The Life Of The Count of St. Germain
"The most enjoyable dinner I had was with Madame de Robert Gergi, who came with the famous adventurer, known by the name of the Count de St. Germain. This individual, instead of eating, talked from the beginning of the meal to the end, and I followed his example in one respect as I did not eat, but listened to him with the greatest attention. It may safely be said that as a conversationalist he was unequalled."
"St. Germain gave himself out for a marvel and always aimed at exciting amazement, which he often succeeded in doing. He was a scholar, linguist, musician, and chemist, good-looking, and a perfect ladies' man. For a while he gave them paints and cosmetics; he flattered them, not that he would make them young again (which he modestly confessed was beyond him) but that their beauty would be preserved by means of a wash which, he said, cost him a lot of money, but which he gave away freely. He had contrived to gain the favour of Madame de Pompadour, who had spoken about him to the king, for whom he had made a laboratory, in which the monarch – a martyr to boredom – tried to find a little pleasure or distraction, at all events, by making dyes. The king had given him a suite of rooms at Chambord, and a hundred thousand francs for the construction of a laboratory, and according to St. Germain the dyes discovered by the king would have a materially beneficial influence on the quality of French fabrics.
This extraordinary man, intended by nature to be the king of impostors and quacks, would say in an easy, assured manner that he was three hundred years old, that he knew the secret of the Universal Medicine, that he possessed a mastery over nature, that he could melt diamonds, professing himself capable of forming, out of ten or twelve small diamonds, one large one of the finest water without any loss of weight. All this, he said, was a mere trifle to him. Notwithstanding his boastings, his bare-faced lies, and his manifold eccentricities, I cannot say I thought him offensive. In spite of my knowledge of what he was and in spite of my own feelings, I thought him an astonishing man as he was always astonishing me.
Giacomo Casanova
1757, Paris
"The other day they seized an odd man, who goes by the name of Count St. Germain. He has been here these two years, and will not tell who he is, or whence, but professes [two wonderful things, the first] that he does not go by his right name; and the second that he never had any dealings with any woman – nay, nor with any succedaneum [substitute, i.e. for a woman]. He sings, plays on the violin wonderfully, composes, is mad, and not very sensible. He is called an Italian, a Spaniard, a Pole; somebody that married a great fortune in Mexico, and ran away with her jewels to Constantinople; a priest, a fiddler, a vast nobleman. The Prince of Wales has had an unsatiated curiosity about him, but in vain. However, nothing has been made out against him; he is released; and, what convinces me that he is not a gentleman, stays here, and talks of his being taken up for a spy."
Horace Walpole
December 1745, London
Walpole reports that St Germain: spoke Italian and French with the greatest facility, though it was evident that neither was his language; he understood Polish and soon learnt to understand English and talk it a little [...] But Spanish or Portuguese seemed his natural language.
Walpole concludes that the Count was "a man of Quality who had been in or designed for the Church. He was too great a musician not to have been famous if he had not been a gentleman". Walpole describes the Count as pale, with "extremely black" hair and a beard. "He dressed magnificently, [and] had several jewels" and was clearly receiving "large remittances, but made no other figure".
St. Germain appeared in the French court around 1748. In 1749, he was employed by Louis XV for diplomatic missions.
In March 1760, at the height of the Seven Years' War, St. Germain travelled to The Hague. In Amsterdam, he stayed at the bankers Adrian and Thomas Hope and pretended he came to borrow money for Louis XV with diamonds as collateral. He assisted Bertrand Philip, Count of Gronsveld starting a porcelain factory in Weesp as furnace and colour specialist. St. Germain tried to open peace negotiations between Britain and France with the help of Duke Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg. British diplomats concluded that St. Germain had the backing of the Duc de Belle-Isle and possibly of Madame de Pompadour, who were trying to outmanoeuvre the French Foreign Minister, the pro-Austrian Duc de Choiseul. However, Britain would not treat with St. Germain unless his credentials came directly from the French king. The Duc de Choiseul convinced Louis XV to disavow St. Germain and demand his arrest. Count Bentinck de Rhoon, a Dutch diplomat, regarded the arrest warrant as internal French politicking, in which Holland should not involve itself. However, a direct refusal to extradite St. Germain was also considered impolitic. De Rhoon, therefore, facilitated the departure of St. Germain to England with a passport issued by the British Ambassador, General Joseph Yorke. This passport was made out "in blank", allowing St. Germain to travel in May 1760 from Hellevoetsluis to London under an assumed name, showing that this practice was officially accepted at the time.
