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Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Gerald Yorke
Hotel Metropole, Bruxelles, Belgique
May 25th, 1929
Care Frater:
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Yours of the 16th and 23rd insts. with enclosures. I think the matter with Mr. Estieu [of the Lecram Press] is all right by now. I got the proofs [of Magick in Theory and Practice], as far as the set that I sent to you, and am awaiting the balance. I have asked him for a separate invoice for each section. I don't see why there should be anything at all to pay on this second section, or if there is, it can only be a very few pounds.
The whole trouble sprang from Cope [Stuart R. Cope] trying to work behind Estieu's back, and not giving him my address. But by this time, everything should be straightened up.
I am sending on Germer's [Karl Germer] letter to Estieu with regard to the invoice.
I quite agree with you that the whole question is that of a bogey man. It is just for this reason that we ought to be able to smash it. What is really needed, as I have always maintained, is a popular booklet that could be sold at about a shilling giving all the nonsense, and then refuting it. What we need is to turn public sympathy on our side. The moment that is done, contracts will tumble in by the millions.
I wish you would send me cuttings when they occur. This Patriot business is really too funny. I doubt whether it would be possible to go for them for the reasons that I have previously told you, though if we can get Col. Carter [Lieutenant Colonel John Carter] definitely on our side, which we can perhaps do with a little piece of sugar, we might be able to spike any possible guns. On the other hand, I take it that Blakeney is a gentleman, and that if he were dealt with properly, he would induce the Patriot to offer an apology, and work on our side. After all, my views are very much like theirs, except that I am not a scare-cat.
What you say about the Custom House gives me a ray of hope. If we can really enter into possession of that material, we have immediately quite a few assets. There were a lot of quite valuable books in the consignment which Mudd [Norman Mudd] treacherously caused to be sent to England. It would also help me very much in my work as there are lots of books of reference which I really need.
It seems very difficult to get this marriage through. I am still waiting for papers from Scotland, and I have to send them 3 guineas today. This will put us in very low water.
In the oath of the 18th degree of Masonry, there is a special clause, in which you swear to have no masonic communication with other alleged masonic bodies. But there would be no sense in my joining the order at all. They would suspect me from the start. Of course, it would be much better for me to hire a stool pigeon.
By the way, this is important. I don't want any scandal or publicity in London until I am ready to come forward and fight to the death. I therefore propose to stay in London under my mother's name—Bishop. You might perhaps communicate this fact to Col. Carter to make it clear that I have no intention of concealing myself from the authorities.
Yours of the 23rd. With regard to waiting for money to drop out of the sky, may I recall to your classical memory the fable of Hercules and the wagoner?
I think in a case of this urgency, you might take some emergency measures. The mere fact that I am coming to London voluntarily ought to be a good argument.
Bar accidents, I propose to cross on the 9th. It is extremely unlikely that we shall be able to get married before that time. If we did it would be by 'coupe de billets de banque.' I may mention that we had to pay nearly 500 francs yesterday for some certificates and there will be further expenses in getting the documents translated. We do not know how much it is going to cost, but it may be from 400 to 800 francs.
I return the draft of your letter to Mr. Estieu. There is (incidentally) no doubt that he was lying, as indicated in one of the letters to me, which I sent to you.
Love is the law, love under will.
Yours fraternally
666.
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