But what of S. Moses? Ah — he at least is never the man to utter a deliberate falsehood, much less repeat a slanderous report. He, at least, as well as C.C.M., is a gentleman every inch of him, and an honest man. Well; and what of that? You forget his profound, sincere irritation with us and H.P.B., as a Spiritualist the chosen vessel of election of Imperator? C.C.M. is ignorant of the laws and mysteries of mediumship and he is his staunch friend. Take again Light and see how plainly his irritation grows and becomes louder in his Notes By The Way. He has entirely misconceived your meaning, or rather quotations (followed by no explanations) from a letter of mine to yourself, who, in your turn have never correctly understood the situation. What I then said I now repeat: — There is an abyss between the highest and lowest degrees of Planetaries (this to your query — Is + a Planetary Spirit?) and then my assertion that — "+ is a Brother." But what is a "Brother," in reality — do you know? For what H.P.B. has added out of the depths of her own consciousness, perhaps, I do not hold myself responsible; for she knows nothing for a dead certainty about +, and often "dreaming dreams" she draws her own original conclusions therefrom. Result: S.M. regards us as impostors and liars, unless we be but a fiction; in which case the compliment returns to H.P.B.
Now what are the facts and what the accusations against H.P.B.? Many are the shadowy points against her in C.C.M.'s mind, and with every day they become blacker and uglier. I will give you an instance. While in London, at the Billings, Jan. 1879, H.P.B. who had produced a china pot from under the table, was asked by C.C.M. to give him some phenomenally produced object too. Consenting she caused a small card-case, as carved in Bombay to appear in the pocket of his overcoat hung in the hall. Inside — whether then or later in the evening, was found a slip of paper, with the facsimile of Hurrychund C's signature on it. At the time, no suspicion entered his mind, since there really was no ground for any. But now you see, he believes it — if not all a trick, at any rate a half-deception. Why? Because at that time he believed H.C. a chela, all but a great adept, as allowed and led to suppose by H.P.B.; and now he knows that H.C. was never a chela — since he himself denies it; that, he never had any powers, denies any knowledge of, or belief in such; and tells to everyone that even Dayanand has never been a Yogi but is simply "an ambitious impostor" like Mohamet. In short, so many lies brought and left at the Founders' door. And then her letters, and the reports by trustworthy witnesses of her confederacy with Mrs. Billing. Hence — confederacy between her and Eglinton. She is proved, at any rate, an arch plotter, a deceiver, a crafty character; either that — or a visionary lunatic, an obsessed medium! European, western logic. Letters? Very easy to alter words, hence the whole meaning of a sentence in letters. So has the Swami letters from her, which he freely translates, quotes from and comments upon in the face of the July Supplement. Now pray, oblige me by carefully reading over again the "Defence." Note the bare-faced lies of India's "great Reformer." Remember what was admitted to you and then denied. And if my word of honour has any weight with you, then know that D. Swami was an initiated Yogi, a very high chela at Badrinath, endowed some years back with great powers and a knowledge he has since forfeited, and that H.P.B. told you but the truth, as also that H.C. was a chela of his, who preferred to follow the "left path." And now see what has become of this truly great man, whom we all knew and placed our hopes in him. There he is — a moral wreck, ruined by his ambition and panting for breath in his last struggle for supremacy, which he knows we will not leave in his hands. And now, if this man — ten times greater morally and intellectually than Hurrychund — could fall so low, and resort to such a mean course, of what may his ex-friend and pupil Hurrychund not be capable to satisfy his thirst for revenge! The former has at least an excuse — his ferocious ambition that he mistakes for patriotism; his once alter ego has no excuse but his desire to harm those who exposed him. And, to achieve such results he is prepared to do anything. But you will perhaps enquire, why we have not interfered? Why we, the natural protectors of the Founders, if not of the Society, have not put a stop to the shameful conspiracies? A pertinent question; only I doubt whether my answer with all its sincerity will be clearly understood. You are thoroughly unacquainted with our system, and could I succeed in making it clear to you, ten to one your "better feelings" — the feelings of a European — would be ruffled, if not worse, with such a "shocking" discipline. The fact is, that to the last and supreme initiation every chela — (and even some adepts) — is left to his own device