From St. Peterburg, St. Germain travelled to Berlin, Vienna, Milan, Ubbergen, and Zutphen (June 1762), Amsterdam (August 1762), Venice (1769), Livorno (1770), Neurenberg (1772), Mantua (1773), The Hague (1774), and Bad Schwalbach.
A mime and English comedian known as Mi'Lord Gower impersonated St. Germain in Paris salons. His stories were wilder than the real count's (he had advised Jesus, for example). Inevitably, hearsay of his routine got confused with the original.
He composed six sonatas for two violins with a bass for harpsichord or violoncello, seven solos for solo violin, some English songs (The Maid That's Made for Love and Me (O Wouldst Thou Know What Sacred Charms), It Is Not that I Love You Less, Gentle Love, This Hour Befriend Me, Jove, When He Saw My Fanny's Face), Italian arias...
He has written La Très Sainte Trinosophie and The Triangular Manuscript. The latter is the untitled 18th century manuscript in the shape of a triangle. The two known copies of the Triangular Manuscript exist as Hogart Manuscript 209 and 210 (MS 209 and MS 210). Both currently reside in the Manly Palmer Hall Collection of Alchemical Manuscripts at the Getty Research Library. Nick Koss decoded and translated this manuscript in 2011 and it was published as The Triangular Book of St. Germain by Ouroboros Press in 2015. Unlike the first work, it mentions St. Germain directly as its originator. The book describes a magical ritual by which one can perform the two most extraordinary feats that characterized the legend of Count of St. Germain, namely procurement of great wealth and extension of life.
Toward the end of his life, he claimed to be the son of Francis II Rákóczi, the prince of Transylvania;while without hard evidence, this would account for his wealth and evident fine education.
The Marquis de Crequy declared that St. Germain was an Alsatian Jew, Simon Wolff by name, and was born at Strasbourg about the close of the 17th or the beginning of the 18th century; others insist that he was a Spanish Jesuit named Aymar; and others again intimate that his true title was the Marquis de Betmar, and that he was a native of Portugal. The most plausible theory, however, makes him the natural son of an Italian princess and fixes his birth at San Germano, in Savoy, about the year 1710; his ostensible father being one Rotondo, a tax-collector of that district.
He a variety of names and titles, including the Marquess of Montferrat (Fr. Marquis de Montferrat), Count Bellamarre (Fr. Comte Bellamarre), Knight Schoening (Fr. Chevalier Schoening), Count Weldon, Count Soltikoff (Fr. Comte Soltikoff), Manuel Doria, Graf Tzarogy, and Prince Ragoczy (De. Prinz Ragoczy). He appears to have begun to be known under the title of the Count of St Germain during the early 1740s.
He was a European adventurer who had interests and achievements in science, alchemy, philosophy, and the arts. He rose to prominence in the European high society of the mid-18th century due to his works and interests. He associated himself with some of the top contemporary figures, including Casanova, Voltaire and Mozart.
Voltaire dubbed him "the Wonderman", and said that "he is a man who does not die, and who knows everything". Prince Charles of Hesse-Kassel, called him "one of the greatest philosophers who ever lived".
In various Theosophical and post-Theosophical teachings, the Count of St. Germain is seen as a supernatural being called a Master of the Ancient Wisdom or an Ascended master, who is responsible for ushering in the Age of Aquarius. Several of these sects[which?] refer to him as "Master Rakoczi" or "Master R." Some[who?] write that the name St. Germain invented for himself was a French version of the Latin Sanctus Germanus, meaning "Holy Brother".
Saint Germain is associated with the color violet, the gemstone amethyst, and the Maltese cross rendered in violet (usually the iron cross style cross patee version). He is also regarded as the "Chohan of the Seventh Ray".
In 1892, Helena Blavatsky characterized the Count of St. Germain as "the greatest Oriental Adept Europe has seen during the last centuries." She said that he was one of her Masters of Wisdom and hinted that he had given her secret documents. The Theosophical Society after Blavatsky's death considered him to be a Mahatma, Master of the Ancient Wisdom, or Adept.
