine the interdicts and prohibitions which we have
touching entrance of strangers, doubting novelties and commixture
of manners. Nevertheless, he preserved all points
of humanity in making provision for the relief of strangers
distressed, whereof you have tasted,” at which speech we
all rose up and bowed ourselves.
He went on:—”That King also still desiring to joyn
humanity and policy, and thinking it against humanity to
detaine strangers against their will, and against policy that
they should return to discover their knowledge of this
state, did ordain that of the strangers permitted to land,
as many at all times mought depart as would, but as many
as would stay should have very good conditions, wherein
he saw so farr that in so many ages since the prohibition,
we have memory not of one ship that ever returned, and
but of thirteen persons, at severall times, that chose to return
in out bottoms. What those few may have reported
abroad, I know not, but whatever they said could be taken
but for a dream. For our travelling hence, our law-giver
thought fit altogether to restrain it, but this restraint hath
one admirable exception, preserving the good which cometh
by communication with strangers, and avoiding the
hurt. Ye shall understand that among the excellent acts
of that King one hath the pre-eminence—the erection and
institution of an Order, or Society, which we call the
Temple of the Rosie Cross, the noblest foundation that

page 364
ever was upon earth, and the lanthorne of this Kingdome.
It is dedicated to the study of the works and creatures of
God. Some think it beareth the founder’s name a little
corrupted, as if it should be F. H. R. C. his house, but the
records write it as it is spoken. I take it to be denominate
of the King of the Hebrews, which is famous with you,
and no stranger to us, for we have some parts of his works
which you have lost, namely, that Rosie Crucian M which
he wrote of all things past, present, or to come, and of all
things that have life and motion. This maketh me think
that our King finding himself to symbolize with that King
of the Hebrews, honoured him with The Title of this
Foundation, and I finde in ancient records this Order or
Society of the Rosie Crosse is sometimes called the Holy
House, and sometimes the Colledge of the Six Days’ Works,
whereby I am satisfied that our excellent King had learned
from the Hebrews that God had created the world and all
therein within six days, and therefore he instituting that
House for the finding out of the one nature of things did
give it also that second name. When the King had forbidden
to all his people navigation into any part not under
his crown, he had, nevertheless, this ordinance, that every
twelve years there should be set forth two ships appointed
to severall voyages; that in either of these amps there
should be a mission of three of the Fellows or Brethren of the
Holy House, whose errand was to give us knowledge of the
affaires and state of those countries to which they were designed,
and especially of the sciences, arts, manufactures,
and inventions of all the world, and withall to bring unto
us books, instruments, and patterns in every kinde; that
the ships after they had landed the Brethren of the Rosie
Crosse should return, and that the Brethren R. C. should

page 365
stay abroad till the new mission. These ships were not
otherwise fraught than with store of victualls, and treasure
to remaine with the Brethren for buying such things and
rewarding such persons as they should think fit. Now for
me to tell you how the vulgar sort of marriners are contained
from being discovered at land, and how they that
must be put on shore colour themselves under the name of
other nations, and to what places these voyages have been
designed, and what rendezvous are appointed for the new
missions, and the like circumstances, I may not do it, but
thus, you see, we maintain a trade, not for gold, silver, or
jewels, nor any commodity of matter, but onely for God’s
first creature, which was light, to have light, I say, of the
growth of all parts of the world.”
When he had said this he was silent, and so were we all,
for we were astonished to hear so strange things to probably
told. He perceiving that we were willing to say somewhat,
but had it not ready, descended to aske us questions
of our voyage and fortunes, and in the end concluded that
we mought do well to think what time of stay we would
demand of the State, for he would procure such time as we
desired. Whereupon we all rose up and presented ourselves
to kiss the skirt of his tippet, but he would not
suffer us, and so took his leave. When it came once
amongst our people that the State used to offer conditions
to strangers that would stay, we had worke enough to get
any of our men to look to our ship, and to keep them from
going to the Government to crave conditions.
We took ourselves now for freemen, and lived most joyfully,
going abroad and seeing what was to be seen in the
city and places adjacent, obtaining acquaintance with many
in the city, at whose hands we found such humanity as

