This book
was written by Franz Hartmann who was a great esoteric researcher. It was first
published in 1890; in England by the Theosophical Publishing Society, London, and
in the United States by the Occult Publishing Company, Boston.
Subsequently,
some publishers have only published the last two chapters with the title
"Rosicrucians and Alchemists", and I have even seen a publisher
publish only the last chapter with the title "Alchemy".
Image of the cover and the front page of the first edition.
Below the
title is written:
Containing the history of the true and the false Rosicrucians + with an
introduction into the mysteries of the hermetic philosophy and an appendix
containing the principles of the yoga-philosophy of the Rosicrucians and Alchemists.
This book is
dedicated to:
Marie, Countess of Caithness, Duchess of Pomar, and to
all who have discovered the true cross by entering the light through the power
of fire.
Author's Preface
Quite a number of books dealing
with the "History of the Rosicrucians" have appeared of late for the
purpose of amusing and gratifying the curiosity of the mystery-loving reader;
but it does not appear that they have proved to be very instructive, or that
they have succeeded in throwing much light upon this perplexing subject;
neither is it to be desired that the Rosicrucian mysteries should be publicly
bawled out and exposed to the view of the vulgar; because they belong to that
which is most holy and sacred in the constitution of man.
Books on true occultism are on
the whole very useless things; because those who are in possession of occult
knowledge will not require them; while those who have no such knowledge will
not understand them; neither will they receive much benefit from such
literature; because real spiritual knowledge must be found within one's own
soul; it cannot be learned from books. The scientist, rationalist, and
speculative philosopher deals only with, so to say, the candlesticks bearing
the candles from which is emanating the light which they cannot see, neither
can they see the candle; for the latter is representing the soul, whose light
is the spirit.
Truly occult and Theosophical
books ought to be prayers and poems; calculated to lift the heart and the mind
of the reader up to the highest regions of thought, and aiding him to descend
into the innermost sanctuary of his own being; so that he may become able to
open the senses of his interior perception and grasp himself those divine
ideals which are beyond the understanding of the semi-animal intellect; for
spiritual truth cannot be brought down to that level; it requires, for its
recognition, the rising up in the spirit to its own plane; neither can any man
reveal to another the light, if the light does not reveal its presence to the
investigator; all that a book can do is to aid the reader in opening his own eyes.
Little would it benefit us if we
knew of the existence of sunlight only from reading about it in books, and were
incapable to see the light and to enjoy the rays of the sun.
What would it serve us if we theoretically knew all about the
constitution of the terrestrial sun if we were encompassed by darkness?
What good would it do to us to be informed about all the qualities of
the divine powers of God, if we could recognize nothing divine within our own
selves?
No man can show to another the
light if the latter is incapable to see it himself; but the light is
everywhere; there is nothing to hinder a person to see it, except his love for
the darkness. His love for the illusions of his terrestrial phase of existence
causes him to regard these illusions as real, and to relegate the Real to the
realm of fancy and dream. Nevertheless, that which seems now the true light to
him will be as darkness when his consciousness awakens to the perception of the
light of the spirit.
As light is incomprehensible
except by its contrast to darkness, I have not only selected some of the best
portions of the writings of the ancient hermetic philosophers and medieval
"Rosicrucians"; but I have also taken the trouble to collect a few
facts from the great storehouse of human follies to be found in the fools’
paradise of the visionary and dreamer; but for those who earnestly wish to
enter the path and to follow the Light, I have added some of the most precious
gems; taken from the books of the sages; whose meaning will be incomprehensible
to the would-be wise; while those who are unsophisticated will find therein a
great deal of wisdom.
Table of Contents
My opinion of this book
I consider it a very interesting book that provides information
about the Rosicrucians and Alchemists that I have not found elsewhere, but it
also has some points where I do not agree and which I have commented on in the
chapters that I have transcribed above.
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