|
Correspondence from Captain F.N.E. Townshend to J.F.C. Fuller
Palermo — Sicily.
April. 9th 1921.
My dear Fuller,
The world being no larger that it ever was, I was not surprised to discover your old friend Aleister Crowley installed at Cefalu (the ancient cephaloedium) about an hours journey from here! Having heard he was in the locality I went over today partly to see the Cathedral and partly to seek him out. I cam across three obvious disciples in the road, and having enquired for Master Crowley was greeted with—"Do what thou wilt: it shall be the Law". Rather stupidly I said 'What?': but one of them covered up my confusion by offering to lead me to the 'Abbey' [Abbey of Thelema]. There I introduced myself to Crowley—as an old friend of yours and he in turn informed me that I might do as I would: that it should be the Law.
The disciple, an attractive youth and an obvious pederast, stayed and watched us while we talked: Crowley shortly introduced me to the Holy Virgin of the Dawn [Leah Hirsig]—it may have been 'of the Moon'—but as he afterwards showed me a drawing of her seated naked on a realistic phallus I concluded that her title was an euphemism: so its correctness doesn't much matter.
Inside the 'abbey' the floor was painted with the magic triangle and circle which you once described to me. The incense burner in the corner, a bronze brazier supported by three satyrs in a state of aggressive erection—I recognised as a reproduction of an ancient image in the pornographic room at the Naples Museum.
The walls and doors were decorated with pictures—some of them grotesquely indecent—but nearly all of them having some merit. Crowley showed me some of your drawings in Vol. VII of the 'Equinox' (not the right name I think) and said that he would send you the latest volume, which has just been published in America. (I told him that the 'War Office' London would find you).
The 'Abbey' consisted of two houses—I didn't see the second one. Of the Inmates I saw three women—including the 'Holy Virgin'—all dressed in men's clothes—and the youth I had mentioned. I gathered that there were others—and at least two children. Crowley himself looked more or less civilised in buckskin breeches and a tweed coat. His chief eccentricity being a red velvet cap—a sort of tam-o-shanter—adorned with a badge that looked something like the cross of St. John of Jerusalem. He had the rosette of a Grand Commander of the Legion d' honneur in his button hole: a kind of double-headed eagle hanging on his watch-chain—and a weird looking jeweled snake for a ring. (I'm afraid this is all rather like a fashion paper—but I thought it would interest you). He has been at Cefalu for about a year and a half and makes periodic visits to Paris. He has been painting for about 3 years and has a show of his pictures now in Paris. He said that he had sold one. All things considered his work is quite remarkable. Though I doubt he will go down in History as a painter. He was quite pressing in his invitations to me to go and stay there for a bit: and I confess to being rather tempted—curiosity I imagine. Though I feel sure it is more prudent to give him a wide berth. I am inclined to go for a night or two and then bolt! His present idea is to collect a few more disciples and sufficient funds to build a kind of Temple of Culture—immorality and Baccarat on the rocks above Cefalu!
Anyhow I'm glad I made his acquaintance. c/o Banca Commercial Italiana Palermo—Sicily will find me: and Cefalu—Sicily will find Crowley.
Cheerio.
Yours,
F.N.E. Townshend.
Col. J.F.C. Fuller D.S.O. War Office Whitehall S.W.1.
|