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Correspondence from Gerald Yorke to Charles Stansfeld Jones
13 May 1948
Dear Jones,
How lucky it is that A.C. handed you that carton of note books etc. otherwise they would not have survived. The account of the working with Soror Virakam [Mary d'Este-Sturges] which led to the writing of Book 4 [Book 4 Part I / Book 4 Part II has not survived elsewhere. A.C. did however have a typescript of it, when he wrote his Confessions [The Confessions of Aleister Crowley], but that typescript did not survive. The diary of Magus, of which you have found a typescript, does not survive elsewhere. There is a written-up form called The Urn, which does survive, but that is not the complete diary. I bought the other day the diary which records the toad ceremony in full, so that I know of this ceremony, and had written but not posted a letter to you asking if you wanted a copy. The full typescript of the diary only survives in your copy.
The Hermit of Aesopus Island diary does not survive over here. Now as to the other black books. Nothing survives of this early period, i.e. the American or pre-American period, except what has been published. Anything you have is therefore of the greatest importance, first for John Symonds' book, and then for the Crowley archive. Could you therefore send the typescript in the one case where you have the original as well. On the other cases could you send the original or the typescript, whichever you have; I will then have three typescript copies made, keeping one and sending the other to Germer [Karl Germer], and the third to you. If you do not like to trust me with the lot at one go, send them one at a time, sending the next as you get one back.
The pictures have I think all disappeared. I should be very interested to see your two albums, and would have one or two items photographed. This would be a pleasure, but is not important as the other stuff is.
How providential that A.C. should have given you some of these items and left others in your keeping, otherwise they would have disappeared with the twelve cases which were destroyed after the Cefalù crash.
As you see I am sending Germer a copy of my letter. I am most excited over your discovery.
Yours in haste,
Gerald Yorke.
Everything that you have found which has not actually been published in full in the first ten numbers of The Equinox is of the greatest importance, as none of it survives amongst the papers which A.C. left. Thanks for returning my book review.
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