The World’s Tragedy

PREFACE. XXIII circulated among the young. There is hope there if anywhere. Let me seduce the boys of England, and the oldsters may totter unconverted to their graves. Then these boys, becoming men, may bring about the new heaven and the new earth. You are not a Crowleian till you can say fervently “ Yes, thank God, I am an atheist.” For the ’ transvaluation of all values ’ must yet again take place, when those are all dead and damned who have forced us into the painful position we now occupy. The “ man-eating beasts because of whom we dare not love thee ”, once gone, we can revive the true cultus of the Logos ; the chastitymongering masturbators once swept away, we can without reproach follow our natural inclina- tion to purity : the lawyers and millionnaires and dema- gogues once squelched, we can enjoy our property without alarm. Young men ! there is the enemy. I am no coward, I hope ; and believe that I may make a fairly good general — at least no traitor. But without an army I am useless ; a Napoleon at St Helena. Give me my army, young men ; and we will sweep these dogs into the sea. Those in the front rank will have the honour of getting killed first.