Rosicrucian Society Of England.

reprinting in his book our original by-laws without permission . This breach of law and etiquette was strongly resented by the Northern College , in which Frater Macbean was admitted a Zelator . The lecture was read by R . W . Frater MATHERS . A criticism of Waite's " Real (?) History of the Rosicrucians , " Waite ' s " Mysteries of Magic—a Digest of the works of

Eliphaz Levi , with views of the Ancient Rosicrucians , " who said : "In the first place , I propose to show , from his own boastful admissions , that Waite is totally unfit adequately to fulfil his self-imposed task—and after a brief review of his two productions , I will give you , in a few words , a succinct resume of my views on the subject . Last year I first made Waite's acquaintance as an author , through his " Digest of

the Works of Eliphaz Levi . " This celebrated Occultist and Kabbalist , had published several works well-known to all mystical students , but , as they had never appeared in English , our venturesome friend determined to collate these writings into one volume . I have read over some of the Abbe Constant's ( Eliphaz Levi ) efforts several times , and may therefore fairly claim a slight knowledge of his teachings , and a

certain measure of ability to compare his intentions with the translation and condensation of Waite , which may be briefly described as Hash . Waite has certainly shown up Some discrepancies in the different volumes ; but the sympathetic reader knows quite well that these arise from Levi's attempt to sit on two stools—on the one hand his desire to impart " hidden wisdom , " and on the other hand

the fear of his ecclesiastical superiors before his eyes . In the course of his work on the Rosicrucians , we find it blazoned forth that the author is solely actuated by a desire for historical accuracy , and that the great critical acumen ( of which he is so proud ) is employed with the one object of dispelling false notions of the Fraternity ; which means , in plain English , that he desires to annihilate our claims to antiquity , and

throughout his book he holds a brief for this side of the question . Now , the very faculties on possession of which he plumes himself are those which render it quite impossible for him to perform the task he has elected to attempt , alike in the case of Eliphaz Levi and the Fraternity . We End that he is an adept in phrase-slinging , and goes gaily out of his way to have an extra fling at poor Hargrave Jennings ,

of whom he speaks with unstinted dispraise . Personally I have but scant respect for Jennings' work , "The Rosicrucians , " which is certainly amass of ill-digested information , with a considerable leavening of error ; but all the same it gives rise to a feeling of contempt in our minds when we find an equally misinformed author casting mud at one in like evil case with himself . By the way , our

Secretary General , Frater Wynn Westcott , quite recently brought Waite very sharply and successfully to book for an unauthorised use of some of our official documents . If , as an old writer puts it , " who drives fat oxen should himself be fat , " it is abundantly clear that only an initiate can fairly represent the claims of the Rosicrucians . In dealing with these profound subjects an author , to be successful ,

must have sympathy with , and experience of , the question under consideration , and the reader of Waite's History will speedily find that what / lay down as a desideratum is conspicuous by its absence . This writer requires a very different training before he is able to cope with such problems as that now under review . Let us now glance at the " Fama Fraternitatis , " which , if read as it stands ,

without discernment , must appear a very unreliable document . Our learned experts , however , assert that it possesses a solid substratum of truth ; they hold that it is a more or less accurate history of events that took place about 1380 ; but there is a divergence of opinion as to how it came to the front in 1615 . Possibly some initiate , or a discovered scrap of old mystical literature , may have

furnished the skeleton , afterwards clothed by ignorant hands . Stripped of its enfoldings , we may reasonably concede that it treats of a certain person who was a master of esoteric knowledge , and that during the succeeding twoand-a-half centuries many traditions became associated with the story ot his life . It requires no stretch of imagination to believe that an illuminated brother did exist

about that time , for we read of many notable philosophers who devoted their energies in this direction ; for instance , Raymond Lully , 1234-1314 ; Paracelsus , 1493-1541 ; Johann Reuchlin , 1455-1522 ; Cornelius Agrippa , 14 S 6-1535 ; Van Helmont , 1577-1644 ; and Fludd , 1594-1637 . Even if the name Christian Rosenkreutz were fictitious , it does not affect the argument ; this designation "C . R . " may have

been given on very insufficient grounds , but it plainly conveys high mystical teaching both to the Christian and the Eastern student . We should also bear in mind that there is much symbolism in these subjects , and that allegory is not the exclusive attribute of the Third Degree of Craft Masonry . We turn next to the " Confessio , " which is a very washy production , and standing alone would be

sufficient to put our case out of Court . It has the appearance of being an attempt on the part of some ill-informed men to graft their own peculiar Lutheran tenets on a mystic stock , probably in the hope and expectation that in this way their views might meet with more general attention and acceptance , in an age when every one was running after wonder-working and miracles , than if put forth in

their bold natural form . We know that , at this period , charlatanism was rampant , and in all directions pseudoprofessors were busy transferrins to their own pockets the wealth of their dupes , in exchange for worthless recipes that , when put to the test , would neither transmute metals nor perform any useful or beneficent purpose whatever . We must speak in very different terms of the Chemical

