R O S 
ROT 
philosophers, or of Theosopliists; who arose, as it has been 
said, or at least became first taken notice of, in Germany, 
in the beginning of the 14th century. 
They bound themselves together by a solemn secret, which 
they ail swore inviolably to preserve; and obliged them¬ 
selves, at their admission into the order, to a strict observance 
of certain established rales. 
They pretended to know all sciences, and chiefly medicine; 
of which they published themselves the restorers. They pre¬ 
tended to be masters of abundance of important secrets; and, 
among others, that of the philosopher’s stone; all which they 
have affirmed to have received by tradition from the ancient 
Egyptians, Chaldeans, the Magi, and Gymnosophists. 
Their chief was a German gentleman, called Christian 
Rosencruz, educated in a monastery, where he learnt the 
languages. About the close of the ] 4th century, he went 
to the Holy Land, and visited the holy sepulchre; and falling 
sick at Damascus, he consulted the Arabs, and other eastern 
philosophers, by whom he was supposed to be initiated into 
this wonderful art. At his return into Germany, he formed 
a society, to whom he communicated the secrets he had 
brought with him out of the East, under an inviolable oath 
of secrecy, and finally died in 1484. 
This society remained concealed till the beginning of the 
17th century, when two books were published; the one 
entitled “ Fama Fraternitatis laudabilis Ordinis Rosaecrusis,” 
The Report of the laudable Fraternity of Rosicrucians; 
the other, “Confessio Fraternitatis,” The Confession of the 
Fraternity. In these works the world was informed, that 
the fraternity was enabled, by divine revelation, to explain 
the most important secrets both of nature and grace; that 
they were appointed to correct the errors of -the learned 
world, particularly in philosophy and medicine; that they 
were possessed of the philosopher’s stone, and understood 
both the art of transmuting metals and of prolonging human 
life; and in fine, that by their means the golden age would 
return. As soon as thes'e grand secrets were divulged, the 
whole tribe of the Paracelsists, Theosophists, and chemists, 
flocked to the Rosicrucian standard, and every new and 
unheard-of mystery was referred to this fraternity. Various 
were the opinions that were formed of this society; but 
though its laws and statutes had appeared, no one could tell 
where the society itself was to be found, or who really be¬ 
longed to it. It was imagined by some sagacious observers, 
that a certain important meaning was concealed under the 
story of the Rosicrucian fraternity, though they were wholly 
unable to say what it was. One conjectured that some 
chemical mystery lay hid behind the allegorical tale; 
another supposed that it foretold some great ecclesiastical 
revolution. At last Michael Brele, in the year 1620, had 
the courage publicly to declare, that he certainly knew the 
whole story to have been the contrivance of some ingenious 
persons, who chose to amuse themselves by imposing upon 
the public credulity. This declaration raised a suspicion 
against the whole story; and as no one undertook to con¬ 
tradict it, this wonderful. society daily vanished, and the 
rumours which had been spread concerning it ceased. The 
whole was probably a contrivance to ridicule the pretenders 
to secret wisdom and wonderful power, particularly the 
chemists, who boasted that they possessed the philosopher’s 
stone. It has been conjectured, says Brucker, and the 
satirical turn of his writings, and several particular passages 
in his works, favour the conjecture, that this farce was 
invented and performed, in part at least, by John Valentine 
Andrea, a divine of Wurtenburg. 
Their society is frequently signed by the letters F. R. C., 
which some among them interpret fratres roris cocti; it 
being pretended, that the matter of the philosopher’s stone is 
dew concocted, exalted, &c. 
Some, who are no friends to free-masonrv, make the pre¬ 
sent flourishing society of free-masons a branch of Rosicru¬ 
cians ; or rather the Rosicrucians themselves, under a new 
name or relation; viz. as retainers to building. And it is 
certain, there are some free-masons who have all the cha- 
Vol. XXII. No. 1510’. 
