THE PERTHSHIRE ADVERTISER

Perth, Perthshire, Scotland

24 October 1904

(page 4)

Literature.

NEW BOOKS.

The Star and the Garter. By Aleister Crowley.

Inverness: Society for the Propagation of Religious Truth, Boleskine House, Foyers.

It is a little difficult perhaps for a plain man to see how the publication in a popular edition of this poem, or set of poems, can make for 'the propagation of religious truth.' But the poetry is all so vague and indefinite that a subtle intellect might possibly be able to extract a few grains of religious truth. As far, however, as we can make out—and we have read Mr. Crowley's verses with painstaking effort—they appear to be love poems, in the course of which his mistress's garter figures largely, she being the star; hence the peculiar title, with its reminiscences of ancient hostelries. For a shilling popular edition the book is marvellously well sent forth, and is a first-rate modern instance of Sheridan's beautiful quarto page with a neat rivulet of text meandering through a meadow of margin. Along with the book we received the prospectus of a £100 prize for an essay on Mr. Crowley's works, which we have not heard of before, but which appear to be pretty numerous. The competition is open to all the world, and may be either hostile or appreciative.