page 366
was enough to make us forget all that was dear to us in
our own countries. Continually we met with things right
worthy of observation and relation, as indeed if there be a
mirrour in the world worthy to hold men’s eyes, it is that
countrey. One day there were two of our company bidden
to a feast of the fraternity, as they call it, and a most
naturall, pious, and reverend custome it is, shewing that
nation to be compounded of all goodnesse. It is granted
to any man who shall live to see thirty persons descended
of his body alive together, and all above three years old,
to make this feast, which is done at the cost of the State.
The Father of the fraternity, whom they call the R. C.,
two days before the feast taketh to him three of such
friends as he liketh to chuse, and is assisted also by
the governour of the city where the feast is celebrated,
and all the persons of the family, of both sexes, are summoned
to attend upon him. Then, if there be any discords
or suits, they are compounded and appeased. Then,
if any of the family be distressed or decayed, order is
taken for their relief and competent means to live.
Then, if any be subject to vice, they are reproved and
censured. So, likewise, direction is given touching
marriage and the courses of life. The governour assisteth
to put in execution the decrees of the Tirsan if they should
be disobeyed, though that seldom needeth, such reverence
they give to the order of Nature. The Tirsan doth also
then chuse one man from amongst his sons to live in house
with him, who is called ever after the Sonne of the Vine.
On the feast day the father, or Tirsan, commeth forth after
Divine Service in to a large room, where the feast is celebrated,
which room hath an half-pace at the upper end.
Against the wall, in the middle of the half-pace, is a chaire

page 367
placed for him, with a table and carpet before it. Over the
chaire is a slate, made round or ovall, and it is of an ivie
somewhat whiter than ours, like the leaf of a silver aspe,
but more shining, for it is green all winter. The slate is
curiously wrought of silver and silk of divers colours,
broyding or binding in the ivie. It is the work of some of
the daughters of the family, and is vailed over at the top
with a fine net of silk and silver, but the substance of it is
true ivie, whereof, after it is taken down, the friends of the
family are desirous to have some leaf to keep. The Tirsan
cometh forth with all his generation or linage, the males
before him and the females following him, and if there be a
mother from whose body the whole lineage is descended, there
is a traverse placed in a loft above, on the right hand of the
chaire, with a privie doore and a carved window of glass,
leaded with gold and blew, where she sitteth but is not
seen. When the Tirsan is come forth, he sitteth down in
the chaire, and all the linage place themselves against the
wall, both at his back and upon the return of the hall, in
order of their yeares, without difference of sex, and stand
upon their feet. When he is set, the roome being alwayes
full of company, but without disorder, after some pause
there commeth in from the lower end of the room a Taratan,
or herald, and on either side of him two young lads, whereof
one carrieth a scrowle of their shining yellow parchment,
and the other a cluster of grapes of gold, with a long foot
or stalke. The heralds and children are cloathed with
mantles of sea-water green sattin, but the herald’s mantle
is streamed with gold and hath a traine. Then the herald
with three curtsies, or rather inclinations, commeth up as
far as the half-pace, and taketh into his hand the scrowle.
This is the King’s charter, containing gifts of revenue and

page 368
many priviledges, exemptions, and points of honour, granted
to the father of the fraternity; it is stiled and directed,
“To such an one, our well beloved friend and Creditour,”
which is a title proper only to this case, for they say the
King is debtor to no man but for propagation of his subjects.
The seal set to the King’s charter is R. C., and the
King’s image embossed or mouled in gold. This charter the
herald readeth aloud, the father, or Rosie Crucian, standing
up, supported by two of his sons. Then the herald mounteth
the half-pace and delivereth the charter into his hands, and
with that there is an acclamation—”Happy are the people
of Apanua!” Then the herald taken into his hand, from
the other childe, the cluster of grapes, which are daintily
enamelled. If the males of the Holy Island are the greater
number, the grapes are enamelled purple, with a sun set on
the top. If the females prevaile, they are enamelled into a
greenish yellow, with a crescent on the top. The grapes
are in number as many as the descendants of the fraternity.
This golden cluster the herald delivereth also to the Rosie
Crucian, who presently delivereth it to that sonne formerly
chosen to be in his house with him, who beareth it before
his father as an ensign of honour when he goeth in publick
ever after. After this ceremony, the father, or Rosie
Crucian, retireth, and after some time commeth forth again
to dinner, where he sitteth alone under the slate—none of
his descendants sit with him, except he happ to be of the
Holy House. He is served only by his own male children
upon the knee; the women stand about him, leaning
against the wall. The room below the half-pace hath tables
on the sides for the ghests, who are served with great and
comely order. Towards the end of dinner (which in their
greatest feasts never lasteth above an hour and a half)

