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Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Gerald Yorke
55 Avenue de Suffren, Paris, VII
January 11th, 1929.
Care Frater:
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
In answer to yours of the 7th, I cannot find any letter of Germer's [Karl Germer] of the date you give, which has anything to do with distribution. In any case I doubt if Germer's views are of much value. I am pretty sure the best thing will be to make connections at this end with people actually in the trade. I might (for example) sell some of the sheets outright.
I have not yet received the draft for Aumont [Gerard Aumont]. This is annoying, because immediately on receipt of your letter, I wrote to him telling him that by the time he got mine, I should have that draft, and be able to forward it to him on receipt of a wire worded appropriately.
Your letter of the 8th. I enclose acceptance form and return correspondence.
I have no views about insurance against fire. I believe there is some legal difficulty about it.
There is not justification in spelling rime "r-h-y-m-e." It is a mere blunder due to some person mixing it up with rhythm, but not before A.D. 1550.
Yours of the 10th. The Serpent [Israel Regardie] will make further efforts to unearth this famous letter of Germer's.
I did not ask you to correct Lecram's proof [of Magick in Theory and Practice]. I supposed you would understand that what I wanted was your approval of the general style.
Your remarks about my retiring until the final proofs are ready is a grave misunderstanding of the situation. My constant supervision is required until those proofs are ready. Afterwards, not before, is the time for a run across to Bagdad on the Rolls-Royce.
I am cutting down the supply of mineral water after today, as you are right in thinking that typhoid fever is cheaper in the end.
I shall be very busy between now and the time of your arrival in thinking out why to bring out a book in two parts instead of four makes certain of a book coming out! The wisdom of the Serpent is, I feel sure, equal to this problem, but it includes so great a faculty of silence that I will not waste my time by asking him about it.
However, I will consider the point when I see the sheets. I don't want the book to look clumsy and unwieldly, and 400 pages on thick paper will make a pretty fat volume.
I note your remarks about Aumont and the £20 are entirely contradictory to those in your previous letter. It is this sort of thing that messes up arrangements.
I really do wish you would read that agreement since you are always talking about it. It is no good telling me that the money arrives automatically on Monday, when it does not do anything at all, but arrives about 11 o'clock Thursday morning, and then take no account of back salary owing.
All this hamstringing of your race horse diminishes his efficiency out of all proportion, and it does not save any money at all. It costs money.
You must not think we are being extravagant. We have none of us been to a single place of entertainment of any kind since your visit. General expenses have been very much cut down. The High Priestess [Maria de Miramar], despite really serious ill-health, is acting like a real trump. But your suggestion that we should take turns to scrub the floor, is not really as economical as it sounds.
I am sure you will see from the two matters of Rhys and Reeck that it is fundamentally necessary to carry on, if we are to make good with Miss Eaton [Cora Eaton]. It would not save a penny to move into a cheaper apartment. It would cost just the same to eat and drink, and any economy in the rent would be offset by the inconvenience of getting at papers, and the complete loss of credit, which would follow any transferring of headquarters to a slum.
I am certain you will see this when you come to talk it all over.
The rent is due on the 20th. It is, as you say, approximately 3,000 francs
Love is the law, love under will.
Yours fraternally,
666.
P.S. I hear nothing from you about Og [C. K. Ogden] and Frazier Hunt.
I should get after Nelson King. I see that the "Eternal Flame" is being produced at the Court Theatre, which means, I imagine, that the play has made good in the provinces. If so, Nelson King may be in a position to back his opinion of "The Three Wishes." I think the policy would be to jog him gently, as if by accident.
666.
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