this story, which Mathers related gn his magical honour as a 7° = 4° (the
highest grade of the Rosicrucian order), was that Mathers saw double. Crowley,
however, was not going to judge any isolated story by the general laws of
probability, so, bowing gracefully, he and set out to find Allan Bennett,
whom he eventually ran down at the house ofa holy Yogi in Cinnamon Gardens,
Colombo, to hear his account.
Allan Bennett's account was les
of belief. They had had, he s:
id, an argument about the God Shiva,
the Destroyer, whom Allan Bennett we use, if one repeated his
name often enough, Shiva would one da © and destroy the Universe,
and whom Mathers feared and hated because He would one day open His eye
and destroy Mathers. Allan Bennett closed the argument by assuming the
position Padm: ating the Mantra: “ Shiva, Shiva, Shiva, Shiva,
Shiva, Shiv: Mathers, angrier than ever, sought the sideboard, but soon retur-
ned, only to find Allan Bennett still muttering: Shiva, Shiva, Shiva,
Shiva”. “Will you stop blaspheming
?” cried Mathers; but the holy man only
said “Shiva, Shiva, Shiva, Shiva, Shiva, Shiva, Shiva, Shiva, Shiva Shiva.”
“If you don’t stop I will shoot you!” said Mathers, drawing a revolver from
his pocket, and levelling it at Allan Bennett's bead; but Allan Bennett. being
, and continued to mutter “Shiva, Shiva, Shiva,
shipped be
v open his
concentrated, took no_ noti
Shiva, Shiva, Shiva.”
Whether overawed by the majesty of the saint, or interrupted by the entry
of a third person, Allan Bennett no longer remembered, but Mathers never
pulled the trigge
It only after this interview, which did not take place till August 1901,
that Aleister Crowley definitely decided against Mathers.
Is this account accurate?
MATHERS. “ My account is accurate.”
Scorpio, K.C. You really ask his Lordship to believe this yarn
about Abramelin demons ?
Mavuers. Yes.
Scorpio, K.C. With regard to Dr. Wynn Westcott, now: was
he your colleague?
Marners. Yes.
Scorpio, K.C. Was his name printed on the MSS. of the Order
of the Golden Dawn as the person to whom they should be
returned in case of the owner’s death or disability?
MATHERS. Yes. :
Scorpio, K.C. And these MSS. contain practical instructions
for raising devils, making yourself invisible, transforming men
into animals, making gold, making rain, and all the other fabled
arts of sorcerers?
MATHERS. Yes.
Scorpio, K.C. In shor you and Dr, Westcott were teaching
the vilest practices of black magic?
Matners. Yes.
Scorpio, K.C. You quarrelled with Dr. Westcott?
MATHERS. Yes.
Scorpio, K.-C. You were jealous of his authority?
Martuers. Divided authority :
s no authority.