page 369
there is an hymne sung, varied according to the invention
of him that composeth it (for they have an excellent poesie),
but the subject is always the praise of Adam, Noah, and
Abraham, whereof the two former peopled the world, and
the last was the father of the faithfull, concluding with a
thanksgiving for the nativity of our Saviour Jesus Christ,
in whose birth only the births of all are blessed. Dinner
being done, the R. Crucian, having withdrawne himself into
a place where he maketh some private prayers, commeth
forth the third time to give the blessing with all his descendants,
who stand about him as at first. He calls them
forth by one and by one as he pleaseth, though seldome the
order of age be inverted. The person called (the table
being before removed) kneeleth down before the chaire, and
the father layeth his hand upon his or her head, and giveth
the blessing in these words:—”Son (or daughter) of the
Holy Island, thy father saith it; the man by whom thou
hast breath and life speaketh the words; the blessing of
the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, and the Holy
Spirit be upon thee, and make the dayes of thy pilgrimage
good and many.” If there be any of his sons of eminent
merit and vertue (so they be not above two), he calleth for
them again, and saith, laying his arm over their shoulders,
they standing:—”Sons, it is well ye are borne; give God
the praise, and persevere to the end!” withall delivering
to either a jewel made in the figure of an eare of wheat,
which they ever after doe wear in the front of their turban,
or hat. This done, they fall to musick and dances, and
other recreations. This is the full order of the Feast of
the Rosie Cross.
By that time six or seven dayes were spent, and I was
fallen into a straight acquaintance with a merchant of that

page 370
city, whose name was Nicholas Walford, and his man, Sede
John Booker. He was a Jew and circumcised, for they
have some few stirps of Jews yet among them, whom they
leave to their own religion, which they may the better doe,
because they are a farr differing disposition from the
Jews in other parts, giving unto our Saviour many high
attributes, and loving the nation of Chassalonia extreamly.
This man of whom I speak would ever acknowledge that
Christ was born of a Virgin, and was more than man; he
would tell how God made Him ruler of the Seraphims
which guard His throne (read the “Harmony of the
World”). They call Him also the milken way Emepht, and
the Eliah of the Messiah, and many other high names,
which, though they be inferior to His Divine Majesty, are
farr from the language of other Jews. For the country of
Apamia, the Holy Island, or Chassalonia, for it is all one
place, this man would make no end of commending it, being
desirous, by tradition amongst the Jews there, to have it
believed that the people were of the generations of Abraham
by another son, whom they call Nachoran, and that Moses
by a secret Cabala (read the “Temple of Wisdome,” lib. 4)
ordained the Laws of Jerusalem which they now use, and
that when Messiah should come and sit in His throne at
Hierusalem, the King of Chassalonia should sit at his feet,
whereas other kings should keep a great distance. Setting
aside the Jewish dreamer, the man was wise and learned,
excellently seen in the laws and customs of that nation.
Amongst other discourses I told him I was much affected
with the relation from some of the company of their Feast
of the Fraternity, and because propagation of families proceeded
from nuptial copulation, I desired to know what
laws they had concerning marriage, and whether they were

page 371
tyed to one wife. To this he said:—”You have reason to
commend that excellent institution of the Feast of the
Family. Those families that are partakers of its blessing
flourish ever after in an extraordinary manner. You shall
understand that there is not under the Heavens so chast a
nation as this of Apamia. It is the virgin of the world. I
have read in one of your books of an holy hermit that desired
to see the spirit of fornication, and there appeared to
him a little foule ugly æthiope. But if he had desired to
see the spirit of chastitie of the Holy Island, it would have
appeared in the likenesse of a faire beautiful cherubin, for
there is nothing amongst mortall men more admirable than
the chaste mindes of this people. There are no stewes, no
dissolute houses, nor curtisans. They wonder with detestation
at you in Europe which permit such things; they say
ye have put marriage out of office, for marriage is a remedy
for unlawfull concupiscence, and naturall concupiscence
seemeth as a spur to marriage; but when men have at
hand a remedy more agreeable to their corrupt will, marriage
is almost expulsed. And therefore there are seen with
you infinite men that marry not, but choose a libertine and
impure single life; and many that do marry, marry late,
when the prime and strength of their years is past. When
they do marry, what is marriage to them but a very bargain,
wherein is sought alliance, or position, or reputation, with
some indifferent desire of issue, and not the faithfull nuptial
union of man and wife that was first instituted? Neither
is it possible that those who have cast away so basely so
much of their strength should greatly esteeme children
(being of the same matter) as chaste men doe. So likewise
during marriage is the case much amended, as it ought to
be, if those things were tolerated only for necessity? The

