CROWLEY

All in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The letters are dated 22, 24 and 25 December 1939 and 20 and 21 January 1940; the note is undated. The letters total 6pp., 4to, with an additional 1p., 4to, carrying a translation from Spanish; the note is on the back of a scrap of Asbach Uralt packaging. The first two letters are in English, the other letters and the note in French. One envelope is present, addressed to: 'M. Yvon Davis, Bradwell Lodge, Bradwell-on-Sea, nr.

1p., 12mo. 22 lines. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Burlend begins his letter: 'Many thanks for your paper on Periodicity in Classification: it is very interesting but in many respects beyond me. | I don't understand why the Polyzoa should be included in the group "True limbs present" as they have nothing suggesting limbs'. | Otherwise the classification for the Animal Kingdom seems more balanced than it is in most text-books.' The second part of the letter discusses specific examples: platypus, aves and mammals.

1p., 12mo. On piece of aged and lightly-creased laid paper. The engraving, at the head of the page, is 7 x 9.5 cm., is a stylised full-length depiction of a young man in eighteenth-century dress, wearing a cravat, with hands on hips, standing between two trees. The poem reads 'Dear He - / Or She - / This from me, / Victor B. / Neuburg, to thee.' Second stanza: 'Not me: we, / I forgot, you see.' In bottom left-hand corner, in italics, 'Christmas, 1921.' And in italics in bottom-right: 'The Vine Press, / Steyning, / Sussex.' No other copy found listed.

Eric Barton's letter: 4to, 1 p. Nineteen lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. His wife wishes him to apologise for not replying: her illness and that of their 'small son' prevented them both from 'attending to a huge mass of correspondence following the Oscar Wilde ceremonies'. He will attend to Bright's order and will also 'put you on our mailing list for books by and about Crowley and Summers. I too met both these gentlemen when they lived in Richmond, and visited Mr. Crowley at his flat in the Paragon'.

On one side of a piece of wove paper, cut into a rectangle approximately 4.5 x 9 cm. Good, on lightly-creased paper with one vertical fold. Cut from an envelope, with traces of the postmark over the autograph, and a section of the gummed strip on the reverse. Reads 'From | John Cowper Powys | Waterloo | Blaenau - F Festiniog | Merionethshire | North Wales | I enjoyed thinking of you in Italy'.

8vo, 4 pp. Bifolium. Very good on lightly aged paper. Written in Powys's distinctive, sprawling hand. Concerns William Blake and the monograph on him (1954) by Denis Saurat, who 'must indeed be a wonder considering the scope of his interests.' 'Yes I was brought up by my mother on the Poems of Blake; so I am always interested by any reference to them or any reproduction of them. Indeed and indeed I can fully understand your being so hypnotized by the pictures of Blake that you find yourself going to see them when you had decided to go somewhere else'. Powys is 'in excellent health'.

One page, 12mo. On ruckled paper with damage on reverse due to removal from mount. Text clear and entire. The autograph wasn't sent because Kelly was away. 'Why you want it I can't understand but since you ask for it: - here it is: -'.

Dimensions of paper roughly ten inches by seven and a half wide. Clear impression on aged paper. Shows a standing magician waving a wand with a skull behind him and a kneeling servant hiding behind the hem of his gown, reciting a spell from a book on a table in front of him. The two demons he has conjured up stand to his left, looking rather pleased with themselves. Snakes, smoking cauldron, pin cushion, hourglass, knife, etc. Extracted from Barclay's Dictionary, where it was used to illustrate the word 'conjurer'.

Author and radio producer (1896-1972), 'tall, goodlooking godson of G. K. Chesterton', and friend of Aleister Crowley and E. M. Forster. Two pages, 12mo. Folded once. In good condition, with slight loss at head. A somewhat camp missive: 'My Dear Boy, | (What lovely yellow paper you use!) I am overwhelmed with disappointment - but I cannot dive on Monday. Could you possibly make it Tuesday? I should love to - and am only sorry you did feel that the other evening was a failure - and that you feel I affect you like you say. I will try not to now I know. | Lance'.

Fellow of the Royal Zoological Society (1900-68); fascist; writer of thrillers; intelligence officer for MI5 who recruited Ian Fleming, Tom Driberg and Anthony Blunt; jazz drummer; friend of Aleister Crowley; said to have been the individual on whom the M of the James Bond books is based. The forwarded letter is signed 'Angus' and is on letterhead Old Rectory Ashton Northampton. All five items are in good condition, all of one page, the letters 8vo and the cards 16mo. Knight's handwriting is difficult.