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Correspondence from James Doughty to Aleister Crowley
The Grammar School, Leigh Lancashire.
Feb. 4 1923.
Aleister Crowley, Esq.,
Dear Sir,
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
I have received your letter of the 29th last. I had previously heard from Norman [Norman Mudd] that he was leaving S. Africa; but he had given me no indication of his future intentions. The information contained in your letter was a complete surprise to me. Under the circumstances I feel unable to comply with your request in regard to the money. If Norman is in need of financial aid, he would, I presume, apply to me directly. As far as I can see, there is nothing to prevent his personally collecting the documents in question when he lands in England, except possibly a shortage of money. In the latter case there is still plenty of time for him to exchange letters with me. It may be that an incomplete knowledge of all the circumstances prevent my realising the vital importance to which you refer, but you must realise that a mere assurance to that effect from one whom I do not know, even if he be a friend of my dearest friend, is hardly convincing. May I say at the same time that had I been well off, such is my regard for N[orman] that I would have complied with your request in the bare chance that it might help him. As it happens, the sum would strain my resources very seriously. Though this latter reason is of course conclusive, I did not consider it straightforward merely to state it and leave it at that, in view of my attitude as set forth above.
With regard to the rest of your letter, it is, of course very gratifying to hear that I am considered capable of helping to establish the Law of Thelema, whatever that may be. The programme sounds rather grandiose to my humble exoteric ears; but I am afraid I have lost whatever enthusiasm I may have had for work of this type. I am incurably unsympathetic towards Praeterhuman Intelligences. Your invitation to me to visit you is Sicily is extremely . . .
[The remainder of the letter is missing.]
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