The Theoretical Brothers, or the Second Stage of the Rosicrucians

piqued curiosity — maintained zeal
and diligence, and so people often became,
without even noticing it themselves, virtuous
— and suddenly found themselves at
that point where they were intended to be. —
Another object also always piqued the
curiosity of humans, namely the exploration
of the forces of nature. Primitive man
attributed them to invisible beings original: "unsichtbaren Menschen," literally "invisible humans." Danishmende refers to the early human tendency to personify natural forces as spirits or gods with human-like traits. —
but there, too, a genius awoke among them,
and tore away a part of the veil A reference to the "Veil of Isis," a common Enlightenment metaphor for the mysteries of nature that are hidden from the unlearned. that
covers the works of nature, and drew with a
bold hand from the most hidden source —
unadulterated, deep wisdom. They combined
these insights — or conjectures — with the
higher purpose, and thus arose the so-called
MasonsFreemasons; in the 18th-century context of this book, they are viewed as heirs to ancient philosophical mysteries., and Knights TemplarA medieval military order that, in the mythology of secret societies, was often claimed to have preserved secret knowledge from the East.. *)

*) Doctor Danishmende speaks very generally here,
although I am certain that it did not escape
him that every Masonic lodge had joined
some other secondary purposes to the purposes
touched upon — according to the needs
of the people among whom they were established
— or rather and more generally —
according to the needs of the initiatorsoriginal: "Einweihenden"; those who possess the secrets and conduct the initiation ceremonies..

The Translator.