reason he was back to his usual self. "Fair enough. Note that I didn't say you were in danger from him. I doubt he's dangerous." Douglas chuckled. "The Black Lodge likes to play at being a Secret Society but I doubt they have ever harmed anyone. They would love to get the page but they've always been all talk. But, Misty, please don't let him into the house again, and keep away from him. He does have a reputation as a womanizer."
I nodded. My stomach twisted into a little knot as it looked like Douglas was jealous after all.
We drove to Marlow in bliss. Well, I for one was in bliss. Douglas had finally shown some emotion, and what's more had been jealous at the sight of Jamie Smith.
I loved Marlow at first sight. Picturesque, chocolate box, and charming, it was everything I had imagined an English town would be.
Douglas pulled into the large car parking area behind a beautiful, large park adjoining the Thames. There was a huge statue of a rower. Clearly the English take their rowing seriously. The Thames was filled with colorful wooden saloon launches and rowing boats.
We sat in a "Tea Room" which I figured was the equivalent of a coffee shop. It was extremely cute and very English. Douglas had suggested we stop for tea and cake before proceeding the three miles up the road to Medmenham, so he could fill me on the details.
As soon as our order was taken, Douglas handed me yet another leather bound book. "This one is in poor condition, I'm afraid; be careful. The head and tail of the spine are softened and frayed, and the hinge is cracked. That's a shame considering it's only 1885."
He searched for a section then handed it over. The tile was Dickens's Dictionary of the Thames . I looked at the top of the page and saw that it started in mid sentence. I didn't want to read what was on the previous page considering the delicate state of the book.
It said that the Monks of Medmenham, who were sometimes referred to as the Hell Fire Club, lived at a time when drunkenness was considered to be a gentlemanly virtue. It also said that their motto was Fay ce que voudras .
I looked up from the page. " Fay ce que voudras - I did French as a schoolgirl, but can't remember any now."
"It's the older English spelling, but it sounds the same," Douglas said. "You would recognize it as Fais ce que tu voudras ."
No, I wouldn't, but I didn't want to admit it.
Douglas continued. "Yes, the motto means, Do what thou wilt . It was the club motto of the Order of the Friars of St. Francis of Wycombe otherwise known as the Hellfire Club."
I was surprised by this. "I thought that expression was invented by the Ceremonial Magician Aleister Crowley?"
Douglass shook his head vehemently. "No, no, no. Crowley came much later. The saying first appeared in the writing of François Rabelais who lived two hundred years before Sir Francis Dashwood and four hundred years before Crowley. Rabelais was a French satirist known for the four novels known as Gargantua and Pantagruel. In the first book, Rabelais writes about the Abbey of Theleme. He's making fun of monasteries here; the Abbey of Theleme has maid service and a swimming pool."
Our tea and cakes arrived. I had chosen Yorkshire tea and it was delicious, in fact, the nicest tea I have ever tasted. I'm not into tea, but this was absolutely excellent, tasty tea.
Douglas pulled out another book and I hastily moved my tea aside. Douglas laughed. "This is just a modern copy of the first book of Gargantua and Pantagruel, worthless. Here's a description of how the monks at the Abbey lived. Tell me if it sounds familiar." Again, Douglas thumbed through and selected the page for me.
I read that they had no rules and basically did whatever they liked. Their one rule was: Do What Thou Wilt .
I was fascinated. "It reminds me of Sir Francis. It seems to me then that Sir Francis based the Monks of Medmenham Abbey on Rabelais' monks of the Abbey of Theleme."
Douglas nodded. "Exactly. Thelema is an ancient
I nodded. My stomach twisted into a little knot as it looked like Douglas was jealous after all.
We drove to Marlow in bliss. Well, I for one was in bliss. Douglas had finally shown some emotion, and what's more had been jealous at the sight of Jamie Smith.
I loved Marlow at first sight. Picturesque, chocolate box, and charming, it was everything I had imagined an English town would be.
Douglas pulled into the large car parking area behind a beautiful, large park adjoining the Thames. There was a huge statue of a rower. Clearly the English take their rowing seriously. The Thames was filled with colorful wooden saloon launches and rowing boats.
We sat in a "Tea Room" which I figured was the equivalent of a coffee shop. It was extremely cute and very English. Douglas had suggested we stop for tea and cake before proceeding the three miles up the road to Medmenham, so he could fill me on the details.
As soon as our order was taken, Douglas handed me yet another leather bound book. "This one is in poor condition, I'm afraid; be careful. The head and tail of the spine are softened and frayed, and the hinge is cracked. That's a shame considering it's only 1885."
He searched for a section then handed it over. The tile was Dickens's Dictionary of the Thames . I looked at the top of the page and saw that it started in mid sentence. I didn't want to read what was on the previous page considering the delicate state of the book.
It said that the Monks of Medmenham, who were sometimes referred to as the Hell Fire Club, lived at a time when drunkenness was considered to be a gentlemanly virtue. It also said that their motto was Fay ce que voudras .
I looked up from the page. " Fay ce que voudras - I did French as a schoolgirl, but can't remember any now."
"It's the older English spelling, but it sounds the same," Douglas said. "You would recognize it as Fais ce que tu voudras ."
No, I wouldn't, but I didn't want to admit it.
Douglas continued. "Yes, the motto means, Do what thou wilt . It was the club motto of the Order of the Friars of St. Francis of Wycombe otherwise known as the Hellfire Club."
I was surprised by this. "I thought that expression was invented by the Ceremonial Magician Aleister Crowley?"
Douglass shook his head vehemently. "No, no, no. Crowley came much later. The saying first appeared in the writing of François Rabelais who lived two hundred years before Sir Francis Dashwood and four hundred years before Crowley. Rabelais was a French satirist known for the four novels known as Gargantua and Pantagruel. In the first book, Rabelais writes about the Abbey of Theleme. He's making fun of monasteries here; the Abbey of Theleme has maid service and a swimming pool."
Our tea and cakes arrived. I had chosen Yorkshire tea and it was delicious, in fact, the nicest tea I have ever tasted. I'm not into tea, but this was absolutely excellent, tasty tea.
Douglas pulled out another book and I hastily moved my tea aside. Douglas laughed. "This is just a modern copy of the first book of Gargantua and Pantagruel, worthless. Here's a description of how the monks at the Abbey lived. Tell me if it sounds familiar." Again, Douglas thumbed through and selected the page for me.
I read that they had no rules and basically did whatever they liked. Their one rule was: Do What Thou Wilt .
I was fascinated. "It reminds me of Sir Francis. It seems to me then that Sir Francis based the Monks of Medmenham Abbey on Rabelais' monks of the Abbey of Theleme."
Douglas nodded. "Exactly. Thelema is an ancient
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