ABSTRACT

The ‘Rosicrucian furore’ which arose in response to the stirring announcements of the manifestos soon became inextricably confused through the large numbers who tried to join in without inside knowledge of what it was all about, being merely attracted by the exciting possibility of getting into touch with mysterious personages possessing superior knowledge or powers, or angered and alarmed by the imagined spread of dangerous magicians or agitators. Maier thought of the manifestos as an appeal to all the ‘chymists’ of Germany;1 perhaps he meant by this an appeal to all mystical Paracelsists or seekers after some way of illumination. Those responsible for the original manifestos may well have been surprised and alarmed by the effect of their words, by the wild excitement which broke out in response to the appeal of the supposed R.C. Brothers for the support of their movement.