NewMethodofRosicrucianPhysic；byJohnHeydon，theservantofGodandthesecretaryofNature。“AfewextractswillshowtheideasoftheEnglishRosicruciansaboutthisperiod。Itsauthorwasanattorney，“practisingtousehisownwordsatWestminsterHallalltermtimesaslongashelived，andinthevacationsdevotinghimselftoalchymicalandRosicrucianmeditation。“Inhispreface，calledbyhimanApologueforanEpilogue，heenlightensthepublicuponthetruehistoryandtenetsofhissect。Moses，Elias，andEzekielwere，hesays，themostancientmastersoftheRosicrucianphilosophy。ThosefewthenexistinginEnglandandtherestofEurope，wereastheeyesandearsofthegreatKingoftheuniverse，seeingandhearingallthings；seraphicallyilluminated；companionsoftheholycompanyofunbodiedsoulsandimmortalangels；turningthemselves，Proteus-like，intoanyshape，andhavingthepowerofworkingmiracles。Themostpiousandabstractedbrethrencouldslacktheplagueincities，silencetheviolentwindsandtempests，calmtherageoftheseaandrivers，walkintheair，frustratethemaliciousaspectofwitches，curealldiseases，andturnallmetalsintogold。HehadknowninhistimetwofamousbrethrenoftheRosieCross，namedWalfourdandWilliams，whohadworkedmiraclesinhissight，andtaughthimmanyexcellentpredictionsofastrologyandearthquakes。“Idesiredoneofthesetotellme，“sayshe，“whethermycomplexionwerecapableofthesocietyofmygoodgenius。’WhenIseeyouagain，’saidhe，whichwaswhenhepleasedtocometome，forIknewnotwheretogotohim，’I
　　willtellyou。’WhenIsawhimafterwards，hesaid，’YoushouldpraytoGod；foragoodandholymancanoffernogreaterormoreacceptableservicetoGodthantheoblationofhimself——hissoul。’
　　Hesaid，also，thatthegoodgeniiwerethebenigneyesofGod，runningtoandfrointheworld，andwithloveandpitybeholdingtheinnocentendeavoursofharmlessandsingle-heartedmen，everreadytodothemgoodandtohelpthem。“
　　HeydonhelddevoutlytruethatdogmaoftheRosicrucianswhichsaidthatneithereatingnordrinkingwasnecessarytomen。HemaintainedthatanyonemightexistinthesamemanherasthatsingularpeopledwellingnearthesourceoftheGanges，ofwhommentionwasmadeinthetravelsofhisnamesake，SirChristopherHeydon，whohadnomouths，andthereforecouldnoteat，butlivedbythebreathoftheirnostrils；exceptwhentheytookafarjourney，andthentheymendedtheirdietwiththesmellofflowers。Hesaidthatinreallypureair“therewasafineforeignfatness，“withwhichitwassprinkledbythesunbeams，andwhichwasquitesufficientforthenourishmentofthegeneralityofmankind。Thosewhohadenormousappetiteshehadnoobjectiontoseetakeanimalfood，sincetheycouldnotdowithoutit；butheobstinatelyinsistedthattherewasnonecessitywhytheyshouldeatit。Iftheyputaplasterofnicely-cookedmeatupontheirepigastrium，itwouldbesufficientforthewantsofthemostrobustandvoracious！Theywouldbythatmeansletinnodiseases，astheydidatthebroadandcommongate，themouth，asanyonemightseebyexampleofdrink；for，allthewhileamansatinwater，hewasneverathirst。Hehadknown，hesaid，manyRosicrucians，who，byapplyingwineinthismanner，hadfastedforyearstogether。Infact，quothHeydon，wemayeasilyfastallourlife，thoughitbethreehundredyears，withoutanykindofmeat，andsocutoffalldangerofdisease。
　　This“sagephilosopher“furtherinformedhiswonderingcontemporariesthatthechiefsofthedoctrinealwayscarriedaboutwiththemtotheirplaceofmeetingtheirsymbol，calledtheR。C。
　　whichwasanebonycross，flourishedanddeckedwithrosesofgold；
