Of Kings and Things is dedicated to my belovèd friend Martin Stone, remarkable bibliophile, chief amongst book-runners, a Mighty Baby, a Pink Fairy, a Habbiyah, a psychopomp who could also find you any book that you ever desired, and a very great soul. You are now with the Author of All.
I wish first to acknowledge the authors whose seminal books brought Count Stenbock back from unkind oblivion, and who also thus brought me to him. The late John Adlard's Stenbock, Yeats, and the Nineties remains the only full biography of Stenbock. Although brief, it is replete with information, sometimes cursorily mentioned, or in its footnotes. Without it, and the detailed bibliography of the Count's works by Timothy d’Arch Smith which completes Adlard's book, I would have never have been able to discover so much about Eric. Timothy d’Arch Smith's masterpiece Love in Earnest is an essential, and beautifully written, investigation into the Uranian movement, focusing primarily on its English aficionados; this is the book that inspired me to follow Eric's brief and exquisite star. Sexual Heretics, by Brian Reade, is a remarkable anthology of texts by the writers covered in d’Arch Smith's masterpiece. Theophile von Bodisco's Versunkene Welten gives much information on the Count, written by someone who knew Eric well. Ernst Rhys’ various autobiographical works give a colourful—very colourful—account of his life and all those whom he knew, including Stenbock. Details of other books which have supplied me with helpful information about Eric are listed under the “secondary sources” section in the bibliography.
Many members of the extended Stenbock family have given me much unpublished material, and allowed me to publish it in this, and in future, volumes of Stenbock's work. Henning von Wistinghausen and Magnus von Wistinghausen sent me copies of several contemporary letters concerning Eric, and answered many questions. Andreas and David Oxenstierna contacted me suddenly—a magical, magickal, day for me—and sent me photographs of the gorgeous holograph journal, in their possession, of Eric's poems, and graciously allowed me to publish a selection of those jewels in this volume; the complete poems from this manuscript will be published in my forthcoming edition of The Collected Works of Eric, Count Stenbock. I was blessed to meet the late Count Magnus Stenbock, through the introduction to him afforded to me by the Swedish researcher Fredrick Hulting, whose contribution to my Stenbock studies is immense, and we all spent a most happy, and very informative, weekend with him at his marvelous estate of Herrborum in Sweden; I will never forget the many Æonic Cats I saw there. Jarl Stenbock accompanied me to Kolga, and spent many hours taking me around that utterly evocative building and its extensive grounds, and answering my many questions.
It is also a great pleasure for me to thank the following individuals, without whom this book would never have arisen; all of them have helped me catch a trace of Eric's Ghost:
Timothy d’Arch Smith introduced me to The Count in the first place; his presence in my life has been a constant delight over very many years; I am deeply honoured that he has written his lovely Afterword for this book.
Mark Pilkington and Jamie Sutcliffe of Strange Attractor Press have poured out enthusiasm, friendship, generosity, and support, so freely and lovingly given. To work with them, and Strange Attractor, is a very bright star indeed in my many tricky heavens. Without them, neither Kings nor Things.
Ania Goszczyńska brings light to my life and heart, is immaculate in all ways, and never seems to be overwhelmed by my enthusiasms (which, as she well knows, are really obsessions disguised as “enthusiasms”). Thank you, sweetest Ania, for all your help with this book—your artwork, your designs, your love, the very special stars you shine on me and everyone and all.
Ossian Brown has helped me and guided me in so many ways that I cannot even begin to sing him, or them, with any adequacy whatsoever.
Miss Kat Cormie began publishing Stenbock's work with me so long ago; where would I be, SpaceShip, without your sweetness to, and your perseverance with, me?
Ilaria Della Monica's kindness has been extraordinary, and she graciously allowed me full access to Harvard's archive of the Bernard Berenson collection at I Tatti, which contains remarkable Stenbock material. Ilaria continued the generosity shown to me by her predecessor at I Tatti, Fiorella Superbi. Giovanni Pagliarulo has also provided inestimable assistance to me at I Tatti.
The late Barbara Halpern and her friend, the angelic Corinne Richards, kindly gave me many first editions of Stenbock's books, all of them presentation copies from Eric to his friends. I still cannot believe how blessèd I was to receive them!
