ROSEWOOD, the name given to several distinct kinds of ornamental timber. That, however, so called in the United King dom is Brazilian rosewood, the palissandre of the French, the finest qualities of which, coming from the provinces of Rio de Janeiro and Bahia, are believed to be the produce principally of Dalbergia nigra, a leguminous tree of large dimensions, called cabiuna and jacaranda by the Brazilians. The same name, jacaranda, is applied to several species of Machaerium, also trees belonging to the family Leguminosae; and there can be no doubt that a certain proportion of the rosewood of commerce is drawn from these sources.
Rosewood is exported in large quantities from Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, Jamaica and Honduras. The heartwood attains large diMensions, but as it begins to decay before the tree arrives at maturity it is always faulty and hollow in the centre. On this account squared logs or planks of rosewood are never seen, the wood being imported in half-round flitches io to 20 ft. in length and from 5 to 12 in. in their thickest part. Rosewood has a deep ruddy brown colour, richly streaked and grained with black resinous layers. It takes a fine polish, but, on account of its resinous nature, it is somewhat difficult to work. The wood is very much in demand by cabinet-makers and pianoforte-makers. ROSICRUCIANISM. A system of mystical and metaphysi cal philosophy intended to guide the development of the inner consciousness. Popular opinion credits the foundation of the Fra ternity of Rosicrucians as having occurred in Cassel, Germany, early in the seventeenth century when some pamphlets were is sued entitled the "Allgemein and General-Reformation der ganzen weiten Welt," and the "Fama Fraternitates," believed to have been written by the theologian, Johann Valentin Andrea (1586 1654). Later investigations, however, revealed that although the family arms of Andrea contained a cross and perhaps a rose (see below), he had no actual part in the revival of the Fraternity in Germany and that the pamphlets were published in various lan guages under the symbolical name of Christian Rosenkreuz (Christian Rose Cross). The pamphlet referred to the previous existence of the Fraternity in the Orient, but for nearly a hundred years the historical background was considered mythical.
Research during the past few years revealed that the Rosi crucian Fraternity had an actual organized existence long prior to what was only a revival in Germany. In 1607 Figulus, a well known writer of mystical literature, issued a pamphlet referring to the existence of the Fraternity in Europe in 141o. This date was also referred to by P. Gautier, another well-known writer of Hermetic and mystical literature. Michael Maier, one-time officer of the Fraternity, states that the year 1413 was the year in which the greatest revivals of activity occurred, while Kais wetter, another officer, mentions the work of one Friesan or Friesau, who was national Imperator of the Fraternity in 1468. Cornelius Agrippa mentions the foundation of a branch in 1507 and states that Brother Philalathes was "invested with the power of Imperator." In a letter from the well-known Dr. Landalf, of Lyon, France, addressed to Agrippa, he states that he was ac quainted with the Fraternity in 1509. Paracelsus recorded his admission into a Rosicrucian Lodge in Basle, in 1530.
Heinrich Khunrath, Rosicrucian officer and author in Germany and Austria, published a book dealing with the secret principles in 1598, and an international congress of Rosicrucians was held in England in the year 1604. Many ancient Rosicrucian manu scripts preserved in a rare collection in the city of Cologne con tain proof that the organization was old even in the sixteenth cen tury. One book in the collection by Brother "Omnis Moriar," re fers to a Rosicrucian Lodge in Germany in 1115, while Arnold de Villanova, an officer of the Fraternity speaks in his "Rosary" of the Fraternity existing in 1230; and we find reference to the organization in Denmark in 1484 and France in The name of the organization is derived from its original sym bol, the cross with a single red rose in its centre. While the early Rosicrucians gave time to the study of alchemy and devoted much time to experiments in transmutation, the principles were not con fined to the changing of gross metals into gold but of the grosser elements of human nature into higher, spiritual qualities.