　　thecrosstypifyingChrist’ssufferingsupontheCrossforoursins，andtherosesofgoldthegloryandbeautyofhisResurrection。ThissymbolwascarriedalternatelytoMecca，MountCalvary，MountSinai，Haran，andtothreeotherplaces，whichmusthavebeeninmid-air，calledCascle，Apamia，andChaulateauVirissaCaunuch，wheretheRosicrucianbrethrenmetwhentheypleased，andmaderesolutionofalltheiractions。Theyalwaystooktheirpleasuresinoneoftheseplaces，wheretheyresolvedallquestionsofwhatsoeverhadbeendone，wasdone，orshouldbedone，intheworld，fromthebeginningtotheendthereof。“Andthese，“heconcludes，“arethemencalledRosicruciansTowardstheendoftheseventeenthcentury，morerationalideastookpossessionofthesect，whichstillcontinuedtoboastofafewmembers。Theyappeartohaveconsideredthatcontentmentwasthetruephilosopher’sstone，andtohaveabandonedtheinsanesearchforamerephantomoftheimagination。Addison，in“TheSpectator，“[No。
　　574。Friday，July30th，1714。]givesanaccountofhisconversationwithaRosicrucian；fromwhichitmaybeinferredthatthesecthadgrownwiserintheirdeeds，thoughintheirtalktheywereasfoolishasever。“Iwasonce，“sayshe，“engagedindiscoursewithaRosicrucianaboutthegreatsecret。Hetalkedofthesecretasofaspiritwhichlivedwithinanemerald，andconvertedeverythingthatwasnearittothehighestperfectionthatitwascapableof。’Itgivesalustre，’sayshe，’tothesun，andwatertothediamond。Itirradiateseverymetal，andenrichesleadwithallthepropertiesofgold。Itheightenssmokeintoflame，flameintolight，andlightintoglory。’Hefurtheradded’thatasinglerayofitdissipatespain，andcare，andmelancholyfromthepersononwhomitfalls。Inshort，’sayshe，’itspresencenaturallychangeseveryplaceintoakindofheaven。’Afterhehadgoneonforsometimeinthisunintelligiblecant，Ifoundthathejumblednaturalandmoralideastogetherintothesamediscourse，andthathisgreatsecretwasnothingelsebutcontent。“
　　JACOBBOHMEN。
　　ItisnowtimetospeakofJacobBohmen，whothoughthecoulddiscoverthesecretofthetransmutationofmetalsintheBible，andwhoinventedastrangeheterogeneousdoctrineofmingledalchymyandreligion，andfoundeduponitthesectoftheAurea-crucians。HewasbornatGorlitz，inUpperLusatia，in1575；andfollowed，tillhisthirtiethyear，theoccupationofashoemaker。Inthisobscurityheremained，withthecharacterofavisionaryandamanofunsettledmind，untilthepromulgationoftheRosicrucianphilosophyinhispartofGermany，towardtheyear1607or1608。Fromthattimehebegantoneglecthisleather，andburiedhisbrainundertherubbishofmetaphysics。TheworksofParacelsusfellintohishands；andthese，withthereveriesoftheRosicrucians，socompletelyengrossedhisattentionthatbeabandonedhistradealtogether，sinking，atthesametime，fromastateofcomparativeindependenceintopovertyanddestitution。Buthewasnothingdauntedbythemiseriesandprivationsoftheflesh；hismindwasfixeduponthebeingsofanothersphere，andinthoughthewasalreadythenewapostleofthehumanrace。Intheyear1612，afterameditationoffouryears，hepublishedhisfirstwork，entitled“Aurora；or，TheRisingoftheSun；“embodyingtheridiculousnotionsofParacelsus，andworseconfoundingtheconfusionofthatwriter。Thephilosopher’sstonemight，hecontended，bediscoveredbyadiligentsearchoftheOldandNewTestaments，andmoreespeciallyoftheApocalypse，whichalonecontainedallthesecretsofalchymy。HecontendedthattheDivineGraceoperatedbythesamerules，andfollowedthesamemethods，thattheDivineProvidenceobservedinthenaturalworld；andthatthemindsofmenwerepurgedfromtheirvicesandcorruptionsintheverysamemannerthatmetalswerepurifiedfromtheirdross，namely，byfire。
