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THE CASE OFJOHANN VALENTIN ANDREAS. 231
delusions : but he is careful to let us know that they are
with his society mere vapspya or collateral pursuits, the
direct and main one being true philosophy and religion."
I fully concede the almost overwhelming force of some of
the arguments I have enumerated, but, as a partisan
particular theory, it is my duty to set before my
plain statement of certain grave difficulties.
of no
readers a
I. The " Chymical Marriage " is sailed a ludibrium by its
author, and Professor Buhle describes it as a comic romance,
but those of my readers who are acquainted with alchemical
allegories will discern in this singular narrative by a pre-
pared student or artist who was supernaturally and magi-
cally elected to participate in the accomplishment
of the
magnum opus, many matters of grave and occult signifi-
cance. They will recognise that the comic episodes are
part of a serious design,
and that the work as a whole is in
strict accordance with the general traditions of alchemy.
They will question the good faith of the author in the ap-
plication of a manifestly incongruous epithet. Perhaps they
will appear to be wise above what is written, but the position
is not really unreasonable, for the passage in which
reference is made by Andreas to the " Nuptiae Chymicse " is
calculated to raise suspicion. He was a shrewd and keen
observer ;
he had gauged the passions and the crazes of his
period ; he was fully aware that the rage for alchemy
blinded the eyes and drained the purses of thousands of
credulous individuals, who were at the mercy of the most
wretched impostors, and that no pretence was too shallow
and no recipe too worthless to find believers. He could
not be ignorant that a work like the " Chymical Marriage
of Christian Rosencreutz " was eminently liable to impose
upon every class of theosophists.
When, therefore, he sup-