March 3, 1662.
What was thought of John Heydon and what he appeared to think of himself may be learned from the somewhat gushing testimonials he appended to several of his books.
At the commencement of the Axiomata we have the following:—
“To his most ingeniously accomplish’d friend, Mr. John Heydon, on his Rosie Crucian Infallible Axomata, the excellent and secret use of Numbers.”
“Now let the Pope no more pretend to bee,
The Father of Infallibility;
Unless he can great Heyden’s Numbers teach,
And nimbly to his Axiomata reach.
One learned Heydon, with his Art-like Pen,
Hath exercised so the Brains of Men;
That how to answer him this very Age
Knows not [I’m sure] with all its Wit and Rage.
Our Author here, as Heir unto his skill,
Hath kept his name up (with a pregnant Quill)
So happily! that Ages yet to come,
Shall sing his fame in this Eulogium;
While Numbers sing the World’s glad Harmony,
This worthy work shall teach Philosophy.”
J. Gadbury.
Again in the same work.
“To his much honoured friend the Author Mr. John Heydon upon the Rosie Crucian Infallible Axiomata.”
“Pythag’ras redivivus, go thy ways
Into the world: and number out thy praise;
Laconian Lads esteem yourself no more,
Who Numbers rich is, who esteems is poor,
For they esteem themselves, because no more.
Moses in Miracles did exceed ’tis true
By Numbers done; only found out by you
Therefore the greatest Miracle’s your due.
Tria sunt omnia shall no more surpass,
Who’s but for simple Numbers is an Asse,
Thy compound Numbers shew as clear as Glass.
That the wide world this piece shall so extoll
As swears no soul, if not Harmonic all
For never was piece i’ the world so exactly done,
In the time past, or present, what’s to come,
Then teeming Soul give thy Pen intermission,
And breathe a while before the next Edition.”
John Fyge,
Minister of the Gospell.
Again:—
“O Comprehensive Magus, praise attends
Thy worthy work, to that each number tends,
Sith to the Holy Cross thou art the Crown;
And that, which Nature did at first set down
In Hieroglyphicks, that she might conceal
From Sons of earth, her Darling doth reveal
Unto the Sons of Art and doth unfold
Those Tomes of Crypicks that before were rold;
Axioms infallible, thou dost us shew,
Would Pyrrho make his doubting Trade forego;
Philosophy may by thy Method be
Courted, and won by men of low degree,
When fancy tells me this cannot be done,
My Reason prompts me to believe a Son,
Inspired by the Rosie Crucian Spirit,
Is Heir to more, to whom I do refer it.
Thomas Fyge.”