A Letter, etc.

...if the raillery used here does not obstruct the charm.

By these his reasons, (my Lord) and many others which I shall refrain from repeating to you (because I am very ambitious to bring you over to my side), my friend claims he ought to have written against the Kabbalah original: "Cabal"; here referring to a secret tradition of mystical interpretation in this pleasant manner. Your Lordship, I hope, will be pleased to decide this controversy. I affirm that it would be most proper to proceed against the Kabbalists original: "Cabalists", or Rosicrucians original: "Rosy-Crufians"; a secret society of mystics claiming to possess esoteric wisdom, and against all their secret sciences, with serious and vigorous arguments. He says that Truth is naturally brisk and gay, and that she is most powerful when she laughs. He says this because one of the ancients original: "Antients"—whom without doubt you know, and whose words you cannot help but call to mind, being endowed with such a faithful memory—says in a certain place: "It is fitting for truth to laugh, because it is joyful." original Latin: "Convenit veritati ridere, quia lætans." This is another reference to Tertullian.

He added that the secret sciences are dangerous if we do not deal with them in such a way that inspires us with contempt for them—specifically by depicting their ridiculous mysteries and preventing the world from losing time