Page 2

 

Letter №75, p. 2

Hastings to "dog Jennings" on his first meeting with the Ex-governor after his return from India! "My dear Hastings" — asked Jennings — "is it possible you are the great rascal Burke says, and the whole world is inclined to believe?" — "I can assure you, Jennings," was the sad and mild reply, "that though sometimes obliged to appear rascal for the Company, I was never one for myself." I am the W.H. for the sins of the Brotherhood. But to facts.

Of course you know — the "O.L." told you I think — that when we take candidates for chelas, they take the vow of secrecy and silence respecting every order they may receive. One has to prove himself fit for chelaship, before he can find out whether he is fit for adeptship. Fern is under such a probation; and a nice mess they have prepared for me between them two! As you already know from my letter to Hume, he did not interest me, I knew nothing of him, beyond his remarkable faculties, his powers for clairaudience and clairvoyance, and his still more remarkable tenacity of purpose, strong will, and other etcs. A loose, immoral character for years, — a tavern Pericles with a sweet smile for every street Aspasia, he had entirely and suddenly reformed after joining the Theosop. Society, and "M." took him seriously in hand. It is no business of mine to tell even yourself, how much of his visions is truth and how much hallucination, or even perchance — fiction. That he bamboozled


Notes: 

Warren Hastings was the first Governor-General of India, from 1773 to 1785. He respected Hinduism and Indian teachings. He was tried and ultimately acquitted of corruption charges, and Edmund Burke was the prosecutor.

Company refers to the British East India Company.

Pericles was a Greek orator and statesman.

Aspasia was a woman with whom Pericles was involved.