selected prose of oscar wilde-第22章

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call　to　its　mate　to　build　on　barren　boughs；　so　there　were　Christians

before　Christ。　　For　that　we　should　be　grateful。　　The　unfortunate

thing　is　that　there　have　been　none　since。　　I　make　one　exception；　St。

Francis　of　Assisi。　　But　then　God　had　given　him　at　his　birth　the　soul

of　a　poet；　as　he　himself　when　quite　young　had　in　mystical　marriage

taken　poverty　as　his　bride：　　and　with　the　soul　of　a　poet　and　the

body　of　a　beggar　he　found　the　way　to　perfection　not　difficult。　　He

understood　Christ；　and　so　he　became　like　him。　　We　do　not　require　the

Liber　Conformitatum　to　teach　us　that　the　life　of　St。　Francis　was　the

true　Imitatio　Christi；　a　poem　compared　to　which　the　book　of　that

name　is　merely　prose。



Indeed；　that　is　the　charm　about　Christ；　when　all　is　said：　　he　is

just　like　a　work　of　art。　　He　does　not　really　teach　one　anything；　but

by　being　brought　into　his　presence　one　becomes　something。　　And

everybody　is　predestined　to　his　presence。　　Once　at　least　in　his　life

each　man　walks　with　Christ　to　Emmaus。De　Profundis







CLAPHAM　JUNCTION







My　lot　has　been　one　of　public　infamy；　of　long　imprisonment；　of

misery；　of　ruin；　of　disgrace；　but　I　am　not　worthy　of　itnot　yet；　at

any　rate。　　I　remember　that　I　used　to　say　that　I　thought　I　could　bear

a　real　tragedy　if　it　came　to　me　with　purple　pall　and　a　mask　of　noble

sorrow；　but　that　the　dreadful　thing　about　modernity　was　that　it　put

tragedy　into　the　raiment　of　comedy；　so　that　the　great　realities

seemed　commonplace　or　grotesque　or　lacking　in　style。　　It　is　quite

true　about　modernity。　　It　has　probably　always　been　true　about　actual

life。　　It　is　said　that　all　martyrdoms　seemed　mean　to　the　looker　on。

The　nineteenth　century　is　no　exception　to　the　rule。



Everything　about　my　tragedy　has　been　hideous；　mean；　repellent；

lacking　in　style；　our　very　dress　makes　us　grotesque。　　We　are　the

zanies　of　sorrow。　　We　are　clowns　whose　hearts　are　broken。　　We　are

specially　designed　to　appeal　to　the　sense　of　humour。　　On　November

13th；　1895；　I　was　brought　down　here　from　London。　　From　two　o'clock

till　half…past　two　on　that　day　I　had　to　stand　on　the　centre　platform

of　Clapham　Junction　in　convict　dress；　and　handcuffed；　for　the　world

to　look　at。　　I　had　been　taken　out　of　the　hospital　ward　without　a

moment's　notice　being　given　to　me。　　Of　all　possible　objects　I　was

the　most　grotesque。　　When　people　saw　me　they　laughed。　　Each　train　as

it　came　up　swelled　the　audience。　　Nothing　could　exceed　their

amusement。　　That　was；　of　course；　before　they　knew　who　I　was。　　As

soon　as　they　had　been　informed　they　laughed　still　more。　　For　half　an

hour　I　stood　there　in　the　grey　November　rain　surrounded　by　a　jeering

mob。De　Profundis







THE　BROKEN　RESOLUTION







We　call　ours　a　utilitarian　age；　and　we　do　not　know　the　uses　of　any

single　thing。　　We　have　forgotten　that　water　can　cleanse；　and　fire

purify；　and　that　the　Earth　is　mother　to　us　all。　　As　a　consequence

our　art　is　of　the　moon　and　plays　with　shadows；　while　Greek　art　is　of

the　sun　and　deals　directly　with　things。　　I　feel　sure　that　in

elemental　forces　there　is　purification；　and　I　want　to　go　back　to

them　and　live　in　their　presence。



Of　course　to　one　so　modern　as　I　am；　'Enfant　de　mon　siecle；'　merely

to　look　at　the　world　will　be　always　lovely。　　I　tremble　with　pleasure

when　I　think　that　on　the　very　day　of　my　leaving　prison　both　the

laburnum　and　the　lilac　will　be　blooming　in　the　gardens；　and　that　I

shall　see　the　wind　stir　into　restless　beauty　the　swaying　gold　of　the

one；　and　make　the　other　toss　the　pale　purple　of　its　plumes；　so　that

all　the　air　shall　be　Arabia　for　me。　　Linnaeus　fell　on　his　knees　and

wept　for　joy　when　he　saw　for　the　first　time　the　long　heath　of　some

English　upland　made　yellow　with　the　tawny　aromatic　brooms　of　the

common　furze；　and　I　know　that　for　me；　to　whom　flowers　are　part　of

desire；　there　are　tears　waiting　in　the　petals　of　some　rose。　　It　has

always　been　so　with　me　from　my　boyhood。　　There　is　not　a　single

colour　hidden　away　in　the　chalice　of　a　flower；　or　the　curve　of　a

shell；　to　which；　by　some　subtle　sympathy　with　the　very　soul　of

things；　my　nature　does　not　answer。　　Like　Gautier；　I　have　always　been

one　of　those　'pour　qui　le　monde　visible　existe。'



