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Correspondence from Israel Regardie to Gerald Yorke
5 Avenue de Suffren, Paris, VII
January 21st, 1929.
Care Frater:
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
I have at last finished both the text and the comment of "The Vision and the Voice." All that remains to be done is to type in the brief synopsis and introduction, and then read through the whole manuscript for typographical errors that inadvertently crept in. I shall have a volume ready for you to take away with you. It makes a splendid volume.
But what I really want to write you about is the Simon Iff stories, and the Diaries.
The Master Therion invited me to Europe supposedly for the purpose of assisting Him in His work, on the grounds, as I understand it, that I was the only person available because of a special knowledge, such as Hebrew, etc., acquired from some years of study, and some slight acquaintance with the details of The Work. Since this is so, I am sure you will not disagree with me that it is hardly the wisest thing to have me spend weeks on purely mechanical work when that could be done by any typist quite economically, and far more quickly than I could. As you realize, it is seldom that I am able to go right ahead typing, there being letters constantly coming in, which have to be answered, etc., and which takes no inconsiderable amount of my time. It is necessary that Reeck should have immediately the six Simon Iff stories for translation purposes, and Aumont [Gerard Aumont] I suppose will want copies for the same reason. I therefore think that the sanest procedure is to place this work with a public stenographer, who could probably finish it in about a week, thus enabling me to devote myself entirely to other matters of importance and the Diaries, which as you yourself have said, should be copied out immediately. Let me assure you, it is going to be no easy job, as I well know from the little matter of "The Vision and the Voice." It is going to take months to do.
The police, thank God have now discovered that all these stories about us and our phallic orgies are nonsense. But, in view of the remarkable sense of importance of, and the really disproportionate amount of idiotic ideas prevailing amongst the French "police" they want you and Aumont to call at the Service des Etrangers next Monday to answer all sorts of asinine questions, which they could answer themselves, and to tell them about the "unsuspecting secretary," and the "King of Depravity."
Incidentally the expenses connected with this police affair have amounted to something like 500 francs.
The Master Therion feels that to reply to your letter of the 18th would throw too severe a strain upon his already over-taxed constitution. So, I believe he won't write you at all, unless something extraordinarily important develops, but will wait for your proposed visit, at which time he undoubtedly will go into things with you in quite a detailed way.
Your sending of the better manuscript of "Magick" [Magick in Theory and Practice] is I fear, somewhat too late. We have spent a hectic week, during which I have worked a couple of times to at least 9 o'clock, patching up "Magick", preparing it for the printer. Now both Parts I and II have gone to Lecram's [Paris printers], and they are proceeding, I hope, with its composition.
Love is the law, love under will.
Yours fraternally,
נחש [Israel Regardie]
Gerald Yorke, Esq., 9, Mansfield Street, London, W. 1.
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