Theos-Talk Archives (July 2002 Message tt00284)

Dallas wrote:

"Years ago I heard the following story, but could
not authenticate it: An old student contemporary with H P B
and her secretaries recalls hearing from Mr. A.. Keightley
that very shortly before her death, H P B walked into the
room where he worked, and asked where the MSS for the 3rd
and 4th volumes was. The pile was pointed out to her. She
then said: "I have just received instructions to destroy
that." They there and then set to work and with the help of
others, they tore up all that pile of MSS."

But COMPARE THE ABOVE with an actual letter from Archibald Keightley 
to Bertram Keightley in October 1891 where Archibald wrote:

"There is some talk of entirely reprinting Secret Doctrine [Volumes I 
and II] and of correcting errors WHEN THE THIRD VOLUME IS ISSUED."
Caps added. (Letter cited by C. Jinarajadasa in "Dr. Besant and 
Mutilation of the Secret Doctrine," Messenger, January 1926, 166)

IF Archibald had actually helped HPB destroy the third volume shortly 
before she died in May 1891, then why is Archibald writing only FIVE 
OR SIX MONTHS LATER about "when the third volume is issued"?!

Also place Archibald's Oct. 1891 words in the context of the 
following:

In October 1891 Isabel Cooper-Oakley also wrote:

"The H.P.B. Press...is developing into a regular printing office....A 
new edition of The Secret Doctrine is to lead the van, and last but 
not least the third volume is to be published." (Quoted from The 
Path, December 1891, 295).

Some food for thought.

Daniel H. Caldwell
BLAVATSKY ARCHIVES
http://blavatskyarchives.com/introduction.htm