page 372
haunting of dissolute places, or resort to curtizans, are no
more punished in married men than in batchelors; the depraved
custome of change and the delight in meretricious
embracements (where sin is turned into art), make marriage
a dull thing, and a kind of imposition or tax. They hear
you defend these things as done to avoid greater evills, as
advoutries, deflowering of virgins, unnaturall lust, and the
like, but these vices and appetites do still remain and
abound, unlawfull lusts being like a furnace; if you stopp
the flames altogether, it will quench; but if you give it any
vent, it will rage. As for masculine love, they have no
touch of it, and yet there are not so faithfull and inviolate
friendships in the world as are here. Their usual saying
is, that whosever is unchaste cannot reverence himself, and
that the reverence of a man’s self is, next religion, the
chiefest bridle of all vices.”
I confessed the righteousnesse of Aquanna was greater
than the righteousness of Europe, at which he bowed his
head, and went on in this manner. “They have also many
wise and excellent laws touching marriage. They allow no
polygamie. They have ordained that none doe intermarrie
or contract until a month be past from their first interview.
Marriage without consent of parents they do not make
void, but they mulct it in the inheritours, for the children
of such marriages are not admitted to inherit above a third
their parents’ inheritance. I have read, in a book of one
of your men, of a fained commonwealth, where the married
couple are permitted before the contract to see one another
naked. This they dislike, for they think it a scorn to give
a refusall after so familiar knowledge; but because of
many hidden defects in men and women’s bodies, they have
neare every towne a couple of pooles (which they call Adam

page 373
and Eve’s pooles), where it is permitted to one of the
friends of the man and one of the woman to see them
severally bathe naked.”
As we were thus in conference, there came one that
seemed to be a messenger, in a rich huke, that spake with
the Jew, whereupon he turned too me and said, “You will
pardon me, for I am commanded away in haste.” The
next morning he came to me joyfully, and said—”There is
word come to the Governour of the city that one of the
Fathers of the Temple of the Rosie Crosse, or Holy House,
will be here this day seven-night. We have seen none of
them this dozen years. He is comming is in state, but the
cause is secret. I will provide you and your fellows of a
good standing to see his entry.” I thanked him and said
I was most glad of the news. The day being come, he
made his entry. He was a man of middle stature and age,
comely of person, and had an aspect as if he pittied men.
He was cloathed in a robe of fine black cloth, with wide
sleeves and a cape. His under garment was of excellent
white linnen, down to the foot, with a girdle of the same,
and a sindon or tippet of the same about his neck. He had
gloves that were curious and set with stones, and shoes of
peach-coloured velvet. His neck was bare to the shoulders;
his hat was like a helmet, or Spanish montera, and his
locks, of brown colour, curled below it decently. His
beard was cut round and of the same colour with his haire,
somewhat lighter. He was carried in a rich chariot, without
wheels, litter-wise, with two horses at either end,
richly trapped in blew velvet embroydered, and two footmen
on each side in the like attire. The chariot was of
cedar, gilt and adorned with chrystall, save that the foreend
had pannalls of sapphire, set in borders of gold, and

page 374
the hinder-end the like of emerauds of the Peru colour.
There was also a sun of gold radiant upon the top in the
midst, and on the top before a small cherub of gold with
wings displayed. The chariot was covered with dotts of
gold tissued upon blew. He had before him fifty attendants,
young men, all in white satten loose coats to the mid
legg, stockings of white silk, shoes of blew velvet, and hats
of the same, with fine plumes of divers colours set round
like hat-bands. Next before the chariot went two men
bare-headed, in linnen garments down to the foot, girt, and
shoes of blew velvet, who carried the one a crosier, the
other a pastorall staff like a sheep-hooke, the crosier being
of palme-wood, the pastorall staff of cedar. Horsemen he
had none, as it seemed, to avoid all tumult and trouble.
Behinde his chariot went all the officers and principals of
the companies of the city. He sat alone upon cushions, of
a kinde of excellent blew plush, and under his feet curious
carpets of silk of divers colours, like the Persian but farr
finer. He held up his bare hand, blessing the people in
silence. The street was wonderfully well kept; the windows
likewise were not crouded, but everyone stood in
them as if they had been placed. When the shew was
past, the Jew said to me—”I shall not be able to attend
you as I would, in regard of some charge the city hath
layd upon me for the entertainment of this Rosie Crucian.”
Three days after he came to me again, and said—”Ye are
a happy man; the Father of the Temple of the Rosie
Cross taketh notice of your being here, and commands me
to tell you that he will admit all your company to his
presence, and have private conference with one of you that
ye shall choose, and for this hath appointed the day after
to-morrow. And because he meaneth to give you his

