The Society Of The Rose Croix.*

the vogue which the Rose Croix then enjoyed , addressed to them a preface at the head of his '' Metapihysique . " Thus as to the proofs of the fact serious evidence is completely wanting to demonstrate that the Rose Croix gave themselves up with success to the work of transmutation of metals . To "believe that they made gold has no other reason for it than the logical argument which is nothing , after allbut a " petitio principle" namelythat possessing

according-, , , to their profession of faith all the faculties which God grants to men , and even some beyond , they ought necessarily to possess the power of acting triumphantly on metals . Let us cast a look on the progress of the society of the Rose Croix in some other parts of Europe . It was iu Germany that it found the greatest number of its adeptsand

, the public most credulous of its promises . It made in England but one conquest , but that conquest was of the highest importance . Robert Fludd , a medical man at London , a very learned man , and , above all , a great writer , embraced with candour the theology of this sect . Extending its principles much further than had been done up to that time , he applied them to all the branches of human science . The English theosoph remained nevertheless

faithful to the principles of Christianity , for he assured his hearers that the Rose Croix derived their name from the mystical cross of our Saviour , which was stained with his rosy blood , and with which we could ultimately possess all imaginable arts ancl infinite wisdom . The system of the B . ose Croix penetrated into Italy , but found there few acolytes , although it presented itself wanting in part the mystic aberrations

with which the German mind had embarrassed it . A regards Spain , it had to do with a sect of indiginous illumines , * the " Alombrados , " who had arisen almost at the same time with the Rose Croix . For some time these two bodies were confounded , who nevertheless , as was infrequently recognized , differed in themselves , both as to their ori gin and their end . In France the Rose Croix appeared a little later , but disappeared after a short mystification of which they were more the victims than the public .

For more than ten years the fraternit y had astonished Germany , when , in 1622 , the following- " affiohe " was read on the walls of Paris : —

"We , the deputies of the principal college of the brethren of the Rose Croix , have our residence , visible and invisible , in this town , by the grace of the Most High , to whom all the hoarfcsof the just are turned . We shew and teach without books or marks to speak all sorts of languages of the countries where we wish to be , to draw men , our equals , from error and from death . "

This " affiche " excited a certain curiosity . This was , nevertheless , very clear , that the public gave no faith to the promises of this singular announcement . This check in public opinion felt by the Rose Croix , this "fiasco , " as is said to-day , was worth to the Parisians a second " affiche" published in the same year , thus expressed : —

" If any one is desirous of seeing us only by curiosity , he will never communicate with us-But if the will really leads him actually to inscribe his name on the register of our fraternity J we , who judge the thoughts , will make him see the truth of our promises , so much so that we do not give the place of our abode , because the thoughts touched to the real will of the reader , are capable of making us known to him and him to us . " The public manifested this time the same incredulit y , with a much less dose of curiosity . People dispensed with undertaking researches which