The Theoretical Brothers, or the Second Stage of the Rosicrucians

"In this," said the philosophical courtier, "I recognize entirely the benevolent ruler of Scheschian. — May God long preserve Your Majesty for the welfare of your subjects. —"

The more enlightened portion, therefore, of those who called themselves Knights Templar Knights Templar: a medieval military order often depicted in 18th-century literature as guardians of secret, ancient wisdom, joined themselves—while their brothers were sacrificing their fellow men to a misunderstood zeal—with certain so-called Essenes The Essenes were an ancient Jewish sect; the author here follows a popular 18th-century theory that they passed secret knowledge to the Templars., who formed their own secret society of virtuous theists and naturalists naturalists: in this era, the term referred to students of the natural sciences or "natural philosophy". They allowed themselves to be initiated by these men, and took their institutions, their intentions, and their discoveries back to Europe with them. There, they continued to hold together, to spread light in secret, and to transform the customs of their age. Soon, however, these people rose to a power that became fearsome to the then-reigning Sultan original: "Sultan"; while the setting is orientalized, this refers to King Philip IV of France, who suppressed the Templars.. The riches accumulated through the diligence of these knights also incited the greed of the despot, and so he decreed their downfall. Some villains among them (and where