The first news I had of The Secret Doctrine was the
advertisement in The Theosophist. I was told in 1884
that Madame Blavatsky was engaged in writing a book,
but I did not know what. Then I heard that the book
was to be called The Secret Doctrine, that various
people had been consulted as to its construction,
and that all the moot points of Hindu Philosophy had
been submitted to the late T. Subba Row, who had
also made various suggestions as to its
construction. Afterwards I found that he had done
so, sketching out very roughly an outline, but this
was not followed.
Then came the news that Madame Blavatsky's health
had broken down and that she was compelled to leave
India to save her life. I next heard of her as in
Italy, at work, and finally at Würzburg, whence she
came to Ostend.
Of the work done previous to my going to Ostend I
know nothing. From various causes it came about that
I went to Ostend to see H.P.B.; there I found her
living with the Countess Wachtmeister, hard at work
writing from six a.m. till six p.m., only omitting
very short intervals for meals. She wrote and slept
in one room, emerging to meals in the next room.
When I arrived I learned that her susceptibility to
cold was so great that the utmost care had to be
used in airing her rooms during the winter.
Very soon after arriving I was handed a part of the
MSS. with a request to emendate, excise, alter the
English, punctuate, in fact treat it as my own, a
privilege I naturally did not avail myself of. The
MSS. was then in detached sections, similar to those
included under the heads of "Symbolism" and
"Appendices" in the published volumes. What I saw
was a mass of MSS. with no definite arrangement,
much of which had been patiently and industriously
copied by the Countess Wachtmeister. The idea then
was to keep one copy in Europe, while the other went
to India for correction by various native
collaborators. The greater part did go at a later
date, but some cause prevented the collaboration.
What struck me most in the part I was able to read
during my short stay was the enormous number of
quotations from various authors. I knew that there
was no library to consult and I could see that
H.P.B.'s own books did not amount to thirty in all,
of which several were dictionaries and several works
counted two or more volumes. At this time I did not
see the Stanzas of Dzyan, though there were several
pieces of the Occult Catechism included in the MSS.
At a later date I again went to Ostend to carry out
the arrangements for bringing H.P.B. to England. The
main difficulty was to get her papers and books
packed up. No sooner was one packed than it was
wanted for reference; if part of the MSS. were put
in a box it was certain to be that part which
already contained some information which had to be
cut out and placed elsewhere: and as H.P.B.
continued to write until the very day before her
departure, such was her unflagging industry, it was
not an easy matter to get her belongings packed.
When she arrived at Norwood the reverse process went
on, but the difficulty was to get unpacked quickly
enough. One day was yielded, but six a.m. of the
following day found her at her table. All through
the summer of 1887 every day found her at work from
six to six, with intervals for meals only, visitors
being with very rare exceptions denied or told to
come in the evening. The evenings were given up to
talk and discussion, and only on rare occasions was
any writing done then.
All through that summer Bertram Keightley and I were
engaged in reading, re-reading, copying and
correcting. The last amounted to casting some of the
sentences in English mould, for many of them were
“literal
translations from the French”. One remarkable fact
is worth noticing. It was not long before the genius
loci became apparent and in most of the MSS. written
after the date of arrival in England there was very
little of this kind of correction needed.
Many of the quotations had to be verified, and here
we should have been lost if it had not been for a
hint from H.P.B. She told us one night that
sometimes in writing down quotations, which for the
purpose of the book had been impressed on the Astral
Light before her, she forgot to reverse the figures
for instance page 123 would be allowed to remain 321
and so on. With this in mind verification was
easier, for one was puzzled on examining all
editions in the British Museum to find in several
cases that the books did not contain the number of
pages. With the reversal matters were straightened
out and the correct places found.
Much of the MSS. was type-written at this period.
This was H.P.B.'s opportunity. The spaces were large
and much could be inserted. Needless to say, it was.
The thick type-MSS. were cut, pasted, recut and
pasted several times over, until several of them
were twice the size of the original MSS. But in it
all was apparent that no work and no trouble, no
suffering or pain could daunt her from her task.
Crippled with rheumatism, suffering from a disease
which had several times nearly proved fatal, she
still worked on unflaggingly, writing at her desk
the moment her eyes and fingers could guide the pen.
Then came the time of the founding of Lucifer. This
work had to be added to that of writing The Secret
Doctrine. As for the articles for Russian papers
there were constant and imploring demands. None were
to be had, for the pressure of other work was too
great.
In September came the move to London, to Lansdowne
Road. This was not so bad, for the books and papers
could be arranged, packed and unpacked, and
re-arranged the same day. The same method of work
was followed and day succeeded day until the time
came for going to press.
During the greater part of the period in London
H.P.B. had the assistance of E.D. Fawcett,
especially in those parts of the second volume
dealing with the evolutionary hypotheses. He
suggested, corrected, and wrote, and several, pages
of his MSS. were incorporated by H.P.B. into her
work.
Needless to say our work went on. We had to carry
the general scheme (if it would be called such in a
work which was professedly a foe to the process of
crystallization of thought) in our heads. We had to
draw H.P.B.'s attention to the repetitions occurring
in the isolated sections, and so far as possible in
this way to act as watchdogs and help her to make
the meaning as clear as possible.
But all the work was hers. A few stops here and
there, a few suggestions, the correction of a
French-spelled word, was ours; the rest was H.P.B.'s
own, and all was approved by her.
During this period in London came inevitable
interruptions; H.P.B. might try as she would, but
friends and curiosity-seekers would not all be
denied. Then, too, there was Lucifer with its
regular monthly "Stand and Deliver" so much time and
copy; Blavatsky Lodge and other meetings; letters to
read and answer all interfered with work. Failing
health and strength came, and it was an increasing
task to rise so early or to work so late. Still time
continued and work went on, and the estimates of
printers were examined. Certain requirements as to
size of page and margin were particular points with
H.P.B., as also were the thickness and quality of
paper. Some of her critics had disliked the
thickness of
Isis
Unveiled, so the paper had to be thinner so as to
reduce the size. These points decided, the book
began to go to press. It so happened that I was
called into the country and so did not see the first
half or more of the first volume as it passed. But
it went through three or four other hands besides
H.P.B.'s in galley proof, as well as in revise. She
was her own most severe corrector, and was liable to
treat revise as MSS., with alarming results in the
correction item in the bill.
Then came the writing of the preface, and finally
the book was out. The period of work and excitement
was over and all was quiet till the first copy was
delivered.
A. K.
