|
Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Frank Bennett
COLLEGIUM ad SPIRITUM SANCTUM, CEFALU, SICILY, DEC. 18, 1920
Very Illustrious and very dear brother,
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
We regret not to have heard recently from you, but no doubt, at least three months must elapse between sending letters and receiving the answers, given even the luckiest correspondence steamers.
We write you again in the following circumstances.
Publication of Equinox Vol. 3, No. 2, which contains such important publications as Liber VII, XXI, DCCCLXXX, was held up by the failure of certain individuals to meet their financial obligations and we have not, until now, been able to resume the duty of issuing that number. The sum of $1500 is necessary to do this, and we have no hesitation in asking you to assist us to the utmost of your power. The continuity of the Work before the public is of the utmost importance, if only as evidence of our vitality. The temporary rupture in the regularity of our publication has been the source of greatest distress and humiliation to us.
You will, in any case receive 25 copies or more, if you have need of them, as soon as we are able to get them from the binder.
You will join us in regretting that the price of the Equinox has had to be so largely increased, but it has always been a point of honour with us to make our publications physically worthy of their contents. The effect of the war has been to increase the price of material and labour to an enormous extent and this is especially noticeable in the higher grades of production. The Equinox 3-1 cost over $6 per copy for printing and binding alone, yet we had to sell it at a price which left no margin for the other costs of production and such things as Book-seller's discount. We mention this, in case it should be necessary to explain existing circumstances to intending purchasers.
The money has to be paid in America and it would therefore be best for you to send any contributions in the form of a draft on a bank in Detroit, Michigan, to Sir C. R. Stansfeld Jones, Apt. 11, 307 (1515) Howard St., stating the purpose for which the funds are to be applied, and the number of copies which you would like sent to you. With regard to pre-war publications, we can more conveniently supply you from our London stock. We have everything with the exception of 777. This book, (by the way) is being revised and we hope to re-issue it in a more convenient form and an early number of the Equinox.
I am at present concentrating my efforts upon re-issuing The Book of the Law with a new and more adequate Comment. Many new and most wonderful mysteries have been discovered, many of them due to the Understanding of Frater O.I.V.V.I.O. [Charles Stansfeld Jones]. We hope to hear from you at the earliest possible moment in reply to this and also previous correspondence.
Love is the law, love under will.
Yours, in the bonds of the Order.
[Elevenfold Cross] Baphomet X° O.T.O. I.I. et O. B.
P.S. We hear with great regret, that Brother Ross was "dragged back to Australia". You will doubtless take note that a person cannot swim if he has 333 pounds of lead attached firmly to his neck.
|