Solemn Historical Dissertation on the Rosicrucians

I will do so after I have shown, by more than one example, the partisan zeal with which Arnold labors in compiling this history. May God grant success to these efforts!

II. And in the beginning, we must deal with the Name of the Rosicrucians. They are commonly called in Latin Fratres Brethren, or Fratricelli little brothers, Rosaecruciani Rosicrucians, or, according to others, the Societas society or Fraternitas Rosicrucianorum Fraternity of the Rosicrucians; in French, les Freres de la Rose-Croix; in German, die Rosen-Creuzer / die Brüder vom Rosen-Creuz / die hocherleuchtete Gesellschafft des H. Rosen-Creuzes the highly enlightened society of the Holy Rose-Cross / or, as it is called by the author of the Fama & Confessio Fame and Confession on the very front of the book, die Brüderschafft des löblichen Ordens des Rosen-Creuzes the brotherhood of the praiseworthy Order of the Rose-Cross. Other names and praises which they claim for themselves, or which are heaped upon them by others, I gladly omit here, though they will be touched upon here and there in the treatise itself. I will add only this: some write Fratres Rosae Crucis Brethren of the Rose of the Cross, or, omitting the 'E', Rosae Crucis Rose Cross, as if they were two words—which spelling will immediately appear to be the best, and most conformable to their intention. But wherefore they are so called is not the least among the disputes that occur in this commentary. The first common, but fabulous and most alienated from truth, is the opinion which they themselves supply in their Fama & Confessio, that they were named after Christian Rosencreuz, or, omitting the 'E', Rosencruz. Regarding this man, his followers—like a kind of second Apollonius of Tyana—narrate that he was born in Germany in the year of Christ 1388 (or 1383, or 1387 according to most authors, and in the Fama & Confessio itself, p. 45, the year 1378—so that I believe there is either a printing error or a mistake in Arnold). He was born of a noble family of the Knight of the Golden Stone and was later made a monk. When he saw that the Roman Catholic Church needed improvement, at the age of 16, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he undertook a journey to Palestine, to the sepulcher of the Lord, joined, as Kromaierus adds in his Scrutiny of Religion, p. 142, by Brethren. From there he went to Damascus (see Fama, p. 12) and there was instructed by the Magi in the Book M. Afterwards, he also turned to the other Magi in Arabia, Egypt, and Barbary, and used the same teachers, among whom especially...