The Theoretical Brothers, or the Second Stage of the Rosicrucians

"Knights Templar? Knights Templar?" asked the
curious Nurmahal. —

"Yes, my fair lady—these people were the more enlightened portion among those ecstatic fanatics The author uses 'fanatics' to describe the Crusaders, reflecting an Enlightenment-era skepticism toward religious wars. who bound themselves together to snatch a piece of sandy desert, which concealed the tomb of their prophet referring to Jesus Christ, from the hands of its owners out of holy religious zeal. A poor dervish A reference to Peter the Hermit (c. 1050–1115), whose fiery preaching helped ignite the First Crusade. who, instead of preaching humility and peace, instilled this idea of conquest and encouraged the nations of Europe to murder, was to blame for the deaths of 2,350,000 This high number reflects contemporary 18th-century estimates of Crusade casualties rather than modern census data. unfortunate souls who met their end in the sandy deserts of Palestine. Their prophet would not—or could not—support the rescuers of his tomb in their 'glorious' intention, and so this holy purpose was thwarted.

"Despite all my devotion to the honor of my own Prophet," said Shah Gebal, "I would still have had this dervish hanged if it had occurred to him to preach murder out of religious zeal in my own lands as well—"