|
Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Gerald Yorke
55 Avenue de Suffren, Paris, VII
November 22nd, 1928.
Care Frater:
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
This is to confirm my telegram
"Eighty pounds but transfer whole amount other obligations imperative. Letter follows"
I assume that you wrote your telegram before having received Regardie's [Israel Regardie] note about the financial statement. I think it would be quite useless to try to make explanations before your visit of December 3rd. The situation is much more hopeful than either you or I suppose. It is not easy to explain why, as a man whom I telephoned was not in, and I can't reach him before tomorrow morning, and I have to send off this letter at once. But I stick to my psychology.
Perhaps I ought to mention that the capital account is perfectly straightforward and clear. In fact, upon general principles, the capital account owes my private account a whole lot of money.
The situation cannot be elucidated until you and I sign this contract as between Borrower and Trustee.
I don't know if you have any letter from Cora [Cora Eaton], but the remaining $3000 ought to be here within a few weeks, and I personally doubt whether we shall need any further capital; but there is no reason for not trying to get some.
The immediate urgency refers to rent, about 3000 francs, and cash to carry on at least until your arrival.
At the same time I think it is important to support general credit at the bank on so on.
Kasimira's [Kasimira Bass] defection left us unexpectedly without funds. What I did was to arrange to pay the tailor in full on the 27th of November with a cheque for 10.000 francs, on receipt of the balance 2,400 in cash. That enabled us to live for a fortnight; and (as Mrs. Moss voluntarily compared my financial status with the Bank of France) there is no real trouble about the rent. But it is much better to pay the rent on Saturday, than say a week later. Otherwise she will probably change her bank; in the matter of comparisons.
I hope you will not think me perfectly gaga; but I have not at all lost hope with regard to Kasimira. The whole question has been one of misunderstanding on her part and tactlessness on mine, complicated with these worries of hers which have deranged her nervous system. It is perfectly stupid to forget that her whole action was spontaneous, and the logical sequence of a number of other actions which displayed the noblest characteristics—much nobler than the three characteristics of Buddhism! She was simply put off by quite natural worry. She had not patience required to take her through the last ordeal. But if you think she will act in the way that you presume she will, she would simply be the most heatless fiend that ever lived; and she is nothing of the sort, and it is ridiculous to pretend she is.
The above eloquent discourse is intended to indicate to you that negotiations are still pending. There is no point in their being pending if she simply intends to cut the painter. (This expression is a nautical and not an aesthetic metaphor).
The real problem is Hunt [Carl de Vidal Hunt]. He is so badly poisoned by his newspaper experience that one cannot drive it into his thick German skull that I am straight. His idea of introducing me to someone is that I should carry out some comedy with a sinister expression and mysterious gestures! Here am I trying to change the whole course of the world's history, (and succeeding pretty bloody well, whatever you may think) and he wants me to play a trick that might be all very well for one of the innumerable chiefs of the Rosicrucian Order whom I have known. As the French eloquently say, and as their dictionaries now admit is proper to say, "merde"—and the English for that is—consult the Dictionary!
Love is the law, love under will.
Yours fraternally,
666.
P.S. Please do not forget to bring over the manuscript returned from Jonathan Cape [publishing firm].
If Ogden [C. K. Ogden] fails us, I shall send "Magick" [Magick in Theory and Practice] to a Paris printer getting it out six parts and I should like to do this by the time of your visit. So try to get in touch with Ogden before you come over. That is the one great issue.
666.
Gerald Yorke, Esq., 9, Mansfield Street, Cavendish Square, W. 1.
|