Marriage . However opinions may vary as to its value , we are forced to admit that the teaching and sentiments contained therein are very beautiful and instructive . The alchemical student can there find ample scope for reflection . In those days , at any rate , Rosicrucianism and Alchemy went hand in hand . By this latter word we do not necessarily imply that the making of gold is meantfor

, this was rather esteemed a chemical labour on a lower plane than the spiritual advancement and regeneration ( or TRUE philosopher ' s stone ) that the Highest Initiates aimed at , and mainly concerned themselves with working out . Waite has done good service in exposing the barefaced wholesale plagiarisms of Heydon ; but even here his

"keen insight" has not enabled him to discover the most flagrant case of all . I allude to the " Rosicrucian Island , " which is taken word by word from the "New Atlantis . " Heydon did not even refer to the original Latin version by Francis Bacon " ( the wisest , brightest , meanest of mankind . — " Pope ) , but slavishly followed Gorge ' s English edition , published in 1629 . Acomparisonofthetwo narratives Will prove this from the use of certain phrases . A copy of

Rosicrucian Society Of England.

this work is one of Cassell ' s National Library . Heydon desired the world to believe that he was a Frater ; but from these remarks you may judge how much , or little , reliance is to be placed on any statements made on his authority . Some of the cognoscenti are of opinion that Heydon was really a Zelator ; but that his unbridled writings and bold assumptions , together with his arrogance

of knowledge , barred his advancement to the higher grades . I am not at all clear on this point , however ; but he seems to have practised Geomancy successfully . We have all , seemingly , implanted in us , whether near the surface or deep down in our nature , a leaning to the marvellous ; and this , carried out to a reasonable issue , brings us in touch with mystic researches . From the earliest ages

we find traces of the Magi , who were the custodians of esoteric and hermetic knowledge , and students of occult lore . In various countries and different times these Illuminati have been addressed by many titles , but it matters not whether you term them Masters , Wise Men , or Rosicrucians . The " hidden wisdom " has filtered down to us from the night of time , and , though many know it not , is

still with us . The teachings of these great philosophers , when placed on record , have always been couched in mystic symbols or veiled in language that is beyond the comprehension of the u » -enlightened , and it is apparent that this precaution was of paramount necessity , for it would have caused untold mischiefs if such great powers as were undoubtedly possessed by certain of the adepts had

been committed to the hands of untrained men . This custom has been invariable , as you can readily discover for yourselves by refering to the Hermetic writings , the Kabbala , & c , & c . That some of these Magi were able to work great wonders is amply evidenced by the Biblical version of the contest between Moses and the Egyptian priests , and such of us as have been in the East hardly need to be

reminded of the astounding feats that are still common in those far distant lands . As most intelligent persons are well aware , many of these performances are entirely independent of any appliances such as the Western conjurors require for the execution of their tricks , and some of them , such as that known as the "Mango tree , " without the aid of any accomplice . Such exhibitions as these ,

however , are a very low and degraded phase of occult power , and I only allude to them in support of my contention that there are available forces not generally known . The High Initiate of the Eastern Mysteries practically never shows off his potency , and most emphatically never for money Such a proceeding would at once plainly imply an exercise of the " Black Art . " Briefly stated , the Wise Man " seeks

to know all and remain himself unknown . " In words that you all should be familiar with , for they stand prominently forth in your Fellow Craft Ritual , these students strive to discover " the hidden mysteries of nature and science . " I trust you will pardon my noting here that , as far as any practical instruction or result is concerned , these words ofhish import might as well be eliminated from your

service , for they never receive worthy explanation itl your Craft lodges : very possibly they are retained for their imposing appearance , though the spirit of the words has fled hence , What I have said ( just previous to this slight digression ) is meant to enforce my idea that , at the dates we are considering more especially , Real Rosicrucians did exist , though it is open to question how far

they interested themselves in the movement upon which Waite endeavours to shed light . Freely admitting the great difficulty of our subject , I incline on the whole to the belief that the Illuminati did not take any very active part in the publication of the so-called Rosicrucian documents ; though these certainly contain some of our faith and doctrine . I have already shown—1 st , That plain teaching

