Cover title: "The Religion of Love, Mirth & Gaiety" Title on title page: "The Skylark"
Cambridge, England: Privately Published, (1912). First Edition. Softcover. Octavo. (24pp.) Cord bound in original printed wrappers. Poetry, essays and letters by Herbert Close (Meredith Starr), Arthur J. Ison, and Anthony B. Willcocks. At least 11 of the poems in the collection are written by Meredith Starr under the initials of his birth name Herbert Close. Most of these show clear evidence of his involvement with Crowleyan occultism: for example one (reprinted from The Occult Review) is titled Fratres Lucis (Brothers of Light) and begins "O Brethren of the Silver Star!" (an obvious reference to Crowley's Argentum Astrum: A.'. A.'.). Herbert Close ("Meredith Starr": 1890-1971), was for a short time a disciple of Aleister Crowley's, and a lifelong friend of J.F.C. Fuller. He took the Oath of a Probationer in the A.'. A.'. on June 6, 1910, with Fuller as his introducing Neophyte, adopting the motto - 'Superna sequor.' A few years later Close parted ways with Crowley (who then decreed that he "Went out of his mind and never came back"), but remained actively interested in the occult and contributed regularly to "The Occult Review" and other journals, as well as writing several books. In 1928 he visited India where he became one of the early Western followers of Meher Baba, and in later life played the role of guru to Ithell Colquhoun, as mentioned in "The Sword of Wisdom," her biography of S. L. McGregor Mathers. "The Skylark" - which was evidently put together by three friends from Cambridge University, is genuinely rare. Worldcat locates only one other copy - in Cambridge University Library. Wrappers a little darkened, otherwise a near-Fine copy. Item #61142
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