Crowley Harthington, 1888
Born in Paris to a pair of British ex-pats, Crowley often cursed his parents for giving him such a distinctly English name, as it made his integration into the Bohemian artist's quarter of Paris all the more difficult. Luckily, he was blessed with a gift for words, and was able to spout passable poems even when entirely drunk off of absinthe.
He published only one official book, but managed to get a number of poems into Parisian newspapers and periodicals, thus becoming a minor celebrity in the city. One of his poems, 'Musings Upon a Honey Bee Lost in Paris' was a sensation throughout Europe for its subtle sexual overtones, though Crowley himself always denied any sensual slant to the piece.
The most contested stanza was printed as follows:
"When the furry honey bee
Did flitter down upon my hairy knee,
All a-sudden my leg did shake
But the little creature did not flee
Instead she peeked coyly up at me
And wondered how much honey I did make
-- O! And I was shy, you see,
For I could not fathom how that bee
Had any thought for a bear like me."
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