My dear friends Ray Russell and Mark Valentine have been authoritative sources to whom I have often returned for conversation and information. Ray also assembled the bibliography from the wreckages of my notes; Mark patiently supplied many, many corrections to my many, many, impatient errors.
Douglas A. Anderson's critical and sharp eyes speared an error of date, and suggested some important books to add to the bibliography, in this second edition, as well as showing me an advert from the September 22, 1894 issue of The Athenæum, which revealed that the designer of the front cover of Studies of Death was the noted artist, architect, and writer Aymer Vallance, and I bless him and honour him for his eyes and thoughts!
Keith Richmond offered inspired suggestions concerning my various writings in this book; his friendship means more to me than I can say, and more than he knows. He is a Teitan amongst Men.
Henry Boxer is a dearest friend most close to my heart, an Outsider himself, an expert on All Things Outside, and a SoulMate to Stenbock.
Michael Abolafia's uncanny intuition unearthed the previously unrecorded Stenbock poem in Grace Rhys’ 1894 anthology Cradle Songs and Nursery Rhymes, brought it to my attention, and kindly allowed me to include his discovery in this book.
Michel Faber is ever an inspiration to me, and a rare and perfect friend; his work remains shining by my bed, for swift reach, always.
The late Alan Anderson of the Tragara Press hand-printed many of my Stenbock chapbooks. It is a great sorrow to me that he shall not see this book.
Cecil Woolf and Jean Moorcroft Wilson obtained for me three original letters written by Stenbock, and treated me to delightful tea and delightful tales at their delightful home. They are delightful individuals indeed!
Tom Hughes’ wonderful website, and his two volumes dedicated to recounting Clerical Errors, led me to the source of the Rev. Ogle's unhappy demise in Eric's bed.
Claus Laufenburg translated many, many German texts for me. Thank you, Claus! Reinier Van Houdt and Johan De Ryck both Channelled EveryThing in their advice as to Stenbock's somewhat idiosyncratic Flemish, and Hans Dens offered a most helpful interpretation of where Ostraeke might be!
Rosie and Stewart Evans took Ania and me to Borley, Peasenhall, and Polstead, and many other fey LeyLines. But the lovely strangeness we saw, thanks to them, cannot match the generosity they have shown us, and the friendship with which they honoured us.
Nick Cave read and listened (patiently, endlessly) to the Waves of my obsessions, and responded in kind and in kindness, and with other Waves, equally Hallucinatory.
Thomas Ligotti has been My Little Dark Pony, and My Little Dark Twin, for as long as I can remember. All the Pretty Little Horsies themselves could not sunder our PickNicking and our Frolicking.
Ola Wikander started me on the way to Ugarit—yšlm.lk—and my thanks are Legion.
Martin Worthington appeared as my AkkadianArch—šamaš aššum¨©ya d¨¡riš ¨±m¨© liballiṭka; his inspiration and support have added more to this book, and several other works, than he can know.
Bert Kouwenberg has been a WellSpring—rēš ¨ēni—for me, and answered my eternal Akkadian queries with perfect sweetness and impeccable swiftness.
It is an honour for me to acknowledge those many others who have helped me more than I can spell, and more than they might tell: Anohni, Nina Antonia, Jack Barnett, Aloma Ruiz Boada, William Breeze, Ben Chasny, Shirley Collins, Geoff Cox-Dorée, Jennifer Cromwell, Richard Dalby, Lynn Hoggatt, Barry Humphries, Christopher Josiffe, Robert Kenny, Anne Kurepalu, Michael Lawrence, Timothy Mark Lewis, Andrew Liles, Melon Liles, Mark Logan, Hugo Lundhaug, Giulio Di Mauro, Tony (TS) McPhee, Rita Knuistingh Neven, José Pacheco, Charles Peltz, Davide Pepe, Edwin Pouncey, Jeremy Reed, Alasdair Roberts, Steven Stapleton, Stephen Thrower, Cathi Unsworth, Alexandra Waliszewska, Lauren Winton, Michael York, and Paschalis Zervas.
I finally offer up a sidereal genuflection to the XI° Tortoise Initiates of The Stenbock Society. We know who we are: eternally and hypnagogically: Our 93 Red Balloons Shall Arise For Us ForEver !