wrote a reply which is supposed to have had the effect of crushing, not only Fludd, but also the whole body of Rosicrucians, whose great supporter he was.

Soane, indeed, in his "New Curiosities of Literature," asserts that they were forced to shelter themselves under the cloak of Freemasonry, a view which was first broached in Germany, and with slight variation has been adopted by many English writers, notably by Mr King, who finds "the commencement of the real existence of Freemasonry" in "the adaptation to a special purpose of another society, then in its fullest bloom,-the Rosicrucians."3 Gassendi's strictures on Fludd's philosophy I have not seen, but their purport is sufficiently disclosed in the "Athenæ Oxonienses."4 According to the Oxford antiquary,-"Gassendus, upon Marsennus his desiring him to give his judgment of Fludd's two books wrote against him, drew up an answer divided into three parts. The first of which sifts the principles of the whole system of his whimsical philosophy, as they lie scattered throughout his works. The second is against Sophiæ cum Moriâ Certamen,' and the third answers the Summum Bonum' as his." 5

Although the silence of Bayle, of Chauffepié, of Prosper Marchand, of Niceron, and of other literary historians, with regard to Fludd, is not a little remarkable, it is none the less certain that his writings were extensively read throughout Europe, where at that time they were infinitely more inquisitive in their occult speculations than we in England. Passing, however, for the present from any further consideration of the philosophy of this remarkable Englishman-who died in 16376-I may yet briefly state, that one of our profoundest scholars, the illustrious Selden, highly appreciated the volumes and their author.7

It has been before observed that the earth and air were at this time supposed to be full of demons, and that this was probably owing to the Cabbalistic and Saracenic doctrines of countless angels and spirits, the whole springing ultimately from the Oriental doctrine of emanation. Much curious information on this subject, and which will serve to show to what lengths the belief was carried, may be found in the works below noted. Some of the older authors wrote regular natural histories of demons, something after the manner of Buffon or Cuvier. There is one very curious form of exorcism which is given as having actually occurred. The exorcist, 1 Vol. ii., 1848, p. 63.

2 * Cf. J. G. Buhle, Ueber den Ursprung und die Vornehmsten Schicksale des Ordens der Rosenkreuzer und Freimaurer, 1804.

3 The Gnostics and their Remains, 1865, p. 177.

4 Vol. fi., col. 621.

Of the "Summum Bonum," Wood says, Although this piece goes under another name (Joachim Frizium), yet not only Gassendus gives many reasons to show it to be of our author's composition (Fludd), but also Franc. Lanovius shows others to the same purpose; and Marsennus himself, against whom it was directed, was of the like opinion" (Ibid., col. 620).

The periods during which the various philosophers flourished, who are said to have been addicted to Rosicrucian studies, become very material. E.g., Ashmole, whose Hermetic learning has been ascribed, in part, to the personal instruction he received from Michael Maier and Robert Fludd, was only three years old at the death of the former (1620), and had not quite attained legal age when the grave closed over the latter (1637).

7 Cf. J. Fuller, Worthies of England, ed. 1811 (J. Nichols), vol. ii., p. 503; Athenæ Oxonienses (Bliss), vol. ii., col. 618; Biographie Universelle, Paris, Tome xvi., 1816, p. 109; and Disraeli, Amenities of Literature, vol. iii.,

P. 237.

8 Martin Delrio, Disquisitionum Magicarum; Wiertz de Dæm. Præst.; Reginal Scot, The Discoverie of Witchcraft, 1584 (the 2d ed., 1634, has a "Discourse of the Nature and Substance of Devils and Spirits "); Rev. J. Glanvill, Saducismus Triumphatus, or, Full and Plain Evidence concerning Witches and Apparitions, 1667, etc. Amongst the more modern compilations which deal with the subject may be named Sir Walter Scott's Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft, 1831; and the Dictionnaire Infernale of Collin de Plancy, 3me edit. 1844.