page 375
blessing, he hath appointed it in the forenoon.” We came
at our day, and I was chosen for the private accesse. We
found him in a faire chamber, richly hanged, and carpeted
underfoot, without any degrees to the state. He was set
upon a low throne, richly adorned, and a rich cloth of state
over his head, of blew sattin embroydered. He had two
pages of honour, on either hand one, finely attired in white.
His under garments were like that he were in the chariot,
but, instead of his gown, he had on him a mantle with a
cape, of the same fine black, fastned about him. We
bowed low at our entrance, and when we were come neare
his chair, he stood up, holding forth his hand ungloved, in
posture of blessing, and every one of us stooped down and
kissed the hem of his tippet. That done, the rest departed,
and I remained. Then he warned the pages forth
of the roome, caused me to sit down beside him, and spake
thus in the Spanish tongue:—
“God bless thee, my son; I will give thee the greatest
jewel I have; I will impart unto thee, for the love of God
and men, a relation of the true state of the Rosie Cross.
First, I will set forth the end of our foundation; secondly,
the preparations and instruments we have for our workes;
thirdly, the several functions whereto our fellows are
assigned; and fourthly, the ordinances and rights which
we observe. The end of our foundation is the knowledge
of causes and secret motions of things, and the enlarging of
the bounds of Kingdomes to the effecting of all things
possible. The preparations and instruments are these. We
have large caves of several depths, the deepest sunke 36,000
feet. Some are digged under great hills and mountaines,
so that, if you reckon together the depths of the hill and of
the cave, some are above seven miles deep. These caves

page 376
we call the lower region, and we use them for all coagulations,
indurations, refrigerations, and conservations of
bodies. We use them likewise for the imitation of natural
mines, and the production of new artificial mettalls by compositions
and materials which we lay there for many years.
We use them also sometimes for cureing some diseases, and
for prolongation of life in hermits that choose to live there,
well accomodated of all things necessary, by whom also
we learn many things (read, our ‘Temple of Wisdome’).
We have burialls in several earths, where we put diverse
cements, as the Chinese do their borcellane; but we have
them in greater variety, and some of them more fine. We
have also great variety of composts and soyles for the
making of the earth fruitfull. We have towers, the highest
about half a mile in height, and some of them set upon
high mountaines, so that the vantage of the hill with the
tower is, in the highest of them, three miles at least. These
places we call the upper region, accounting the aire between
the highest places and lowest as a middle region. We use
these towers, according to their severall heights and situations,
for insolation, refrigeration, conservation, and the
view of divers meteors—as winds, rain, snow, haile, and
some of the fiery meteors also. Upon them, in some places,
are dwellings of hermits, whom we visite sometimes, and
instruct what to observe (Read our ‘Harmony of the
World’). We have great lakes, both salt and fresh, whereof
we have use for the fish and fowle. We use them also for
burials of some naturall bodies, for we find a difference in
things buried in earth, or in aire below the earth, and
things buryed in the water. We have also pooles, of which
some do straine fresh water out of salt, and others by arts
do turn fresh water into salt. We have also some rocks

page 377
in the midst of the seas, and some bayes upon the shore,
for works wherein are required the aire and vapour of the
sea. We have likewise violent streams and cataracts which
serve us for many motions, and engines for multiplying and
enforcing winds to set on going divers other motions.
“We have a number of artificiall wells and fountaines, in
imitation of the natural sources; also baths tincted upon
vitrioll, sulphur, steell, brasse, lead, nitre, and other minerals.
Again, we have little wells for infusion of many
things, where the waters take the vertue quicker and better
than in vessels or basines; and amongst them we have
water which we call water of Paradise, being, by that we
do to it, made very soveraign for health and prolongation
of life.
“We have also great and spacious houses, where we imitate
and demonstrate meteors—as snow, hail, raine, some
artificiall raines of bodies and not of water, thunders, lightnings;
also generation of bodies in the aire—as frogs, flies,
and divers others.
“We have certain chambers which we call Chambers of
Health, where we qualify the aire as we think good and
proper for the cure of divers diseases and preservation of
health.
“We have also faire and large baths, of severall mixtures,
for the cure of diseases, and the restoring of man’s body
from arefaction, and others for the confirming of it in
strength of sinews, vitall parts, and the very juyce and
substance of the body.
“We have also large and various orchards (see the epistle
to the ‘Harmony of the World’) and gardens (wherein we
do not so much respect beauty as variety of ground and
soyle, proper for diverse trees and herbs), some very spa-

