selected prose of oscar wilde-第19章

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leaving　him　by　reason　of　the　number　of　those　who　believed　in　him。



And　he　said　to　himself；　'I　will　talk　no　more　about　God。　　He　who

giveth　away　wisdom　robbeth　himself。'



And　after　the　space　of　some　hours　his　disciples　came　near　him　and

bowed　themselves　to　the　ground　and　said；　'Master；　talk　to　us　about

God；　for　thou　hast　the　perfect　knowledge　of　God；　and　no　man　save

thee　hath　this　knowledge。'



And　he　answered　them　and　said；　'I　will　talk　to　you　about　all　other

things　that　are　in　heaven　and　on　earth；　but　about　God　I　will　not

talk　to　you。　　Neither　now；　nor　at　any　time；　will　I　talk　to　you　about

God。'



And　they　were　wroth　with　him　and　said　to　him；　'Thou　hast　led　us　into

the　desert　that　we　might　hearken　to　thee。　　Wilt　thou　send　us　away

hungry；　and　the　great　multitude　that　thou　hast　made　to　follow　thee？'



And　he　answered　them　and　said；　'I　will　not　talk　to　you　about　God。'



And　the　multitude　murmured　against　him　and　said　to　him；　'Thou　hast

led　us　into　the　desert；　and　hast　given　us　no　food　to　eat。　　Talk　to

us　about　God　and　it　will　suffice　us。'



But　he　answered　them　not　a　word。　　For　he　knew　that　if　he　spake　to

them　about　God　he　would　give　away　his　treasure。



And　his　disciples　went　away　sadly；　and　the　multitude　of　people

returned　to　their　own　homes。　　And　many　died　on　the　way。



And　when　he　was　alone　he　rose　up　and　set　his　face　to　the　moon；　and

journeyed　for　seven　moons；　speaking　to　no　man　nor　making　any　answer。

And　when　the　seventh　moon　had　waned　he　reached　that　desert　which　is

the　desert　of　the　Great　River。　　And　having　found　a　cavern　in　which　a

Centaur　had　once　dwelt；　he　took　it　for　his　place　of　dwelling；　and

made　himself　a　mat　of　reeds　on　which　to　lie；　and　became　a　hermit。

And　every　hour　the　Hermit　praised　God　that　He　had　suffered　him　to

keep　some　knowledge　of　Him　and　of　His　wonderful　greatness。



Now；　one　evening；　as　the　Hermit　was　seated　before　the　cavern　in

which　he　had　made　his　place　of　dwelling；　he　beheld　a　young　man　of

evil　and　beautiful　face　who　passed　by　in　mean　apparel　and　with　empty

hands。　　Every　evening　with　empty　hands　the　young　man　passed　by；　and

every　morning　he　returned　with　his　hands　full　of　purple　and　pearls。

For　he　was　a　Robber　and　robbed　the　caravans　of　the　merchants。



And　the　Hermit　looked　at　him　and　pitied　him。　　But　he　spake　not　a

word。　　For　he　knew　that　he　who　speaks　a　word　loses　his　faith。



And　one　morning；　as　the　young　man　returned　with　his　hands　full　of

purple　and　pearls；　he　stopped　and　frowned　and　stamped　his　foot　upon

the　sand；　and　said　to　the　Hermit：　　'Why　do　you　look　at　me　ever　in

this　manner　as　I　pass　by？　　What　is　it　that　I　see　in　your　eyes？　　For

no　man　has　looked　at　me　before　in　this　manner。　　And　the　thing　is　a

thorn　and　a　trouble　to　me。'



And　the　Hermit　answered　him　and　said；　'What　you　see　in　my　eyes　is

pity。　　Pity　is　what　looks　out　at　you　from　my　eyes。'



And　the　young　man　laughed　with　scorn；　and　cried　to　the　Hermit　in　a

bitter　voice；　and　said　to　him；　'I　have　purple　and　pearls　in　my

hands；　and　you　have　but　a　mat　of　reeds　on　which　to　lie。　　What　pity

should　you　have　for　me？　　And　for　what　reason　have　you　this　pity？'



'I　have　pity　for　you；'　said　the　Hermit；　'because　you　have　no

knowledge　of　God。'



'Is　this　knowledge　of　God　a　precious　thing？'　asked　the　young　man；

and　he　came　close　to　the　mouth　of　the　cavern。



'It　is　more　precious　than　all　the　purple　and　the　pearls　of　the

world；'　answered　the　Hermit。



'And　have　you　got　it？'　said　the　young　Robber；　and　he　came　closer

still。



'Once；　indeed；'　answered　the　Hermit；　'I　possessed　the　perfect

knowledge　of　God。　　But　in　my　foolishness　I　parted　with　it；　and

divided　it　amongst　others。　　Yet　even　now　is　such　knowledge　as

remains　to　me　more　precious　than　purple　or　pearls。'



And　when　the　young　Robber　heard　this　he　threw　away　the　purple　and

the　pearls　that　he　was　bearing　in　his　hands；　and　drawing　a　sharp

sword　of　curved　steel　he　said　to　the　Hermit；　'Give　me；　forthwith

this　knowledge　of　God　that　you　possess；　or　I　will　surely　slay　you。

Wherefore　should　I　not　slay　him　who　has　a　treasure　greater　than　my

treasure？'



