People live in doubt eveywhere

If the highly honoured Fraternity

of the Rosy Cross exist in truth

which men declare to be so virtuous

And the Fama is made ridiculous

here and there as if it were a fairy tale.

The Fama I say declares one condition to the whole world.

But whosoever likes to doubt matters clear as the Sun

Is starblind at Midday

No oculist can help him.

Note this, attentive and pious reader,

What I tell you in one word

I am a branch selected

from the Highborn fraternity

I tell you without guile

In Germany our order exists in truth

Right in the heart of the German Lands.

And note it well, well known in foreign parts.

And although there are but few of us

Until now, yet in these days

And quite lately with pleasure

The order has been extended

By ten persons well known for their

Understanding, honour, Art and virtue.

The Order has also at this present time

Been newly and well reconstrued

With many bye laws and statutues

Which give it order, measure and object.

Could you see these, by your oath

You would confess without hesitation

That all and everything has been carefully

Put into new form.

There are many who without pause or rest

Endeavour and tireless try to come to our order,

but by the nature of the thing,

one does not easily reach oneís heartís desires.

But many in their own mind

cheat their own selves miserably.

For our custom is of this kind

that we elect those who are known

to us for a long time before,

And who are proved full many a year

who are their own masters and free

Of body not bound to anyone.

Many strict conditions are to be found

Which bind the Fratres of our Order

Which are to be kept without exception

Throughout your whole life.

As a fellow a true friend,

(Such are a thin crop in these days),

may possibly be taken on

So soon as he shows within him

that he is worthy of such friendship,

And is free from guile and tricks.

Listen, I will at this time

Make round and clear yet another thing.

A castle it is, a Castle fine

Wherein the fraternal crown

great in honour, rich in wonders

has its lodging wonderfully.

Which our father did erect

And entrust to our fraternity

and left it to them, as is known,

Sancti Spiriti it has been called.

But the length of time through many year

Have however altered this name.

In our documents, however, it remains

The same as can be read therein.

In this cloister we live, I tell thee

Dressed all alike,

Yet are we not bound down

to the yoke of the Pope of Rome

As in former times we were

Enveloped with that ill treatment.

Together with our well cared for acres

We are surrounded by a green forest,

A noble river quite clean

Runs gently through our domain.

Not far from us there exists

A fine and farefamed City,

Where we procure what we require

At any time that we desire.

In this place we live, believe me,

in the enjoyment of freedom.

The neighbours generally, round about

Donít know who ever we can be,

Many poor people daily and for ever

Knock at our door desiring relief

which we then send amply relieved away again.

Whoever is troubled with disease

and those whom evil fevers plague,

All seek their refuge with us

Those are helped quickly and at once

Wherefore the whole neighbourhood

Is affected with loving kindness to us

Loves and honours us, wishes us all good things

And if a service can be rendered us

it is done with joyous heart and willingly.

What more then can we now desire

There is no man who intends or dares

to hurt us in our bodies or goods;

What more should we therefore desire

That we would like better.

I nearly had told the place

Where our order is concealed,

But to tell that name now

I have serious objections to.

In order that we have knowledge

And news of all things in the order

So that everything shall be free

And unconcealed from any of us,

We travel through all lands

Unknown, now here, now there.

This is now my third voyage

Which I have completed with zeal,

Therefore have I rested a day finally in Hagenau.

Because the rain without ceasing

Has delayed me and the weather is wet

Which has prevented me as aforesaid

So that I could not get away.

Scarcely shall I complete within the space of a year

my voyage which is prescribed to me,

And how many countries and people do remain

Which I have to visit yet

In a little time and without vexation.

In the meantime it is not forgotten

And is often done by me

That I salute the order secretly

By means of letters

And communicate to them truthfully

Many secret things frequently

What I discover on my travels,

That they know very soon.

And although we travel out and home

Through foreign lands generally

There is no host ever lived on earth

Who received vexation and trouble

One single time through us.

We treat them well

Pay for meat and meal and lodgings

and what in such a case is fair and customary,

Give them addition rich gifts;

Wherefore as good friends

We never are a burden to anybody.

The elder brethren of this order

Have come to this agreement

That the younger brethren henceforward

Shall allow themselves to be used for this purpose

But that their knapsacks are filled

With rich and ample provender,

Until they have in proper manner

Deserved for troubles suffered and true diligence

Their rest in the future.

And have deservedly earned

That for the rest of their lives

They may live in peace without troubles.

We are anxiously desirous

To study much more

And daily to know much more

Is our desire, wish and object

If we find anything that is good anywhere

Then we do it from that time

Note it, and make note of it.