According to the Theosophical Society, the Seven Rays are seven metaphysical principles that govern both individual souls and the unfolding of each 2,158-year-long Astrological Age. Since, according to Theosophy, the upcoming Age of Aquarius will be governed by the Seventh (Violet) Ray (the Ray of Ceremonial Order), Saint Germain is sometimes called "The Hierarch of the Age of Aquarius".
Annie Besant said that she met the Count in 1896, when he had already been declared dead. C. W. Leadbeater claimed to have met him in Rome. According to Leadbeater, the count had brown eyes, olive colored skin, and a pointed beard, adding "the splendour of his Presence impels men to make obeisance". Elsewhere, he described the count as wearing "a suit of golden chain-mail which once belonged to a Roman Emperor; over it is thrown a magnificent cloak of crimson, with on its clasp a seven-pointed star in diamond and amethyst, and sometimes he wears a glorious robe of violet."
Guy Ballard claimed that, in August 1930, he met the Count of Saint Germain on Mount Shasta in California. Shortly thereafter, Ballard founded the "I AM" Activity, and later the Saint Germain Foundation to serve as its parent organization. The "I AM" movement originated the presentation of the count as an Ascended Master, referred to simply as "Saint Germain." In the Ascended Master teachings, the names "Master Rakoczi" and "Master R" refer to a being distinct from Saint Germain, the Great Divine Director, who is Saint Germain's teacher in the Great White Brotherhood of Ascended Masters.
Saint Germain is the central figure in a series of books published by the Saint Germain Press (the publishing arm of the Saint Germain Foundation). The first two volumes, Unveiled Mysteries and The Magic Presence, written by Guy Ballard as "Godfré Ray King", describe Saint Germain as an Ascended master, like Jesus, who is assisting humanity. In these first two books, Ballard discusses his personal experiences with Saint Germain and reveals many teachings that are in harmony with Theosophy. The third volume, The 'I AM' Discourses, contains material that is foundational to the sacred scriptures of the "I AM" Religious Activity, founded in 1930 – the first of the Ascended Master Teachings religions.
There are 20 volumes in the Saint Germain Series of Books, which are also referred to as the "Green Books".
As an Ascended Master, Saint Germain is believed to have many magical powers such as the ability to teleport, levitate, walk through walls, and to inspire people by telepathy, among others. Saint Germain is "The God of Freedom for this system of worlds". Ascended Master Saint Germain became the Hierarch of the Age of Aquarius on 1 July 1956, replacing the Ascended Master Jesus, who had been for almost 2,000 years the "Hierarch of the Age of Pisces".
In the works of Alice Bailey, Saint Germain is called "Master Rakoczi" or the "Master R." Bailey likened Master Rakoczi to "the General Manager for the carrying out of the plans of the executive council of the Christ." In preparation for the return of Christ Master R. plays the role of the Lord of Civilization, and his task is the establishment of the new civilization. He is said to telepathically influence people who are seen by him as being instrumental in bringing about the new civilization of the Age of Aquarius.
Certain Theosophical sects differ on the count's past lives, but generally agree upon Saint Alban, Proclus, Roger Bacon, and Sir Francis Bacon.
Esotericist Raymond Bernard went further, claiming that the count was born Francis Tudor, the secret son of Queen Elizabeth I and Lord Dudley, who was raised as Francis Bacon. In this manner Bernard gave the count direct credit, as Bacon, for writing the works of Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Edmund Spenser, and Miguel de Cervantes. Since Bernard identified Bernard as Christian Rosenkreuz and claimed that Masonic symbolism appears in Shakespeare's plays, he also effectively asserted that the Count of St. Germain was the founder of both Rosicrucianism and Freemasonry. Bernard rejected the idea that Bacon was reincarnated as the count, instead suggesting that Bacon simply feigned his death and developed the Count of St. Germain as a new identity.
According to Mark Prophet, Francis Bacon faked his own death on Easter Sunday, 9 April 1626, and even attended his own funeral in disguise. It is believed by the adherents of the Ascended Master Teachings that he then traveled secretly to Transylvania (then part of Hungary, now part of Romania) to the Rakoczy Mansion of the noble family of Hungary. Finally, on 1 May 1684, he is believed to have attained (by his knowledge of alchemy) his physical Ascension (attaining immortality and eternal youth—the sixth level of Initiation), at which time Francis Bacon adopted the name "Saint Germain".
