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speculative　research；　affecting　the　higher　and　more　important

condition　of　our　ultimate　being；　which　have　engaged　the　students

of　immaterial　philosophy　in　my　own　age。



Affixed　to　the　〃Note〃　with　which　this　work　concludes；　and　which

treats　of　the　distinctions　between　type　and　allegory；　the　reader

will　find；　from　the　pen　of　one　of　our　most　eminent　living

writers；　an　ingenious　attempt　to　explain　the　interior　or　typical

meanings　of　the　work　now　before　him。





INTRODUCTION。



It　is　possible　that　among　my　readers　there　may　be　a　few　not

unacquainted　with　an　old…book　shop；　existing　some　years　since　in

the　neighbourhood　of　Covent　Garden；　I　say　a　few；　for　certainly

there　was　little　enough　to　attract　the　many　in　those　precious

volumes　which　the　labour　of　a　life　had　accumulated　on　the　dusty

shelves　of　my　old　friend　D。　　There　were　to　be　found　no　popular

treatises；　no　entertaining　romances；　no　histories；　no　travels；　no

〃Library　for　the　People；〃　no　〃Amusement　for　the　Million。〃　　But

there；　perhaps；　throughout　all　Europe；　the　curious　might　discover

the　most　notable　collection；　ever　amassed　by　an　enthusiast；　of

the　works　of　alchemist；　cabalist；　and　astrologer。　　The　owner　had

lavished　a　fortune　in　the　purchase　of　unsalable　treasures。　　But

old　D　did　not　desire　to　sell。　　It　absolutely　went　to　his　heart

when　a　customer　entered　his　shop：　　he　watched　the　movements　of

the　presumptuous　intruder　with　a　vindictive　glare；　he　fluttered

around　him　with　uneasy　vigilance；he　frowned；　he　groaned；　when

profane　hands　dislodged　his　idols　from　their　niches。　　If　it　were

one　of　the　favourite　sultanas　of　his　wizard　harem　that　attracted

you；　and　the　price　named　were　not　sufficiently　enormous；　he　would

not　unfrequently　double　the　sum。　　Demur；　and　in　brisk　delight　he

snatched　the　venerable　charmer　from　your　hands；　accede；　and　he

became　the　picture　of　despair；nor　unfrequently；　at　the　dead　of

night；　would　he　knock　at　your　door；　and　entreat　you　to　sell　him

back；　at　your　own　terms；　what　you　had　so　egregiously　bought　at

his。　　A　believer　himself　in　his　Averroes　and　Paracelsus；　he　was

as　loth　as　the　philosophers　he　studied　to　communicate　to　the

profane　the　learning　he　had　collected。



It　so　chanced　that　some　years　ago；　in　my　younger　days；　whether　of

authorship　or　life；　I　felt　a　desire　to　make　myself　acquainted

with　the　true　origin　and　tenets　of　the　singular　sect　known　by　the

name　of　Rosicrucians。　　Dissatisfied　with　the　scanty　and

superficial　accounts　to　be　found　in　the　works　usually　referred　to

on　the　subject；　it　struck　me　as　possible　that　Mr。　D's

collection；　which　was　rich；　not　only　in　black…letter；　but　in

manuscripts；　might　contain　some　more　accurate　and　authentic

records　of　that　famous　brotherhood；written；　who　knows？　by　one

of　their　own　order；　and　confirming　by　authority　and　detail　the

pretensions　to　wisdom　and　to　virtue　which　Bringaret　had　arrogated

to　the　successors　of　the　Chaldean　and　Gymnosophist。　　Accordingly

I　repaired　to　what；　doubtless；　I　ought　to　be　ashamed　to　confess；

was　once　one　of　my　favourite　haunts。　　But　are　there　no　errors　and

no　fallacies；　in　the　chronicles　of　our　own　day；　as　absurd　as

those　of　the　alchemists　of　old？　　Our　very　newspapers　may　seem　to

our　posterity　as　full　of　delusions　as　the　books　of　the　alchemists

do　to　us；　not　but　what　the　press　is　the　air　we　breathe；and

uncommonly　foggy　the　air　is　too！



On　entering　the　shop；　I　was　struck　by　the　venerable　appearance　of

