|
William Wynn Westcott about MacGregor Mathers vs. Aleister Crowley for Arthur Cadbury-Jones
28 March 1910
In regard to the recent legal proceedings of MacGregor vs. Crowley in which the Rosicrucians [i.e., Golden Dawn] were referred to; it will be remembered that a brother, S.L M[acGregor] Mathers was a Frater among us, and is referred to in our history: he left England in 1891 and has lived in France ever since, and his membership of our Society lapsed in [April 1901].
From France he introduced a new branch of Rosicrucians called the Ordo R[osae] R[ubere] et A[urere] C[rucis] or Order of the Red Rose and Golden Cross; Dr. Westcott ceased to belong to it in March 1897.
Mr. Crowley joined the MacGregor's Order and was for sometime intimately related with him, but they quarreled and Crowley deserted MacGregor in 1901 , and has been very bitter against MacGregor ever since, and has in his quarterly magazine published important parts of MacGregor's ritual, in defiance of his pledge of secrecy. Mr. Crowley was never a member of the Soc[ietas] Ros[icruciana] In Anglia and the published rituals have no relation nor resemblance to those of the Soc. Ros.
I was admitted April 1880 to Soc. Ros.
Mathers admitted to Soc. Ros. Apr. 20 1882 with [Frederick] Holland. M.[athers] was Celebrant of Met[ropolitan] Coll[ege] 1891 & 92 when I became the S.[upreme] M.[agus].
M. last attended Jan. 1893.
£10. loan to him March 1901.
Jan. 1902 removed from J[unior] S[upreme] M[agus] and Roll for absence.
In 1891, Dr. Woodman, Dr. Westcott and Mr. S.L. Mathers undertook to carry on in London a Rosicrucian Order Adept Grade, which Mr. Mathers had obtained on the continent, and this work was carried on for some years when Dr. Woodman having died and Dr. Westcott having resigned, the Grade was controlled only by Mr. Mathers. This control was not satisfactory to the majority of English Adepts, and they cast off the control of Mathers. Since that time there have been several small centres for this Adept working. Dr. [Robert] Felkin after many visits to the continent secured from the newly reformed Rosic[rucian] Authority there a new permission to work this Minor Adept Grade—quite apart from any connection with Mathers or Westcott. He has since then also received and may confer higher continental Grades rec[eive]d from the same source.
Any Fratres of the Soc. Ros. In Anglia who may be honoured by receiving these Grades from Dr. Felkin's Authority are to keep the Grades secret from other Fratres of the Soc. Ros. In Anglia, and are to understand that the S. M. of the Soc. Ros. In Anglia and it's High Council have no official connection with the conference of these continental Grades in England.
If you see Crow[ley] say you [have a] chance to be able to give valuable info[rmation] and would do so upon his guarantee to keep his client to the written facts of the case and to common sense declarations—apart from romance1 and upon his undertaking that M.[athers] shall repudiate his statements that W.[estcott] ever did anything wrong in G.D. matters—statements which M. confesses he made in a moment of anger ag(ain)st his oldest and best friend—simply to gain a momentary advantage over rebellious pupils. It is a disgrace that he did not withdraw it years ago. He did a wicked action slandering an old friend—M. comes to Dr. W. for help—Or. W. a man of high reputation and head of 600 English Rosic[rucian]s, and so M. must be prepared to make the amends honourable. If he expects Dr. W.'s assistance—as to origin [of the G.D.] say you have seen M.'s own letters to W. of 1 887—and the contract of 1900 in which Dr. Westcott as a free gift gives up his rights in G.D. to M. in exchange for a promise from M. to defend him as a per contra and support his claim to writing the English Rituals and will say he is a great scholar—his chief point.
|