And　the　Hermit　spread　out　his　arms　and　said；　'Were　it　not　better　for

me　to　go　unto　the　uttermost　courts　of　God　and　praise　Him；　than　to

live　in　the　world　and　have　no　knowledge　of　Him？　　Slay　me　if　that　be

your　desire。　　But　I　will　not　give　away　my　knowledge　of　God。'



And　the　young　Robber　knelt　down　and　besought　him；　but　the　Hermit

would　not　talk　to　him　about　God；　nor　give　him　his　Treasure；　and　the

young　Robber　rose　up　and　said　to　the　Hermit；　'Be　it　as　you　will。　　As

for　myself；　I　will　go　to　the　City　of　the　Seven　Sins；　that　is　but

three　days'　journey　from　this　place；　and　for　my　purple　they　will

give　me　pleasure；　and　for　my　pearls　they　will　sell　me　joy。'　　And　he

took　up　the　purple　and　the　pearls　and　went　swiftly　away。



And　the　Hermit　cried　out　and　followed　him　and　besought　him。　　For　the

space　of　three　days　he　followed　the　young　Robber　on　the　road　and

entreated　him　to　return；　nor　to　enter　into　the　City　of　the　Seven

Sins。



And　ever　and　anon　the　young　Robber　looked　back　at　the　Hermit　and

called　to　him；　and　said；　'Will　you　give　me　this　knowledge　of　God

which　is　more　precious　than　purple　and　pearls？　　If　you　will　give　me

that；　I　will　not　enter　the　city。'



And　ever　did　the　Hermit　answer；　'All　things　that　I　have　I　will　give

thee；　save　that　one　thing　only。　　For　that　thing　it　is　not　lawful　for

me　to　give　away。'



And　in　the　twilight　of　the　third　day　they　came　nigh　to　the　great

scarlet　gates　of　the　City　of　the　Seven　Sins。　　And　from　the　city

there　came　the　sound　of　much　laughter。



And　the　young　Robber　laughed　in　answer；　and　sought　to　knock　at　the

gate。　　And　as　he　did　so　the　Hermit　ran　forward　and　caught　him　by　the

skirts　of　his　raiment；　and　said　to　him：　　'Stretch　forth　your　hands；

and　set　your　arms　around　my　neck；　and　put　your　ear　close　to　my　lips；

and　I　will　give　you　what　remains　to　me　of　the　knowledge　of　God。'

And　the　young　Robber　stopped。



And　when　the　Hermit　had　given　away　his　knowledge　of　God；　he　fell

upon　the　ground　and　wept；　and　a　great　darkness　hid　from　him　the　city

and　the　young　Robber；　so　that　he　saw　them　no　more。



And　as　he　lay　there　weeping　he　was　ware　of　One　who　was　standing

beside　him；　and　He　who　was　standing　beside　him　had　feet　of　brass　and

hair　like　fine　wool。　　And　He　raised　the　Hermit　up；　and　said　to　him：

'Before　this　time　thou　hadst　the　perfect　knowledge　of　God。　　Now　thou

shalt　have　the　perfect　love　of　God。　　Wherefore　art　thou　weeping？'

And　he　kissed　him。Poems　in　Prose







WILDE　GIVES　DIRECTIONS　ABOUT　'DE　PROFUNDIS'







H。M。　PRISON；　READING。

April　1st；　1897。



My　Dear　Robbie；I　send　you　a　MS。　separate　from　this；　which　I　hope

will　arrive　safely。　　As　soon　as　you　have　read　it；　I　want　you　to　have

it　carefully　copied　for　me。　　There　are　many　causes　why　I　wish　this

to　be　done。　　One　will　suffice。　　I　want　you　to　be　my　literary

executor　in　case　of　my　death；　and　to　have　complete　control　of　my

plays；　books；　and　papers。　　As　soon　as　I　find　I　have　a　legal　right　to

make　a　will；　I　will　do　so。　　My　wife　does　not　understand　my　art；　nor

could　be　expected　to　have　any　interest　in　it；　and　Cyril　is　only　a

child。　　So　I　turn　naturally　to　you；　as　indeed　I　do　for　everything；

and　would　like　you　to　have　all　my　works。　　The　deficit　that　their

sale　will　produce　may　be　lodged　to　the　credit　of　Cyril　and　Vivian。

Well；　if　you　are　my　literary　executor；　you　must　be　in　possession　of

the　only　document　that　gives　any　explanation　of　my　extraordinary

behaviour　。　。　。　When　you　have　read　the　letter；　you　will　see　the

psychological　explanation　of　a　course　of　conduct　that　from　the

outside　seems　a　combination　of　absolute　idiotcy　with　vulgar　bravado。

Some　day　the　truth　will　have　to　be　knownnot　necessarily　in　my

lifetime　。　。　。　but　I　am　not　prepared　to　sit　in　the　grotesque　pillory

they　put　me　into；　for　all　time；　for　the　simple　reason　that　I

inherited　f