page 378
cious, where trees and berries are set, whereof we make
divers kindes of drinks, besides the vineyards. In these we
practise likewise all conclusions of grafting and inoculating,
as well of wild trees as fruit trees, which produce many
effects. We make by art, in the same orchards and gardens,
trees or flowers to come earlier or later than their
seasons, and to beare more speedily than by their naturall
course they do. We make them also by art much greater
than their nature, and their fruit greater, sweeter, and of
differing taste, smell, colour, and figure from their nature.
Many of them we so order as they become of medicinall use.
“We have also means to make divers plants rise by mixtures
of earths without seeds, and to make divers plants
differing from the vulgar, and to make one tree or plant
turn into another.
“We have also parks and enclosures of all sorts of beasts
and birds, which we use not only for view or rarenesse, but
likewise for dissections and tryalls, that thereby we may take
light what may be wrought upon the body of man. Herein
we finde many strange effects as the continuing life in them
though divers parts, which you account vitall, be perished
and taken forth—resuscitation of some that seem dead in
appearance—and the like. We try also all poysons and other
medecines upon them. By art, likewise, we make them
greater or smaller than their kinde is. We make them
more fruitfull, and, contrarywise, more barren than their
kinde is. We make them differ in colour, shape, activity.
We have commixtures and copulations of divers kindes,
which have produced many new kinds, and them not
barren as the generall opinion is. We make a number of
kindes of serpents, worms, flies, fishes, of putrefaction,
whereof some are advanced (in effects) to perfect creatures,

page 379
and have sexes and propagate. Neither do we this by
chance, but know beforehand of what matter and commixture
what kinde of creatures will arise. We have also
particular pooles where we make trialls upon fishes.
“We have also places for breed and generation of those
kinds of worms and flies which are of speciall use, such as
are with you your silkworms and bees.
“I will not hold you long with recounting of our brewhouses,
bake-houses, and kitchins, where are made divers
drinks, breads, and meats, rare and of speciall effects.
Wines we have of grapes, and drinks of other juyces of
fruits, graines, and roots; also of mixtures with honey, sugar,
manna, and fruits dryed and decocted; also of the teares
or wounding of trees, and of the pulp of canes. These
drinks are of several ages, some to the age or last of forty
yeares. We have drinkes also brewed with severall herbs,
roots, and spices, yea, with severall fleshes and white meats;
some of the drinks are in effect meat and drink both, so
that divers, especially in age, do desire to live with them,
with little or no meat or bread. Above all we strive to
have drinks of extream thin parts, to insinuate into the
body without biting sharpnesse, or fretting, insomuch as
some of them put upon the back of your hand, will, with a
little stay, passe through to the palm and yet taste milde to
the mouth. We have waters which we ripen in that fashion
as they become nourishing. Breads we have of severall
grains, roots, and kernels, some of flesh and fish dried with
divers kindes of leavenings and seasonings so that some doe
extreamly more appetite, some nourish so as divers doe
live of them very long without any other meat. For
meats, we have some of them so beaten, made tender, and
mortified, yet without corrupting, as a weake heat of the

page 380
stomach will turn them into good chylus. We have some
meats also, bread and drinks, which taken by men, enable
them to fast long after, and some others that make the very
flesh of men’s bodies sensibly more hard and tough, and their
strength far more great than otherwise it would be.
“We have dispensatories, or shops of medicines, wherein
you may easily thinke if we have such variety of plants
and living creatures, more than you have in Europe, the
simples, drugs, and ingredients of medecines, must likewise
be in so much the greater variety. We have them of
divers ages and long fermentations; for these preparations
we have not only all manner of exquisite distillations and
separations, especially of gentle heats and percolations
through divers strainers; but also exact formes of compositions,
whereby they incorporate almost as they were
natural simples.
“We have also divers mechanical arts which you have
not, and stuffs made by them, as papers, linnen, silks,
tissues, dainty works of feathers of wonderfull lusture, excellent
dies, and many others—shops likewise, as well for
such as are not brought into vulgar use amongst us as for
those that are, for you must know that of the things forecited
many of them are grown into use throughout the
kingdome, but yet if they did flow from our invention, we
have of them also for paterns and principals.
“We have furnaces of great diversities, fierce and quick,
strong and constant, soft, and milde, blowne quite dry,
moist, and the like. Above all we have heats in imitation
of the sun’s and heavenly bodies’ heats, that pass divers inequalities,
and, as it were, arts, progresses and returns,
whereby we produce admirable effects. Besides we have
heats of dungs, and of bellies and maws of living creatures,

