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Correspondence from William Wynn Westcott to F.L. Gardner
17 March 1897.
Private.
Care et V[ery) H[onoured] Fra[ter],
I called on you today to say I have, very sadly, resigned all my offices in [the] G.D. [Golden Dawn] and remain but a private Adept. I have to say that, as it happens, the reason is a purely personal one, owing to my having rec[eive]d an intimation that it had somehow become known to the State officers that I was a prominent official of a society in which I had been foolishly posturing as one possessed of magical powers—and that if this became more public it would not do for a Coroner of the Crown to be made shame of in such a mad way. So I had no alternative—I cannot think who it is that persecutes me—someone must talk.
I had a similar situation in 1889 about the T.S. [Theosophical Society] and my support of Madame Bla[vatsky] [Helena Petrovna Blavatsky] at Avenue Road and then I had to cease lecturing there on Thursdays. I was then the Vice-President of the Blavatsky Lodge. It looks as if someone was trying to get me out of G.D. office—eh?
I hope to continue giving private help to members, unless M.[MacGregor Mathers] takes it in an angry way, as to the trouble it gives him. I have suggested that you and Rosher [Charles Rosher—Æquo Animo] and Waters [Ada Waters—Reeta Pete] could have my office work divided among you and I have said that S.S.D.D. [Florence Farr—Sapientia Sapienti Dono Data] remains in charge, until she hears from him [i.e., Mathers]. But she says she shall do nothing until she receives a definite request to act. I hope you will endeavour to mitigate M.'s wrath if he shows any. Someone will have to be nominated to receive Rituals instead of S.A. [William Wynn Westcott—Sapere Aude] on the labels. As you have just bought a house and are not likely to move I should suggest your name—if he agrees. You are not the man to have the contract tampered with by any one .
Yours always, with Hermetic love,
S[apere] Aude
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