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Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Charles Stansfeld Jones
63 Washington Square, So. New York, N.Y.
February 20, 1919
C. Stansfeld Jones, Esq., Universal Book Stores, New York City
My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased:
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
In continuation, more or less, of my letter of yesterday, I went to see Norman and mentioned this business. He tells me the U.[niversal] B.[ook] S.[tores] are G 3-1/2 in his Qabalah. I expect trade acceptances on delivery. Just tip me off as to whether that is all right. They could do that, or give notes for the various sums on the various dates when they fall due.
I am sending you a copy of the Shaw book [Gospel According to St. Bernard Shaw]. I think the best plan is to publish this as the main feature of [Equinox Vol. 3] Number II, and then get on with the Book of the Law and Liber Aleph in [Equinox Vol. 3] Number III, as originally outlined. But it is rather important to come to a clear understanding about this; and, if possible, a business arrangement. There is the question of publishing the Law as the 4th part of Book 4 [Part I & Part II]. In publishing the thing in two places at once, the sale of the one hurts the sale of the other to a certain extant. I am really not at all sure what would be the best plan. It might be all right to republish the Law in Book 4 with the comment from Equinox I, as soon as Ryerson [Albert W. Ryerson] has got rid of the existing stock of the Equinox. Then, again, there is the nuisance of the republication of the new comment. I think it is a case where your filial duty is clear. Supply the rapidly decomposing grey matter of your vampirized father!
About masonry, I should indicate to your 33˚ friend, without giving him the slightest hint of your meaning, that it would be very much to the honour and advantage of these people if they could get you and me to condescend to accept the 33˚ diploma in the rotten Rite.
Love is the law, love under will.
Thy sire
666.
P.S. I am enclosing Doran's letter with the manuscript. Doran being one of the very best publishers in the country, the letter is very valuable. You ought really be able to sell Number II on that alone. The real trouble is that it (888) [Gospel According to St. Bernard Shaw] is so very bulky. I am inclined to cut it down and perhaps to re-cast it. People have said that it was not very intelligible, unless one was extremely familiar with the Preface to Androcles. I think this nonsense, because I have quoted very freely from that Preface; an introductory foreword would make the whole thing clear. However, I am going to have a chat with Louis Wilkinson about it. At one time, he was going to edit it himself. Perhaps he might be induced to do that now. I am sure he would, if there were a little money in it for him. This reminds me, I am very anxious to gauge the anti-clericalism of Detroit. If they are game to go the limit, a very great deal might be done.
To hark back to the other subject, if it would help this book to reprint the Preface to Androcles entire, Shaw might be induced to issue a special cheap edition which could be advertised with my own magnum opus. I very much hope we can decide on printing 888 in No. II, as that would allow me a clear year for getting ready the other stuff, most of which is extremely laborious, and if we can also arrange for 2202 and 1113 to appear in No. III, it would give me eighteen months to do the job.
To encourage you in your new job, I hereby put in an order for Liddell & Scott's Greek dictionary, the complete edition. That means that Miss Haims will become the greatest Greek Qabalist in the world.
666.
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