　　Besidesthesylphs，gnomes，undines，andsalamanders，heacknowledgedvariousranksandordersofdemons。Hepretendedtoinvisibilityandabsolutechastity。Healsosaidthat，ifitpleasedhim，hecouldabstainforyearsfrommeatanddrink，andallthenecessitiesofthebody。Itisneedless，however，topursuehisfolliesanyfurther。HewasreprimandedforwritingthisworkbythemagistratesofGorlitz，andcommandedtoleavethepenaloneandsticktohiswax，thathisfamilymightnotbecomechargeabletotheparish。
　　Heneglectedthisgoodadvice，andcontinuedhisstudies；burningmineralsandpurifyingmetalsoneday，andmystifyingtheWordofGodonthenext。Heafterwardswrotethreeotherworks，assublimelyridiculousasthefirst。Theonewasentitled“Metallurgia，“andhastheslightmeritofbeingtheleastobscureofhiscompositions。
　　Anotherwascalled“TheTemporalMirrorofEternity；“andthelasthis“Theosophyrevealed，“fullofallegoriesandmetaphors，“Allstrangeandgeason，Devoidofsenseandordinaryreason。“
　　Bohmendiedin1624，leavingbehindhimaconsiderablenumberofadmiringdisciples。Manyofthembecame，duringtheseventeenthcentury，asdistinguishedforabsurdityastheirmaster；amongstwhommaybementionedGifftheil，Wendenhagen，JohnJacobZimmermann，andAbrahamFrankenberg。TheirheresyrenderedthemobnoxioustotheChurchofRome；andmanyofthemsufferedlongimprisonmentandtorturefortheirfaith。One，namedKuhlmann，wasburnedaliveatMoscow，in1684，onachargeofsorcery。Bohmen’sworksweretranslatedintoEnglish，andpublished，manyyearsafterwardsbyanenthusiast，namedWilliamLaw。
　　MORMIUS。
　　PeterMormius，anotoriousalchymist，andcontemporaryofBohmen，endeavoured，in1630，tointroducetheRosicrucianphilosophyintoHolland。HeappliedtotheStates-Generaltogranthimapublicaudience，thathemightexplainthetenetsofthesect，anddiscloseaplanforrenderingHollandthehappiestandrichestcountryontheearth，bymeansofthephilosopher’s’stoneandtheserviceoftheelementaryspirits。TheStates-Generalwiselyresolvedtohavenothingtodowithhim。Hethereupondeterminedtoshamethembyprintinghisbook，whichhedidatLeydenthesameyear。Itwasentitled“TheBookofthemostHiddenSecretsofNature，“andwasdividedintothreeparts；thefirsttreatingof“perpetualmotion，“thesecondofthe“transmutationofmetals，“andthethirdofthe“universalmedicine。“
　　HealsopublishedsomeGermanworksupontheRosicrucianphilosophy，atFrankfort，in1617。
　　PoetryandRomancearedeeplyindebtedtotheRosicruciansformanyagracefulcreation。TheliteratureofEngland，France，andGermanycontainshundredsofsweetfictions，whosemachineryhasbeenborrowedfromtheirday-dreams。The“delicateAriel“ofShakspearestandspre-eminentamongthenumber。FromthesamesourcePopedrewtheairytenantsofBelinda’sdressing-room，inhischarming“RapeoftheLock；“andLaMotteFouque，thebeautifulandcapriciouswater-nymph，Undine，aroundwhomhehasthrownmoregraceandloveliness，andforwhoseimaginarywoeshehasexcitedmoresympathy，thaneverwerebestowedonasupernaturalbeing。SirWalterScottalsoendowedtheWhiteLadyofAvenelwithmanyoftheattributesoftheundines，orwater-sprites。Germanromanceandlyricalpoetryteemwithallusionstosylphs，gnomes，undines，andsalamanders；andtheFrenchhavenotbeenbehindinsubstitutingthem，inworksoffiction，forthemorecumbrousmythologyofGreeceandRome。Thesylphs，moreespecially，havebeenthefavouritesofthebards，andhavebecomesofamiliartothepopularmindastobe，inamanner，confoundedwiththatotherraceofidealbeings，thefairies，whocanboastofanantiquitymuchmorevenerableintheannalsofsuperstition。HavingtheseobligationstotheRosicrucians，noloverofpoetrycanwish，howeverabsurdtheywere，thatsuchasectofphilosophershadneverexisted。