Therefore nothing can happen

In Germany at any time

But we see it at once with our eyes.

If any new books come out

The Bookguide brings it to us at once,

who is properly met for reward appointed to this office

We treat honourably

Manyfold Arts diligently

With science, knowledge, art and handycraft

We spend the rest of our time.

So that we may never be idle

And stand in anybodyís light

We exercise ourselves at all times

In the foreign languages of many lands.

In Polish, Welsh, Spanish

We all know how to talk

In Italian and free Gallic

And also in others whatsoever they may be (we can converse)

There is no language throughout all lands

Unknown to our Order.

Nature is assiduously examined

Experience is highly valued

What anyone in the fraternity

Has newly, through his brain power,

Discovered and studied

He submits quickly to the Fratres

Who examine these matters at once

And amply weigh and value them.

We have in these times many things

Which were invented by the Ancients

Which we admit and experiment with

And readily allow them to pass

Which if rightly looked at

Are hardly to be comprehended by human mind.

At times also the inclination takes hold of me,

When I can hardly help being idle,

Idleness being a bad councellor

So that I write Poetry,

And in this enjoyment kill my time.,

Amongst us we maintain certainly

The due regulations without murmuring

Our spirits inward and outwardly learn

In peace and flame of love,

One mind, one soul, one sense, one heart,

One will, one opinion, one pain

Are dwelling in us,

Unity is our delight and most beautiful ornament.

Nobody knows anything but that forthwith

The others know equally well

Just as nobody owns anything particularly himself

It is one heart, one sense, one council.

Our worthy overseer

Then calls us together

At certain hours and orders freely

One after the other regularly

To refer in Mediem (to practically try)

What he has learnt in studying.

As soon as that happens

We do not all omit

To consider the matter

Now to argue pro et contra

And what then is found correct

Is entered at once into the Protocol (Minute Book)

What is found false, as false is rejected.

Thus do we always proceed

There everybody begins to tell

What he in all his days

Has heard, read, meditated

All is truly referred.

Then for love of our posterity

All this is immediately also

Entered with care into a Book.

What then pleases the Order

The president (praesul) when it suits

Knows how to use place, measure and time

And sets a task now one or another

That he do something and experiment (laborier)

According as his known information (according to his ability)

And qualification for the art

Whom the Brethren altogether

Counsel in many ways

By (word of) mouth, with (helping) hand and good counsel

With assistance, science, and actual help (physical assistance)

A library there stands

With many thousand beautiful books.

No single trouble sorrowfull

Is to be thought of in this world

Which in the least could

Trouble us anymore, nothing can be found

That we should go short of here on earth

God has given us plentifully

With abundance what we lack

No shortcomings are to be felt.

On little do we live

Well satisfied with some thing.

Our bodies we cure

According to nature properly.

Therefore our health is good indeed

And we live many a long year,

Which creeps softly along like a tender rivulet

Runs equally away on its course.

If it is required and necessity demands

That we require money or goods

For honours sake or necessity requires

Then it is splendidly everywhere

No dearth of Riches is here

Of Power, pomp or reasonable adornment

God give that every fellow

Who hankers after temporary riches

Knew thus to arrange matters

in this world without guile or trick

to do likewise when much honour

would ensue to the fear of God

And vice and shame would not

be so plentiful in our fatherland.

God be praised,

innocently we have to be blamed by evil tongues about many things

by false hearts who charge us

With things which never came into our minds.

What we began for the sake of the truth,

That is explained in evil

Therefore what we are charged with in evil

We do not repay in evil

But suffer patiently

In our heart and peacefully

He who accuses us of magic lately and without fear,

and quite openly incriminated us

and branded us with disgrace,

That very pious man

Does not himself know with whom he has to do.

Truly he is in error absolutely

And knows nothing at all about us.

But this I donít at all deny

But grant it readily with all my heart

That we naturally in many things

Bring many a miracle into effect

About which many an ignorant man

May easily give many a thought

As in chemistry many indeed proceed

Without measure or object

No day ever elapses

Which does not see something in his fire (in his crucible)

If he thinks that all this is done

And not without the Devilís help,

O God he is deceived

And is in eternal error.

For it is our care always that we together in common

promulgate the honour of God

Throughout the world in every place

Serve God purely with hand and mouth

Out of pureness of soul from the bottom of our hearts

Full of the fear of God is our life

Whom we to honour it is our duty

To our neighbour our services are

Openly ready now and evermore

What more do you want dear Christian (brother)

Know that our College is an academy

full of learning of Godís word,

what more do you want

The time will yet arrive

That it shall be hidden from no one

In all this world what the power of God

Has conceived by means of an order

Amongst all people in every land.

