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Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Gerald Kelly
[Undated: circa 1905?]
[Pages 4 and 5 only of this letter survive]
I have thought too of turning to serious writing again, the Jephthah—Waikiki Beach style. But I am 30 and a proud papa. Shelley and Keats never touched 30. That day is over for me. I think some small bits of my work are classable with theirs; I must perforce leave it at that. But I may yet do good on more solid lines—perhaps the tragic. Anyway, I hope I shan't simply go bad like A.C.S. [Algernon Charles Swinburne]. At least I am certain to avoid the blunder of making a good thing and copying it for ever. Hence I am Shelley reincarnate; for he alone has avoided this. Versatility is the mediocrity's curse, the artist's salvation. Of Kelly or Velasquez, the brilliant experimenter in all sorts. And—go thou and do likewise. Unless you have gone back, you are technically good enough to paint anything you see. If so, you should be dashing off masterpieces. I have always been afraid of your doing the Patterson trick—perfecting touch and paying for it with sight. R. [Rose Kelly] says you destroyed the "Portrait of Lord B——" an error; 'twas the best thing you ever did—thanks to W.S. Maugham's idiotic chatter the P.M. Proof, the verdict of the Salon judges. They are very like the public; will pass any amount of 'good painting' and 'bad painting'; but are alarmed and angry at 'new painting'. "Lycidas' vile as it was was yet rejected for its one excellence—its originality. I admit I couldn't see even that; but the suspicious bourgeoise of an R.A. detected it, or made him think he did.
I rather thirst for news of you all: I hear vague rumours of interesting things, and want more. I hear Havers has returned to the vile dust from
[The remainder of this letter is missing.]
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