page 381
of their bloods and bodies, of hayes and herbs layed up
moist, of brine unquenched, and such like—instruments also
which generate heat only by motion, places for strong
insolations, places under the earth which by nature of art
yeeld heart.
“We have also perspective-houses where we make demonstrations
of all lights and radiations, and of all colours; out
of things uncoloured and transparent we can represent unto
you severall colours, not in rain-bows, as it is in gemms and
prismes, but of themselves single. We respect also all multiplications
of light, which we carry to great distances, and
make so sharpe as to discern small points and lines, all
colourations of light, all delusions and deceits of the sight
in figures, magnitudes, motions, colours, all demonstrations
of shadows. We finde also divers means, yet unknown to
you, of producing light originally from divers bodies. We
procure means of seeing bodies afar off, as in the heaven, and
represent things near as farr off, and things afarr off as
near. We have also helps for the sight farr above spectacles
and glasses, and means to see minute bodies distinctly,
as the shapes and colours of small flies and wormes,
observation in urine and bloods. We make artificial Rainbowes,
halos, and circles about light. We represent also
all manner of reflections, refractions, and multiplications of
visuall beams of objects.
“We have also pretious stones of all kinds; many of great
beauty, and to you unknown, crystals likewise, and glasses
of divers kinds, amongst them some of mettals vitrificated,
and other materials besides those of which you make glasse;
also a number of fossiles and imperfect minerals which you
have not, likewise loadstones of prodigious vertue, and other
rare stones, both naturall and artificial. We have sound-

page 382
houses, where we practise and demonstrate all sounds and
their generation. We have harmonies (read the ‘Harmony
of the World’) which you have not, of quarter and lesser
kindes of sounds—divers instruments of musick to you unknown,
some sweeter than any you have, together with
bells and rings that are dainty and sweet. (See my book
of ‘Geomancy and Telesmes.’) We represent small sounds
as great and deep, great sounds as extenuate and sharpe;
we make divers tremblings and warblings of sounds which
in their originall are entire. We represent and imitate all
articulate sounds and letters (read my ‘Cabbala, or Art, by
which Moses shewed so many signs in Ægypt’), and the
voices and notes of many beasts and birds. We have certain
helps which, set to the ear, do further the hearing
greatly. We have strange and artificiall ecchos, reflecting
the voice many times, and, as it were, to sing it, some that
give back the voice louder than it came, some shriller, some
deeper, some rendering the voice differing in the letters, or
articular sound, from that they receive. We have also
means to convey sound in trunks and pipes, in strange
lines and distances.
“We have also perfume houses, wherewith we joyne all
practices of taste. We multiply smells which may seem
strange. We imitate smells, making them breathe out other
mixtures than those that give them. We make divers imitations
of taste, so that they will deceive any man’s tastes;
and in this Temple of the Rosie Crosse we contain also
a confiture-house, where we make all sweet-meats, dry and
moist, and pleasant wines, milks, broaths, and sallets, in
farr greater variety than you have.
“We have also engine-houses, where are prepared engines
and instruments for all sorts of motions. There we imitate

page 383
and practise swifter motions than any you have, and make
and multiply them more easily and with small force, by
wheels and other means. We make them stronger than
yours are, exceeding your cannons and basilisks. We represent
also ordinance, instruments of warr, and engines of
all kinds, likewise new mixtures and compositions of gunpouder,
wild-fire burning in water and unquenchable, also
fire-works of all variety, both for pleasure and use. We
imitate also flights of birds; we have some degrees of flying
in the aire (read the ‘Familiar Spirit’). We have ships
and boats for going under water, also swimming girdles and
supporters. We have. curious clocks and other like motions
of returne, and some perpetual motions. We imitate also
motions of living creatures, by images of men, beasts, birds,
fishes, and serpents. We have also a great number of other
various motions, strange for equality, finenesse, and subtility.
“We have also a mathematicall pallace, where are represented
all instruments, as well of geometry, as astronomy,
geomancy, and telemses.
“We have also houses of deceits of the senses where we
represent all manner of feats of jugling, false apparitions,
impostures, illusions, and their fallacies; and surely you will
easily believe that we, that have so many things truly naturall
which induce admiration, could in a world of particulars
deceive the senses, if we would disguise those things and
labour to make them seem more miraculous. But we do
hate all impostures and lyes, insomuch as we have severaly
forbidden it to all our brethren, under pain of ignominy
and fines, that they do not show any naturall worke or
thing adorned or swelling, but only pure as it is, and
without all affectation or strangeness.
“These are, my son, the riches of the Rosie Crucians