and counsel. We have to fight our own battles, and the familiar adage — "the adept becomes, he is not made" is true to the letter. Since every one of us is the creator and producer of the causes that lead to such or some other results, we have to reap but what we have sown. Our chelas are helped but when they are innocent of the causes that lead them into trouble; when such causes are generated by foreign, outside influences. Life and the struggle for adeptship would be too easy, had we all scavengers behind us to sweep away the effects we have generated through our own rashness and presumption. Before they are allowed to go into the world they — the chelas — are every one of them endowed with more or less clairvoyant powers; and, with the exception of that faculty that, unless paralyzed and watched would lead them perchance to divulge certain secrets that must not be revealed — they are left in the full exercise of their powers — whatever these may be: — why don't they exercise them? Thus, step by step, and after a series of punishments, is the chela taught by bitter experience to suppress and guide his impulses; he loses his rashness, his self-sufficiency and never falls into the same errors. All that now happens is brought on by H.P.B. herself; and to you, my friend and brother, I will reveal her shortcomings, for you were tested and tried, and you alone have not hitherto failed — at any rate not in one direction — that of discretion and silence. But before I reveal her one great fault to you — (a fault, indeed, in its disastrous results, yet withal a virtue) I must remind you of that which you so heartily hate; namely, that no one comes in contact with us, no one shows a desire to know more of us, but has to submit to being tested and put by us on probation. Thus, C.C.M. could no more than any other escape his fate. He has been tempted and allowed to be deceived by appearances, and to fall but too easily a prey to his weakness — suspicion and lack of self-confidence. In short, he is found wanting in the first element of success in a candidate — unshaken faith, once that his conviction rests upon, and has taken root in knowledge, not simple belief in certain facts. Now C.C.M. knows that certain phenomena of hers are undeniably genuine; his position with regard to that being precisely the position of yourself and your lady, in reference to the yellow ring-stone. Thinking you had reasons to believe the stone in question was simply brought (like the doll), not doubled — as she asserted, and disliking in the depths of your soul such a useless deception — as you always thought — on her part, you have not repudiated her for all that, nor exposed or complained of her in the papers as he has. In short, even when refusing her the benefit of the doubt in your own hearts, you have not doubted the phenomenon but only her accuracy in explaining it; and while being utterly wrong, you were undeniably right in acting with such a discretion in that matter. Not so, in his case. After entertaining during the period of three years a blind faith in her, amounting almost to a feeling of veneration, at the first breath of successful calumny, he, a staunch friend and an excellent lawyer falls a victim to a wicked plot, and his regard for her is changed into positive contempt and a conviction of her guilt! Instead of acting as you would have acted in such a case, namely either never mentioning the fact to her or else, asking her for an explanation, giving the accused the opportunity of defending herself, and thus acting consistently with his honest nature, he preferred giving vent to his feelings in public print, and to satisfy his rancour against herself and us by adopting an indirect means of attacking her statements in Isis. By the bye, and begging your pardon for this digression, he does not, it seems regard her answer in the Theosophist — "candid"! Funny logic, when coming from such an acute logician. Had he proclaimed in all the papers and at the top of his voice that the author or authors of Isis have not been candid while writing the book; that they often and purposely mislead the reader by withholding the necessary explanations and have given but portions of the truth; had he even declared, as Mr. Hume does — that the work teems with "practical errors" and deliberate misstatements — he would have been gloriously acquitted, because he would have been right — "from a European standpoint," and heartily excused by us — again because of his European way of judging — something innate in him and that he cannot help. But to call a correct and truthful explanation not "candid" is something I can hardly realize, though I am quite aware that his view is shared even by yourself. Alas, my friends, I am very much afraid that our respective standards of right and wrong will never agree together, since motive is everything for us, and that you will never go beyond appearances. However, to return to the main question.