could not have emanated from our Masters ; 2 ndly , That their usual custom was to keep themselves concealed from the view of the " Oi pulloi ; " and my 3 rd reason is that ( so far as we are aware ) the Wise Men never were Sectarian ; certainly they would not demean themselves by the endeavour to bolster up the " Lutheran cause and damn the Papal Hierarchy . " The whole consensus of

our accumulated experience of these mystics goes to prove that they held only the esoteric religion common to aU the initiated . While in name disciples of the Prophet , it is an assured fact that the Sufis are really Zoroastrians ; and thatthough to suit the exigencies of their surroundings the Magi might seem outwardly to be Orthodox Buddhists , Christians , or Moslems , it is quite clear to those who can

read between the lines that , as in the case of the Isiac cult , they were sufficiently instructed to look behind the shadow that attracted and received the veneration of the non-illuminated worshippers . The ancient sacred mysteries invariably inculcated the dogma of the Divine Unity , besides enforcing a consideration of the laws which govern the material and spiritual world , In short , like our own

Fraternity , their subject was Man — their object his Advancement . The Oriental teaching has always exerted great influence on the minds of all who come in contact with it ; and it evokes perceptions that are only latent in the Occidental thinker . As an illustration of this result , if we turn to the Templars , we find that , though banded together for a high and holy Christian enterprise , they ,

undoubtedly , imbibed no inconsiderable modicum of esoteric knowledge during their long sojourn in Syria ; and in connection therewith we may notice their favourite emblem , the White Horse . I trust a humble Frater may be pardoned tor venturing to express a hope that all our members , not forgetting the Fratres who occupy the highest offices in our Order , may devote a due measure of attention to the

supremely suggestive phrases which constantly occur in the very beautiful ritual used when receiving candidates into the 1 st Degree—e . g ., " the powers and properties of numbers ; " "the primary secrets of nature and truth ;" "the mysteries of the Kabbalists ; " "Hermetic Science and Theosophy ; " & c , & c . If these terms are to be anything more to us than very much of the teaching of the

Three Symbolical Degrees is to the average Craft Mason , then in our various grades the Masters must teach , and no doubt those in lower positions will be ready to avail themselves of the instruction afforded to them . Speaking for myself , I have had , and still have , very great enjoyment and profit in the study of these and similar subjects , and my great regret is that so little time is at my command for

the pursuit of knowledge on the lines of the "Secret Wisdom " of the ages . Recollecting that we are all necessarily Freemasons , it seems not out of place to close these discursive remarks with a quotation from D'Israeli ' s comments on Fludd , which Bro . Robert Freke Gould , who has shown himself to be a remarkably accurate , clear-headed thinker , has seen fit to record in the pages of that " Mag-

Rosicrucian Society Of England.

num opus" which has stamped him " facile princen » The Historian of Free Masonry . He says in his extract f the " Curiosities of Literature" — " We may smile at jare in which we have not been initiated , at whimsical combin tions we do not fancy , at analogies where we lose n semblance , and at fables which we know to be mtu

more ; but we may credit that these terms of the learn 5 Fludd conceal many profound and original views nfj many truths not yet patent . " lci The M . of the T . called upon the fratres to enter up discussion upon the lecture , previous to putting a cord ! 1 vote of thanks to Fra . Macbean . ulai

R . W . Frater Dr . WILLIAM ROBERT WOODMAN M . D ., the Supreme Magus , in opening the discussion ' hailed with pleasure the receipt of a lecture from ' frater in the sister kingdom , and whom he knew person * all y as an earnest occult student . The " Fama Fraterni " tatis" was a most valuable and erudite work , and was no doubt , a veracious history . The " Confessio " referred to a later date , and possessed marked Lutheran characteristics and was a departure from pure Rosicrucian theosoph . The

y old Rosicrucians were pure and ancient deists , recognising one God in nature , and would never enter into personal religious quarrels and damn the Pope , any more than Luther , or vice versa . Many of the ancient reli gions with an exoteric multiplicity of deities , were unitarian in their esotericism ; they caught the " oi polloi" with the glare of a host of consecrated attributes . Frater Macbean ' s taunt

of F . C . s who do not study the hidden mysteries of nature and science does not touch the true modern Rosicrucian students , of which the college has notable examples . The remarks which Waite has added to Levi ' s words , in his English version , are rubbish added to golden truths . He called on the fratres to study the " Chemical Wedding " which , read between the lines , contained curious and mystical