page 384
(read our ‘Temple of Wisdome’). For the several employments
and offices of our fellowes, we have twelve that
sayle into forrain countries under the names of other
nations, for our own we conceal; but our seal is R. C., and
we meet upon a day altogether. These bring us the books,
abstracts, and patterns of experiments of all other parts.
These we call merchants of light.
“We have three that collect the experiments in all books.
These we call depradatours. We have three that collect
the experiments of all mechanicall arts, liberall sciences, and
practices which are not brought into arts. These we call
mystery men. We have three that try new experiments,
such as themselves think good. These we call pioners or
miners. We have three that draw the experiments of the
former foure [divisions] into titles and tables, to give the
better light for the drawing of observations and of axioms
out of them. These we call compliers. We have three
that band themselves, looking into the experiments of their
fellowes, and cast about how to draw of them things useful
for man’s life and knowledge, as well for works as for
strange demonstration of causes, means of natural divinations,
and the easie and cleare discovery of the vertues and
parts of bodies. These we call dowry men or benefactors.
Then, after diverse meetings and consults of our whole
number, to consider of the former labours and collections,
we have three that take care out of them to direct new experiments
of a higher light, more penetrating into Nature
than the former. These we call lamps. We have three
others that doe execute the experiments so directed and
report them. These we call inoculators. Lastly, we have
three that raise the former discoveries by experiments into
greater observations, axiomes, and aphorismes. These we
call interpreters of Nature.

page 385
“We have also novices and apprentices, that the succession
of the former employed men of our fraternity of the
Rosie Crosse do not faile; also great numbers of servants
and attendants, men and women. We have consultations
which of the inventions and experiences shall be published
and which not. We take all an oath of secrecy for the concealing
of those which we think fit to keep secret, though
some of those we doe reveale sometimes to the State. (Read
our ‘Temple of Wisdom.’)
“For our ordinances and rites we have two very long and
faire galleries in the Temple of the Rosie Crosse. In one
of these we place patterns and samples of all manner of the
more rare and excellent inventions; in the other we place
the statues of all principal inventours. There we have the
statues of the discoverer of the West Indies, also the invention
of ships, and the monk that was the inventour of ordinance
and gunpowder; the inventours of musick, letters, printing;
observations of astronomy, astromancy, and geomancy; the
invention of works in mettal, of glasse, of silke of the worme;
of wine, corn, and bread; the inventour of sugars, and all
these my bore certain tradition than you have. Then have
we divers inventours of our own. Upon every invention
of value we erect a statue to the inventour, and give him a
liberal and honourable reward. These statues are some of
brasse, some of marble and touchstone, some of cedar and
other speciall woods gilt and adorned, some of iron, some
of silver, some of gold, telesmatically made.
“We have certain hymnes and services, which we say daily,
of laud and thanks to God for His marvellous works; also
formes of prayers imploring His ayde and blessing for the
illumination of our labours, and the turning of them into
good and holy uses.

page 386
“Lastly, we have circuits or visits of divers principal
cities of the kingdome, where we dow publish such news,
profitable inventions, as we think good, and we doe also
declare natural divinations of diseases, plagues, swarms of
hurtfull creatures, scarcity, tempests, earthquakes, great
inundations, comets, temperature of the year, and divers
other things, and we give counsel thereupon. for the prevention
and remedy of them.”
When he had said this, he desired me to give him an
account of my life, that he might report it to the Brethren
of the Rosie Crosse, after which he stood up; I kneeled down,
and he laid his right hand upon my head, saying, “God
blesse thee, my son, and God blesse these relations which
we have made! I give thee leave to publish them for the
good of other nations, for we are here in God’s bosome, a
land unknown.”
And so he left me, having assigned a value of about two
thousand pounds in gold for a bounty to me and my fellows,
for they give great largesses where they come upon all
occasions.