The Real History of the Rosicrucians: Analysis of Contents

The Real History of the Rosicrucians, by Arthur Edward Waite, [1887], at sacred-texts.com

	PAGE.
Preface--influence of the Secret Societies--Romantic Associations connected with the Rosicrucian Fraternity--Universal ignorance concerning it--Extent of the Rosicrucian literature--Pretensions of this History	1
INTRODUCTION.
Derivations of the name Rosicrucian--Derivation from the supposed founder, Christian Rosencreutz--Derivation from Ros and Crux--History of the term Ros in Alchemy--Derivation from Rosa and Cruz.--On the Rose in Symbolism, the Cross in Symbolism, and on the significance of their union, with special reference to the Romance of the Rose and the Paradise of the Divine Comedy	5
CHAPTER THE FIRST.
On the state of Mystical Philosophy in Germany at the close of the Sixteenth Century--Perpetuation of Neo-Platonic traditions--Revolution in Religion, Science, and Philosophy--Paracelsus and his successors--Rise of the Spiritual Alchemists	27
CHAPTER THE SECOND.
The Prophecy of Paracelsus and the Universal Reformation of the whole Wide World	34
CHAPTER THE THIRD.
The Fama Fraternitatis of the Meritorious Order of the Rosy Cross, addressed to the learned in general and the Governors of Europe	64
p. vi
	PAGE.
CHAPTER THE FOURTH.
The Confession of the Rosicrucian Fraternity, addressed to the learned of Europe	85
CHAPTER THE FIFTH.
The Chymical Marriage of Christian Rosencreutz	99
CHAPTER THE SIXTH.
On the Connection of the Rosicrucian Claims with those of Alchemy and Magic--Fanaticism and Follies of the Rosicrucian Manifestoes--Discrepancies between the Universal Reformation and the Fama Fraternitatis--Religious Opinions of the Society--Scientific and Philosophical Pretensions--Doctrine of the Macrocosmos and of the Microcosmos--Theory of Elementals--Doctrine of Signatures--Physical Transmutations--The Great Elixir	197
CHAPTER THE SEVENTH.
On the Antiquity of the Rosicrucian Fraternity--Absence of historical traces before the seventeenth century--Researches of Semler--The Militia Crucifera Evangelica--Absurd pretensions of Mr Hargrave Jennings--The Templars and the Rosicrucians	210
CHAPTER THE EIGHTH.
Theories as to the authorship of the Rosicrucian Manifestoes--The story of Christian Rosencreutz not historically true--Claims of Taulerus, Joachim Junge, and Ægidius Guttmann--Case of Johann Valentin Andreas--Sketch of his Life--Predilection for Secret Societies--Digest of the Evidence adduced to prove that Andreas wrote the Rosicrucian Manifestoes--Examination of this Evidence--Futility and Repulsiveness of Professor Buhle's hypothesis--Facts of the Case--A tenable hypothesis--Character of the Rosicrucian Mystery	217
CHAPTER THE NINTH.
Progress of Rosicrucianism in Germany--Andreas Libavius--His hostile criticism--Echo of the God-illuminated Brotherhood R. C.--The Open Letter or Report of Julianus de Campis--Fama Remissa ad Fratres Roseæ Crucis--Confessio Recepta--Vicious attack by Johann Valentin Alberti--Other pamphlets of the Period	246
p. vii
	PAGE.
CHAPTER THE TENTH.
Rosicrucian Apologists: Michael Maier--His importance in the controversy--Publication of Silentium Post Clamores, Symbola Aurem Mensæ, and Themis Aurea--Curious Colloquy and Echo Colloquii on the Rosicrucian Society--Was Michael Maier the founder of a pseudo-Rosicrucian Society?--Reappearance of the Order--Laws of the Brotherhood as published by Sincerus Renatus	268
CHAPTER THE ELEVENTH.
Rosicrucian Apologists: Robert Fludd--Grandeur of the Kentish Mystic--Genealogy and life--Bibliographical matter--Fludd's Defence of the Rosicrucians--Analysis of this publication--Hostile criticism of Mersenne--Fludd's Rejoinder--Epistle from the Rosicrucian Society to a German Neophyte--Cosmical philosophy of Robert Fludd	283
CHAPTER THE TWELFTH.
Rosicrucian Apologists: Thomas Vaughan--The mystery which surrounds him--List of his Writings--His translation of the Fame and Confession--His opinion concerning the Order, of which he was not a member	308
CHAPTER THE THIRTEENTH.
Rosicrucian Apologists: John Heydon--Autobiography--Talbot's Life of Heydon--Bibliography--"The Rosie Cross Uncovered"--The Rosicrucians in England--"True narrative of a Gentleman R. C."--John Heydon encounters the spirit Euterpe--Voyage to the Land of the Rosicrucians	315
CHAPTER THE FOURTEENTH.
Rosicrucianism in France--Gabriel Naude's "Information on the truth of the Rosicrucians"--Strange manifesto placarded on the walls of Paris--"The Unknown and Novel Cabala of the Brethren of the Rose Cross"--"Frightful Compacts between the devils and the so-called illuminati"	387
CHAPTER THE FIFTEENTH.
Connection between the Rosicrucians and Freemasons--Futility of Professor Buhle's hypothesis--The Rose-Cross degree in Freemasonry--Its modern origin	402
p. viii
	PAGE.
CHAPTER THE SIXTEENTH.
Modern Rosicrucian Societies--Migration of true Rosicrucians eastward--Copy of the admission of Sigismund Bachstrom into the Rosicrucian Brotherhood--The English Rosicrucian Society--Its Laws add Objects--Harmless nature of the association--Incompetency of its members--The Rosicrucians in Literature and Legend	408
Conclusion	431
Additional Notes	434
Appendix of Additional Documents--Preface to the Fama Fraternitatis--Curious Apologue--Rosicrucian Prayer to God	440

ANALYSIS OF CONTENTS.