lore . He proposed a vote of thanks to Frater Macbean . R . W . FVater J COLLINSON , D . M . T ., seconding the vote , said he earnestly desired that the lecture should be printed in their archives , and that every encouragment should be offered to students of the Rosicrucian mysteries . The age which produced C . R . and his fratres , as narrated in the " Fama , " produced a crowd of other men oE great

eminence , who were all tinctured by occult learning—note Loyola , Luther himself , and Cornelius Agrippa . W . Frater Rev . T . W . LEMON said he should like the author to supply further information as to the reference to the " White Horse , " and its connection with the Templars and Syrian mystics . ( This was promised . ) R . W . Frater S . L . MACGREGOR MATHERS said he

greeted the lecture as the only criticism of the works of Waite which had been written by a modern Rosicrucian . Mrs . Sinnett , the Theosophist , had written the only one he had before seen which had any value . He agreed with Macbean that Hargrave Jennings had run wild with Phallicism . Christian Rosencreuz is a covered and a mystic name , and a symbolic title only . John Heydon , mentioned

by Macbean , was a curious mixture of wisdom and folly . Much of his books is matter copied from Christopher Cattan , Agrippa , and others . The special and peculiar aptitudes for magic shown by Eastern adepts are obtained by training the will until it becomes a motive power of immense energy . R . W . Frater Dr . W . WYNN WESTCOTT said that at the

revival of Rosicrucianism by M . W . Fra . Little the law that every frater should be known by his motto as a mystic name was in direct recognition of the fact that Christian Rosencreuz was such a mystic name . He pointed out that the " Fama , " written about 1614 , was a history of what happened in 1380 , while the " Confessio , " although always associated with it and printed with it , is really a statement of the views of persons living in 1610 or thereabouts , who

were , no doubt , Lutherans , and must , therefore , have differed widely from men who lived in 1380 , and who could have had no connection with Luther , who flourished about 1520 . Other fratres having spoken , the vote was accorded by acclamation , and the Secretary was instructed to print the lecture and the discussion in the annual report in full . There being no further business , the M . C . was dissolved and the Chain of Union rendered imperfect .

Master Masons desirous of becoming Rosicrucians should apply , by letter , to Dr . Wynn Westcott , 396 , Camden-road , N ., Secretary-General .

Royal Order Of Scotland.

Royal Order of Scotland .

The members of the Provincial Grand Lodge and Chapter ot this ancient Order for Yorkshire have just held their annual convocation , by invitation of the Provincial Grand Master , the Rev . William Valentine , M . A ., at his residence , Whixley , Vicarage , near York . The weather was fine , and most of the members drove out from York in the morning , enjoying the fragrant air and the pretty sylvan

landscapes seen during the nine miles distance . Arriving at the Vicarage gates , near which the Royal Standard was floating from a lofty flagstaff , the visitors received a characteristically Yorkshire welcome from their genial host , and after a brief interval were ushered into the drawing room , which had been prepared as a lodge room , much of the rare old oak furniture having been utilised , whilst the specially technical articles had been sent out from York in

advance . , Here the Provincial Grand Chapter was opened by the following officers : Bros . Rev . W . Valentine , Prov . G . Master ; T . B . Whytehead , Dep . P . G . M . ; Capt . D . Grant , P . J . G . W . ; G . Simpson , Prov . G . Treas . ; Wm . Brown , Prov . G . Sec ; W . H . B . Atkinson , Proy . Lr . Std . Br . ; H . C Pickersgill , Prov . G . Marischal ; W . H .

Dyson , Prov . G . Examiner ; and others . Brov . J- JWilkes , of Darlington , having been accepted , was aamitted and made a member of the Order , after which tne chapter was closed , and the Provincial Grand Loag opened , and Bro . Wilkes was made a Knig ht of the K - ° ' ^' The Treasurer's balance sheet was submitteed and accepted , and the Prov . G . Master then appointed nis t

officers for the ensuing year as follows : Bros . Cap . Grant , P . G . S . W . ; W . H . B . Atkinson , P . J . G . W . ; " Brown , P . G . Sec ; H . C . Pickersgill , P . G . Std . Br . ; ™ ; B . Dyson , P . G . Marischal ; H . E . Cousans , P . G . fcxam iner ; J . M . Meek , Dep . P . G . Marischal ; Col . Monu > , P . G . Guarder ; and A . M . Fletcher , P . G . I . G . Bro . Ue ^ Simpson was unanimously elected P . G . ^ reaS p / i f 0 I warm vote of thanks was accorded to the " r ° ' " ' his great hospitality , and the lodge was closed .