Still；　I　am　conscious　now　that　behind　all　this　beauty；　satisfying

though　it　may　be；　there　is　some　spirit　hidden　of　which　the　painted

forms　and　shapes　are　but　modes　of　manifestation；　and　it　is　with　this

spirit　that　I　desire　to　become　in　harmony。　　I　have　grown　tired　of

the　articulate　utterances　of　men　and　things。　　The　Mystical　in　Art；

the　Mystical　in　Life；　the　Mystical　in　Nature　this　is　what　I　am

looking　for。　　It　is　absolutely　necessary　for　me　to　find　it

somewhere。



All　trials　are　trials　for　one's　life；　just　as　all　sentences　are

sentences　of　death；　and　three　times　have　I　been　tried。　　The　first

time　I　left　the　box　to　be　arrested；　the　second　time　to　be　led　back

to　the　house　of　detention；　the　third　time　to　pass　into　a　prison　for

two　years。　　Society；　as　we　have　constituted　it；　will　have　no　place

for　me；　has　none　to　offer；　but　Nature；　whose　sweet　rains　fall　on

unjust　and　just　alike；　will　have　clefts　in　the　rocks　where　I　may

hide；　and　secret　valleys　in　whose　silence　I　may　weep　undisturbed。

She　will　hang　the　night　with　stars　so　that　I　may　walk　abroad　in　the

darkness　without　stumbling；　and　send　the　wind　over　my　footprints　so

that　none　may　track　me　to　my　hurt：　　she　will　cleanse　me　in　great

waters；　and　with　bitter　herbs　make　me　whole。De　Profundis







DOMESTICITY　AT　BERNEVAL







DIEPPE；

June　1st；　1897。



My　Dear　Robbie；I　propose　to　live　at　Berneval。　　I　will　NOT　live　in

Paris；　nor　in　Algiers；　nor　in　Southern　Italy。　　Surely　a　house　for　a

year；　if　I　choose　to　continue　there；　at　32　pounds　is　absurdly　cheap。

I　could　not　live　cheaper　at　a　hotel。　　You　are　penny　foolish；　and

pound　foolisha　dreadful　state　for　my　financier　to　be　in。　　I　told

M。　Bonnet　that　my　bankers　were　MM。　Ross　et　Cie；　banquiers　celebres

de　Londresand　now　you　suddenly　show　me　that　you　have　no　place

among　the　great　financial　people；　and　are　afraid　of　any　investment

over　31　pounds；　10s。　　It　is　merely　the　extra　ten　shillings　that

baffles　you。　　As　regards　people　living　on　me；　and　the　extra

bedrooms：　　dear　boy；　there　is　no　one　who　would　stay　with　me　but　you；

and　you　will　pay　your　own　bill　at　the　hotel　for　meals；　and　as　for

your　room；　the　charge　will　be　nominally　2　francs　50　centimes　a

night；　but　there　will　be　lots　of　extras　such　as　bougie；　bain　and　hot

water；　and　all　cigarettes　smoked　in　the　bedrooms　are　charged　extra。

And　if　any　one　does　not　take　the　extras；　of　course　he　is　charged

more：…





Bain；　25　C。

Pas　de　bain；　50　C。

Cigarette　dans　la　chambre　e　coucher；　10　C。　pour　chaque　cigarette。

Pas　de　cigarette　dans　la　chambre　e　coucher；　20　C。　pour　chaque

cigarette。





This　is　the　system　at　all　good　hotels。　　If　Reggie　comes；　of　course

he　will　pay　a　little　more：　　I　cannot　forget　that　he　gave　me　a

dressing…case。　　Sphinxes　pay　a　hundred　per　cent　more　than　any　one

elsethey　always　did　in　Ancient　Egypt。



But　seriously；　Robbie；　if　people　stayed　with　me；　of　course　they

would　pay　their　PENSION　at　the　hotel。　　They　would　have　to：　　except

architects。　　A　modern　architect；　like　modern　architecture；　doesn't

pay。　　But　then　I　know　only　one　architect　and　you　are　hiding　him

somewhere　from　me。　　I　believe　that　he　is　as　extinct　as　the　dado；　of

which　now　only　fossil　remains　are　found；　chiefly　in　the　vicinity　of

Brompton；　where　they　are　sometimes　discovered　by　workmen　excavating。

They　are　usually　embedded　in　the　old　Lincrusta　Walton　strata；　and

are　rare　consequently。



I　visited　M。　le　Cure　｛4｝　to…day。　　He　has　a　charming　house　and　a

jardin　potager。　　He　showed　me　over　the　church。　　To…morrow　I　sit　in

the　choir　by　his　special　invitation。　　He　showed　me　all　his

vestments。　　To…morrow　he　really　will　be　charming　in　red。　　He　knows　I

am　a　heretic；　and　believes　Pusey　is　still　alive。　　He　says　that　God

will　conver