Secret History of a Rosicrucian

language sounded like German; but one had to be more than a German to understand it.

Cedrinus had not yet finished acquiring those branches of knowledge called school studies original: "Schulstudia"; referring to the standard classical curriculum of the time., and was not familiar enough with ancient and medieval history to recognize, from certain characteristic expressions, the era in which the language was used or the class of people among whom it was current. He also had too little imagination to be a spirit-seer original: "Geisterseher"; a term for those claiming to communicate with ghosts or spirits, popularized by figures like Swedenborg and Friedrich Schiller’s novel of the same name., too little patience to be a gold-maker original: "Goldmacher"; an alchemist., and too much sense to believe everything that is in print. Domestic and family circumstances stood in his way when he wished to be initiated as a Freemason original: "Freymaurer" immediately, even though a very accommodating opportunity presented itself at the time. For people had, in part, very unfavorable ideas about the Freemasons; and the fault did not lie so entirely with the profanes original: "Profanen"; in Masonic terminology, this refers to the uninitiated or the general public. as has often been blamed upon them. — Hamburg is a special place in several respects, and is particularly distinguished by a certain peculiarity in the way of thinking of its inhabitants, by virtue of which they receive any prejudice that does not enter into a very friendly relationship with their senses only with the greatest indifference. The inhabitant of Hamburg can be as superstitious as any other person; but