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Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to John Symonds
The Ridge, Hastings.
18.11.46
Dear J.S.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Many thanks for yours of Nov 12. You are quite right in assuming that they are the three final volumes of the Hag [The Confessions of Aleister Crowley]. It was a typist's error to entitle the volumes differently.
I seem on second thoughts to have answered this letter. There ought to be final news of Olla in a day or two. They are at least at the binders, according to what I hear this morning.
Lady Harris [Frieda Harris] is at present at the Castle Hotel Brecon. She will probably return almost any day to either the Sesame Club, 49 Grosvenor Street, or to 3 Devonshore Terrace, Marylebone Road, N.W.1.
Louis Wilkinson is a most inaccessible person. He has about a hundred addresses in every part of England, and he never stays at any of them for more than a few days. His present address is c/o Mrs de Selincourt Grove Health, Ripley, Surrey.
You were a little light hearted in asking me to make sure of those volumes of the Hag not being lost to the world. It costs as near forty pounds as makes no difference [to have the typescripts of them duplicated]. Hell!!!
I am sending a spare copy of the typescript of The Book of Wisdom or Folly. All the people who have read it go crazy about it, several times they have put up £10 to have it re-typed.
I think William Ryder ought to publish it if you explain that it is for advanced students and that many who have read the typescript consider it the best thing I have done in the Magical line.
By the way, it is not very just to blame me for the loss of Volume 3 [of The Confessions of Aleister Crowley]—it was the fault of Gerald Yorke who allowed the best part of 2 thousand pounds which he had put up for the Mandrake Press to be stolen under his nose by the late Major Thynne [Major Robert Thynne]. Of course when I had 2 copies of the Press proofs, I thought I was perfectly safe, and I do not know to this hour how they disappeared, who took them and when. It is absolutely heartbreaking; but in this case I can get most of it reconstructed, but the spirit has so far gone out of me that I cannot command the energy to do it. The necessary manoeuvres must be done for me.
Love is the law, love under will.
Yours,
Aleister.
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