312  Dr.  Christopher  Witt.  { Am* jJu°iy' i9olarm' 
disciples  were  entrusted  with  the  great  secrets,  and  they  in  turn 
agreed  among  themselves  that  they  would  not  practise  any  profes- 
sion in  public  but  that  of  medicine;  that  they  would  not  wear  a 
distinctive  garb  or  uniform ;  that  they  would  meet  at  least  once  a 
year  at  a  regularly  appointed  spot  or  place  ;  that  they  would  en- 
deavor to  interest  such  intelligent  laymen  as  would  be  likely  to  be 
interested,  and  who  could  subsequently  be  entrusted  with  their 
secrets;  and,  in  conclusion,  that  they  would  endeavor  to  keep  the 
existence  of  the  society  secret  for  one  hundred  years. 
Whether  the  history,  as  narrated  in  this  book,  was  based  on  fact 
or  whether,  as  is  sometimes  asserted,  the  book  itself  was  written  to 
ridicule  the  "  Societas  Physicorum  "  of  the  previous  century,  and  the 
questionable  practices  and  theosophical  teachings  of  the  followers 
of  Paracelsus,  need  not  be  discussed  in  this  connection ;  certain  it  is 
that,  after  the  publication  of  this  "  Fama  Fraternitatis,"  as  it  was 
called,  the  professed  adherents  of  the  society  became  quite  numer- 
ous, and,  in  addition  to  this,  a  number  of  more  or  less  allied  societies 
were  founded  in  several  of  the  different  countries  of  Europe.  It 
should  be  added,  however,  that  many  of  these  co-related  societies 
were  not  directly  connected  with  what  were  usually  supposed  to  be 
the  true  followers  of  Rosenkreuz.  Thus  the  "  Collegium  Rosianum," 
also  frequently  referred  to  as  Rosicrucian,  which  existed  during  a 
portion  of  the  seventeenth  century,  particularly  in  France,  was 
founded  by  one  Christian  Rose,  and  was  quite  distinct,  in  origin  at 
least,  from  the  Rosicrucians  of  Germany.  This  Collegium  Rosi- 
anum  spread  rapidly,  and  soon  had  branches  at  The  Hague, 
Amsterdam,  Nurnberg,  Danzig,  and  also  in  England. 
Among  the  earlier  Rosicrucians  in  England  was  one  Robert 
Flood,  born  in  Kent  in  1574.  Flood  is  said  to  have  been  a  noted 
physician  in  London,  and  to  have  been  an  expert  student  of  the 
occult  sciences.  Another  of  the  English  leaders  of  this  cult  was 
Sir  Kenelm  Digby,  a  natural  philosopher  of  some  repute,  a  royalist 
and  at  one  time  chancellor  to  Queen  Henrietta  Maria.  He  was 
born  on  June  nth,  and  died  on  the  same  day  of  the  same  month 
in  1665. 
During  the  second  half  of  the  seventeenth  century,  following 
what  was  at  first  a  purely  religious  movement  to  revive  the  declin- 
ing piety  among  the  more  educated  people  of  Germany,  there 
originated  a  number  of  societies  that  became  known  as  "  Collegia 
