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Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Gerald Yorke
55 Avenue de Suffren, Paris, VII
February 27th, 1929
Care Frater:
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Thanks for yours of the 23rd.
Thank you for enclosing Powell's [Anthony Powell] letter, which I return herewith. as you seem to know him to the extent of Christian names, it might be worth your while having a further chat with him. The conditions change very rapidly in the publishing world. For instance, Duckworth's may be saying "Damn it all! Why don't we get a little free publicity like the 'Well of Loneliness' people?
Incidentally, I very much doubt whether there would be any organized opposition. The number of people who are afraid of bogies is very large. I noticed it very particularly in mountaineering. Such and such a climb was declared to be quite impossible,—only a fool would attempt it, and so forth and so on. One went up, and found it was perfectly simple.
I am still in bed, and the weather is so bad that it does not encourage me to do what Mrs. Dombey wouldn't. Nevertheless, and notwithstanding, I hope to be up on Friday, and see Church. I am not quite clear about certain points in the agreement. It reads to me very different indeed to the one which I agreed to sign. I cannot quite agree with you about the £200. I have not had it as a lump sum for the definite purpose for which it was required, and the importance of the matter is that if I can carry out that purpose, the whole problem might be solved in the turn of a hand. The other point, which occurred to me is this, that if I understand the wording correctly—which I strongly doubt—you might be forced to destroy the whole of the assets for the sake of a matter of £60, and that quite against your own judgment. However, I will see what Church has to say and you should know the result by Monday.
I too feel very depressed about the financial situation. It is quite impossible for me to do anything as long as this fever hangs about. But I am distinctly better today, though very weak. (P.S. But my mind is gone.)
I am very annoyed with Lecram [Press], who are hanging about like all printers do, always promising for tomorrow what they know they cannot do for a month.
I still stick to my belief that the appearance of "Magick" [Magick in Theory and Practice] will change everything. But we do want to be able to carry on somewhat largely for about a month after the appearance of that first part. It will have the effect of a resurrection, for one thing, and it will get people talking, which means not only sales, but contracts. Once they think we are succeeding, everyone will rush to get in on the band-wagon.
I am sorry you don't like my fondness for fighting. But it is a poor heart that never rejoices. There is no question of any legal action in what Slocombe proposes. His view is that the honour of the Press Association has been smirched by Hunt's [Carl de Vidal Hunt] actions, and that their committee should enquire into the matter. I don't know why you say that Hunt's action was not so bad. I cannot imagine anything worse than an employee stealing his employer's property and using it to try to harm him. I personally think it is the most damnable thing I have ever heard of.
America has been silent for over a fortnight. I hope that no news is good news in this case.
I will break a vase and send you the potsherds.
Love is the law, love under will.
Yours fraternally,
666.
P.S. On the 16th, I came out of my hole to see the pictures of a man named Edward Bruce, whom I met last summer at Cassis. At the show was on named Martin Birnbaum, a very eminent and wealthy New York Jew, who was, taking it all in all, a pretty good friend of mine. We greeted each other with considerable enthusiasm. He has given up business for some years, as he had a perfect right to do, being the kind of man who makes forty thousand pounds profit on a single transaction in his calmer moments, and he wants to get a villa down on the South Coast of France. I told him about those beautiful promontories at Carry. Unfortunately, he was leaving the following day, so I could not see him again. But he gave me his address care of J. P. Morgan & Co., Paris. I am writing him a letter of a purely friendly kind, but I shall mention what I am trying to do, and tell him that you may possibly put a proposition up to him. I think it is fair to assume that he respects me as an artist as well as personally, and could be easily convinced that I have been rather badly treated.
But please understand that I am not attempting to advise the form of your letter. You might think it better to write in a purely impersonal way. But I think you should write.
666.
P.P.S. When banks bother you about overdrafts, it means that they are contemplating more extensive transactions. And the result depends on your resources. It's a chess problem.
666.
Gerald Yorke, Esq., 9, Mansfield Street, London, W. 1.
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