a　customer　whom　I　had　never　seen　there　before。　　I　was　struck　yet

more　by　the　respect　with　which　he　was　treated　by　the　disdainful

collector。　　〃Sir；〃　cried　the　last；　emphatically；　as　I　was　turning

over　the　leaves　of　the　catalogue；〃sir；　you　are　the　only　man　I

have　met；　in　five…and…forty　years　that　I　have　spent　in　these

researches；　who　is　worthy　to　be　my　customer。　　Howwhere；　in　this

frivolous　age；　could　you　have　acquired　a　knowledge　so　profound？

And　this　august　fraternity；　whose　doctrines；　hinted　at　by　the

earliest　philosophers；　are　still　a　mystery　to　the　latest；　tell　me

if　there　really　exists　upon　the　earth　any　book；　any　manuscript；

in　which　their　discoveries；　their　tenets；　are　to　be　learned？〃



At　the　words；　〃august　fraternity；〃　I　need　scarcely　say　that　my

attention　had　been　at　once　aroused；　and　I　listened　eagerly　for

the　stranger's　reply。



〃I　do　not　think；〃　said　the　old　gentleman；　〃that　the　masters　of

the　school　have　ever　consigned；　except　by　obscure　hint　and

mystical　parable；　their　real　doctrines　to　the　world。　　And　I　do

not　blame　them　for　their　discretion。〃



Here　he　paused；　and　seemed　about　to　retire；　when　I　said；　somewhat

abruptly；　to　the　collector；　〃I　see　nothing；　Mr。　D；　in　this

catalogue　which　relates　to　the　Rosicrucians！〃



〃The　Rosicrucians！〃　repeated　the　old　gentleman；　and　in　his　turn

he　surveyed　me　with　deliberate　surprise。　　〃Who　but　a　Rosicrucian

could　explain　the　Rosicrucian　mysteries！　　And　can　you　imagine

that　any　members　of　that　sect；　the　most　jealous　of　all　secret

societies；　would　themselves　lift　the　veil　that　hides　the　Isis　of

their　wisdom　from　the　world？〃



〃Aha！〃　thought　I；　〃this；　then；　is　'the　august　fraternity'　of

which　you　spoke。　　Heaven　be　praised！　　I　certainly　have　stumbled

on　one　of　the　brotherhood。〃



〃But；〃　I　said　aloud；　〃if　not　in　books；　sir；　where　else　am　I　to

obtain　information？　　Nowadays　one　can　hazard　nothing　in　print

without　authority；　and　one　may　scarcely　quote　Shakespeare　without

citing　chapter　and　verse。　　This　is　the　age　of　facts；the　age　of

facts；　sir。〃



〃Well；〃　said　the　old　gentleman；　with　a　pleasant　smile；　〃if　we

meet　again；　perhaps；　at　least；　I　may　direct　your　researches　to

the　proper　source　of　intelligence。〃　　And　with　that　he　buttoned

his　greatcoat；　whistled　to　his　dog；　and　departed。



It　so　happened　that　I　did　meet　again　with　the　old　gentleman；

exactly　four　days　after　our　brief　conversation　in　Mr。　D's　book…

shop。　　I　was　riding　leisurely　towards　Highgate；　when；　at　the　foot

of　its　classic　hill；　I　recognised　the　stranger；　he　was　mounted　on

a　black　pony；　and　before　him　trotted　his　dog；　which　was　black

also。



If　you　meet　the　man　whom　you　wish　to　know；　on　horseback；　at　the

commencement　of　a　long　hill；　where；　unless　he　has　borrowed　a

friend's　favourite　hack；　he　cannot；　in　decent　humanity　to　the

brute　creation；　ride　away　from　you；　I　apprehend　that　it　is　your

own　fault　if　you　have　not　gone　far　in　your　object　before　you　have

gained　the　top。　　In　short；　so　well　did　I　succeed；　that　on

reaching　Highgate　the　old　gentleman　invited　me　to　rest　at　his

house；　which　was　a　little　apart　from　the　village；　and　an

excellent　house　it　was；small；　but　commodious；　with　a　large

garden；　and　commanding　from　the　windows　such　a　prospect　as

Lucretius　would　recommend　to　philosophers：　　the　spires　and　domes

of　London；　on　a　clear　day；　distinctly　visible；　here　the　Retreat

of　the　Hermit；　and　there　the　Mare　Magnum　of　the　world。



The　walls　of　the　principal　rooms　were　embellished　with　pictures

of　extraordinary　merit；　and　in　t