[1] Fuller's amusing explanation of the term Rosa-crusian was written
without any knowledge of the supposititious founder. He says--"Sure I
am that a Rose is the sweetest of flowers, and a Cross accounted the
sacredest of forms and figures, so that much of eminency must he
imported in their composition."--_Fuller's Worthies._
[2] The chemists, in the style of their arcana, explain the term by
the mystical union, in their secret operations, of the dew and the
light. They derive the dew from the Latin _Ros_, and, in the figure
of a cross X, they trace the three letters which compose the word
_Lux_--light. Mosheim is positive in the accuracy of his information.
I would not answer for my own, though somewhat more reasonable; it is
indeed difficult to ascertain the origin of the name of a society
which probably never had an existence.
[3] In the Harleian MSS., from 6481 to 6486, are several Rosacrusian
writings, some translated from the Latin by one Peter Smart, and
others by a Dr. Rudd, who appears to have been a profound adept.
[4] These are his words in reply to his adversary Foster, the only
work which he published in English, in consequence of the attack
being in the vernacular idiom. The term here introduced into the
language is, perhaps, our most ancient authority for the modern term
_Encyclopaedia_, which Chambers curtailed to _Cyclopaedia_.
[5] The collected writings of ROBERT FLUDD, under the latinised name
"De Fluctibus," should form six volumes folio. His "Philosophia
Mosaica" has been translated, 1659, fo. He makes Moses a great
Rosacrusian. The secret brotherhood must be still willing to give
costly prices for their treasure. At the recent sale of Mr. Hibbert,
the "Opera" of Fludd obtained twenty pounds! The copy was doubtless
"very fine," but the price was surely cabalistical. Nor are these
tomes slightly valued on the Continent.
[6] "Lord Bacon's Natural History," Cent. x. 998.--"In this
experiment, upon the relation of men of credit, though myself as
_yet_ am not fully inclined to believe it," his lordship gives ten
notes or points as extraordinary as "the ointment" itself.
[7] This list appeared in some Commentaries on Genesis, but was
suppressed in most of the copies; the whole has, however, been
recovered by Chauffepie in his Dictionary.