Early in the 17th century, a series of manifestos proclaiming the existence of a mysterious esoteric brotherhood circulated among the intellectual elite of northern Europe. In the veiled language of alchemical symbolism, these manifestos outlined a process of initiation by which entrance to the invisible Brotherhood of the Rose Cross might be gained. As with earlier alchemical literature, the manifestos were eventually read by outsiders who took their allegorical content literally, believing the Rosicrucians to be a group of secretive occultists. The original sources presented in this volume have no connection whatsoever to modern groups or individuals claiming association with the Brotherhood.