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Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Gerald Kelly
[Undated: circa September 1901]
O Gerald of all Festuses!.
I am the most miserable of mankind.
Allan McG [Allan Bennett] doesn't like Tannhäuser says it isn't as good as the Soul of Osiris—says it's obscure in the beginning, too long, and lacks a motive. What in h--l does he mean by a motive?
He explains it was "the literary transmigration of a moral". This means "as a moral is to a fable, so is a motive to a work of this sort". I answer it is the history of a soul therefore my soul therefore every soul therefore no soul. He answers "Rats".
I have been doing Argo [The Argonauts] and am in a stery-ate of nervous prostitution. Allan says you ought to do Yoga, instead of exciting his favourite pupil to filthy and blasphemous language. For God's sake and that of my sanity (what remains of it) write and tell me either that T[annhaüser] take him for all and all we shall not look upon his like again or else that I am to burn the whole damn thing. I have cut and condensed considerable.
Allan says the character of T[annhaüser] is despicable in every act especially the scene after the singing when he drives 'em out.
I go to Himalayas with O.E. [Oscar Eckenstein] no meeting for the two only human minds of the 20th century till next autumn.
God help me!
Unless you could come here before December. If you could I would put you up of course. Tell your people you're dying: suborn a doctor—dress up Waller—e.g. climate of Ceylon—only thing to save a young and valuable life.
Address is A.C. 34 Victoria Drive, Kandy, Ceylon.
What a fool I was not to come home instead of this maniac jaunt. "Excuse me sir, I think I'm going mad".
You shall have more Argo and Orpheus etc soon. Write and tell me exactly what you think of all you have got, and do for it all you did for poor T[annhaüser].
Does my work advance?
Do be good and tell me all about it.
Bye-bye.
Ever.
A.C.
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