The value of our order is recognised

Be it about high and weighty matters

Which will call many to wonder greatly

Whereof the stiffnecked world

Shall be horror struckñas often declared,

Out of our work it can be seen

What benefit we have intended.

We are not lazy bellies

Who are only trained to eat and drink

We are no useless world plague

Who lay themselves out for idleness

But all our leisure is full of labour here and there

Which labour serves to benefit

The common weal for all his good

And serves to your praise

Lord Jesus Christ my saviour.

True it is and I cannot deny

That many a false book is in print

As if our society had published the same

Which never came from us

Nor would we dare to issue it.

A pious honest good man

Can soon distinguish about these

Who rightly considers our Reputation (Famam)

And carefully bears in mind its sense

To say nothing about many an impudent clown

Calls himself our Brother

Whereas the unfortunate fool

Widely differs from our Society

Such a deceiver a short while ago

Has been found out at Nuremberg

Who, amongst the common people

Disseminated very many lies

Until by reason of the truth

he was in a very few hours convicted

That he was a scoundrel and annant thief

Who did nothing but brought misery on land and people

Therefore on the gallows as he deserved

His body became the food for the rooks.

In Augsburg also in the same way

A landlouper was found out in flagrenti delictu

And his back well paid for this

And the broom on his back he carried

Out of the town as a reward

And both his ears were cut off the head

Of the wicked clown as a reward.

It serves them right all these fellows

Who want to brag about the joint of meat

Who have not tasted the Broth

Such pay is proper for such tricks.

Here it is well also to bear in mind,

Unfairly we are often thought of,

That we do not make ourselves known

And call ourselves after our first father,

But his name clearly do not discover publicly,

Indeed those altogether do us an injustice in this case

Who say freely and without concealment

That our name be only a dream.

You godless bumblebees do not err

Your hive troubles us little

Leave our Beehive undisturbed

If you cannot please yourselves otherwise

For your iniquity will be brought to light

By us in a very short time

Therefore do not lightly believe

What lyingly is painted to you

Without you like to be made a fool of

And deceived by false appearances

And tell me this without wicked guile

That in our days the world throughout

Is dressed in the feathers of Lady Fraud

Deceit, falsehood and wicked tricks reign now

and every instant we find many Landswindlers.

Everybody pretends to know about us

And lies and swindles without measure or number

And all is ever invention alone

People hunt us very assiduously

And many a question arises about it.

The Jesuitical wicked crowd

Invent many a hundred secret things

That they may soon and above all

Require to know of a surety

Where we might dwell

Day and night they enquire about us.

In order to avoid their jaws

And look well after our affairs

And that our order does not become the prey

Of these unmannerly wolves

We have always to be careful

And not make ourselves too public.

O holy and powerful God

Save us from this wicked lot

Cast down their godless impudence

Keep our order in your protection

If so be that you are pleased at this time with all our works,

Turn away, turn away all our enemies

Who have become wickedly wrath

That they in no wise on us may

Satisfy their great hatred

Protect the pious, Lord Jesus Christ

Who art the refuge of us all

For it is our wish all together

To be known pubicly

To the world and the globe of the earth

As God the best of witnesses knows

Oh that this in a short while may happen,

How great would be our delight

But if without end or finish

Yet many obstacles be found

We think the best counsel to be

To keep as we are for a little while longer

But in such a way that meanwhile

We certainly make many more friends

Therefore we appeal to many a learned man in our writings

With letters and by our own hands

Although our names are not known,

That is known to many a philosopher

Many a chemist, many a Doctor

Many a Reverend, many a worthy man

Knows the sound of our trumpet.

Were I to let you know all

And mention their names

O Eternal God, what a book

would this indeed become

Go now and doubt more

Whether in untruth and dishonour

Our free Brotherhood

Really be in the nature of things

You must not make silly remarks

The work itself will convince you

What this noble brotherhood has

Of might, of vitality, of power

But ñ where have I finally got to?

I have almost gone too far

Therefore that I do not not go beyond

My object or say too much

Or more than is permitted to me

I will finish for this time

And lay away my pen

Go be with you, and fare thee well

And now I beg kind permission

What I have communicated to you this time

If you do that and we get knowledge of you

You will soon receive more.

B.M.I. of the Fratres R.C. the least

He wrote this during his third journey at Hagenau

in which place he lay several days quietly, stopped by the rain.

Done the 22 September Anno 1616.