393 
racters of Rosicrucians; but how the era and original of 
masonry, as traced by Mr. Anderson, and that of Rosicru- 
cianism, here fixed from Naiuteus, who has written expressly 
on the subject, consist, we leave others to judge.' 
Notwithstanding the pretended antiquity of the Rosicru¬ 
cians, it is probable that the alchemists, Paracelsists, or fire 
philosophers, who spread themselves through almost all 
Europe, about the close of the 16th century, assumed, about 
this period, the obscure and ambiguous title of Rosicrucian 
brethren, which commanded, at first, some degree of respect, 
as it seemed to be borrowed from the arms of Luther, which 
were a cross placed upon a rose. 
ROSZ, a river of Prussian Poland, in Podolia, which falls 
into the Dnieper. 
To ROT, v. n. [pocian, Sax. rotten, Dutch.] To pu- 
trify; to lose the cohesion of its parts.—A man may rot 
even here. Shakspeare. 
From hour to hour we ripe and ripe. 
And then from hour to hour we rot and rot. Shakspeare. 
To ROT, v. a. To make putrid; to bring to corruption. 
Frowning Auster seeks the southern sphere. 
And rots, with endless rain, th’ unwholesome year. Dry den. 
ROT, s. Putrefaction ; putrid decay. 
Brandy scarce prevents the sudden rot 
Of freezing nose, and quick decaying feet. Philips. 
A distemper among sheep. See Ovis.—This disease 
is readily known to experienced shepherds by a careful 
examination of the eye; for when the blood-vessels of 
the tunica albuginea, or white, being brought into view, 
are red, and in great numbers, the sheep is supposed to be 
in good health; but if they are pale, and the veins are in small 
quantities, and faint-coloured, or livid, the sheep is in a de¬ 
bilitated state, or afflicted with the rot. By thus examining 
the eyes in dangerous seasons, shepherds may always disco¬ 
ver the rot before the sheep begin to shrink, and, conse¬ 
quently, in time to prevent any material injury. 
Dr. Harrison, of Lincolnshire, has traced the nature and 
effects of the disease in the following manner: when in 
warm, sultry, and rainy weather, sheep that are grazing on 
low and moist lands feed rapidly, and some of them die 
suddenly, there is reason to fear that they have contracted 
the rot. This suspicion will be further increased, if, in a 
few weeks afterwards the sheep begin to shrink, and become 
flaccid in their loins. By pressure about the hips at this 
time, a crackling is sometimes perceptible, and upon parting 
the fleece, the wool is easily separated from the pelt. As 
the disorder advances, the skin becomes dappled with yellow, 
or black spots. To this succeed debility and emaciation, 
which increase continually till the sheep die; or else ascites, 
and perhaps general dropsy supervene, before the fatal ter¬ 
mination. These symptons are rendered more severe by an 
obstinate purging, which comes on at an uncertain period 
of the disorder. In the progress of the complaint, sheep 
become what the graziers call chockered, that is, affected 
with a swelling under the jaws, which proceeds from a 
fluid contained in the cellular membrane, under the throat. 
And our author adds, that in five or six days after contract¬ 
ing the rot, the thin edge of the small lobe of the liver be¬ 
comes of a transparent white, or blueish colour, and this 
spreads along the upper and lower sides, according to the 
severity of the complaint. Sometimes it does not extend 
more than an inch from the margin. In severe cases, the 
whole peritoneum investing the liver is diseased; and then it 
commonly assumes an opaque colour, interspersed with dark 
red lines or patches. The upper part of the liver is sometimes 
speckled like the body of a toad, to which it is said to bear 
a striking resemblance; round the ductus communis chole- 
docus and hepatic vessels, a jelly-like matter is deposited, 
which varies according to the severity of the attack, from a 
table-spoonful, or less, to five or six times that quantity. 
Upon boiling, the liver loses its firmness, and separates into 
small pieces ia the water, or remains soft and flaccid. And 
5 H it 
