“Lastly, these holy and good men would have me know that the greatest sweet and perfection of a vertuous soul, is the kindly accomplishment of her own nature, in true wisdome and divine love; and these miraculous things that are done by them, are, that that worth and knowledge that is in them may be taken notice of, and that God thereby may be glorified, whose witnesses they are; but no other happiness accrues to them from this, but hereby they may be in a better capacity of making others happy.
Spittle-fields, this 10th of May, 1662.
JOHN HEYDON.”
As, of course, it is impossible to give any lengthy extracts from the works of this celebrated John Heydon, a few quotations from the Index to his Holy Guide will show the nature of the work and must suffice for our present purpose. “How by numbers the Rosie Crucians fore-know all future things, command all nature and do miracles, etc. The resolution of all manner of questions, and how by numbers you may be happy, etc. How to make a man live to two hundred years. How to avoid all disease. The Rosie Crucian way to get health. How to live twenty years without food, as many creatures do. How to raise a dead bird to life. Of generating many serpents of one,” etc., etc.
CHAPTER VI.
Gabalis: or the Extravagant Mysteries of the Cabalists.
On a former page we referred to a book which at one time achieved considerable notoriety under the title of “Count Gabalis; or the Extravagant mysteries of the Cabalists,” the following extract will show the nature of the work and no doubt prove interesting.
Count Gabalis: or the Extravagant Mysteries of the Gabalists, or, Rosy-crucians Exposed in Five Pleasant Discourses on the Secret Sciences.
Discourse the First.