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Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to George MacNie Cowie
21 Sept 14.
Care Frater
Thanks very much for your letter of Sunday. Your answer to Murray Leslie[1] was all right, but I expect the friend is either his sister-in-law, or Mrs Sopwith or some name or himself. I think it is just a scheme to get better terms. I think it would be a good plan to say definitely that we will let the house for 2 years certain at £150 a year, payable quarterly in advance; but I should make the stipulation that the house was to be offered to us at 10 monthly, during such months as the tenant was not in actual occupation, we to pay the servants wages and other current expenses, during the period of such occupation. I should consider such stipulation cardinal. If external repairs to the house are needed, the burden of the expense would have to form the subject of negotiation, and we could not begin to negotiate until we knew what the repairs were, and how much approximately they would cost. Perhaps Dr Murray Leslie would not mind asking for an estimate, so that we could consider the matter without delay.
With regard to funds, I think it is quite clear that something drastic must be done to prevent the slaughter of securities. If I were you I should write to Rider, and ask him if he knows anybody who would care to buy one, adding that for an immediate sale you might let it go at £5 or even £10 below the regular price. I should think the tramway ought to be readily marketable in Scotland. I imagine that the final crash of the Universe will leave Paisley untouched. I have been in great doubt as to how to apply any funds that may be available to our IX degree book. I am afraid that the production of the illustrations will be a very heavy item. There are a great many of them, and cheap reproduction would be fatal. I am thinking of the grand old steel plates of ancient time; even the best modern work looks to me so horribly facile.
We shall expect you either on the 29th or the 6th, you will be equally welcome on either date. I am of course, just the same.
Yours fraternally.
1—[Boleskine House was being rented to Dr William Murray Leslie M.D, C.M, FRCS (Edin) (1859-1951) for £250 per year so that the bank loan on the house could be paid. Dr Leslie was a Scottish physician and barrister and he attempted to treat Rose Kelly for her alcoholism.]
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