selected prose of oscar wilde-第1节

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Selected　Prose　of　Oscar　Wilde



by　Oscar　Wilde









Contents：



Preface　by　Robert　Ross

How　They　Struck　a　Contemporary

The　Quality　of　George　Meredith

Life　in　the　Fallacious　Model

Life　the　Disciple

Life　the　Plagiarist

The　Indispensable　East

The　Influence　of　the　Impressionists　on　Climate

An　Exposure　to　Naturalism

Thomas　Griffiths　Wainewright

Wainewright　at　Hobart　Town

Cardinal　Newman　and　the　Autobiographiers

Robert　Browning

The　Two　Supreme　and　Highest　Arts

The　Secrets　of　Immortality

The　Critic　and　his　Material

Dante　the　Living　Guide

The　Limitations　of　Genius

Wanted　A　New　Background

Without　Frontiers

The　Poetry　of　Archaeology

The　Art　of　Archaeology

Herod　Suppliant

The　Tetrarch's　Remorse

The　Tetrarch's　Treasure

Salome　anticipates　Dr。　Strauss

The　Young　King

A　Coronation

The　King　of　Spain

A　Bull　Fight

The　Throne　Room

A　Protected　Country

The　Blackmailing　of　the　Emperor

Covent　Garden

A　Letter　from　Miss　Jane　Percy　to　her　Aunt

The　Triumph　of　American　'Humor'

The　Garden　of　Death

An　Eton　Kit…cat

Mrs。　Erlynne　Exercises　the　Prerogative　of　a　Grandmother

Motherhood　more　than　Marriage

The　Damnable　Ideal

From　a　Rejected　Prize…essay

The　Possibilities　of　the　Useful

The　Artist

The　Doer　of　Good

The　Disciple

The　Master

The　House　of　Judgment

The　Teacher　of　Wisdom

Wilde　gives　directions　about　'De　Profundis'

Carey　Street

Sorrow　wears　no　mask

Vita　Nuova

The　Grand　Romantic

Clapham　Junction

The　Broken　Resolution

Domesticity　at　Berneval

A　visit　to　the　Pope







PREFACE







With　the　possible　exceptions　of　the　Greek　Anthology；　the　〃Golden

Treasury〃　and　those　which　bear　the　name　of　E。　V。　Lucas；　no

selections　of　poetry　or　prose　have　ever　given　complete　satisfaction

to　anyone　except　the　compiler。　　But　critics　derive　great

satisfaction　from　pointing　out　errors　of　omission　and　inclusion　on

the　part　of　the　anthologist；　and　all　of　us　have　putatively　re…

arranged　and　re…edited　even　the　〃Golden　Treasury〃　in　our　leisure

moments。　　In　an　age　when　〃Art　for　Art's　sake〃　is　an　exploded

doctrine；　anthologies；　like　everything　else；　must　have　a　purpose。

The　purpose　or　object　of　the　present　volume　is　to　afford　admirers　of

Wilde's　work　the　same　innocent　pleasure　obtainable　from　similar

compilations；　namely　that　of　reconstructing　a　selection　of　their　own

in　their　mind's　eyefor　copyright　considerations　would　interfere

with　the　materialisation　of　their　dream。



A　stray　observation　in　an　esteemed　weekly　periodical　determined　the

plan　of　this　anthology　and　the　choice　of　particular　passages。　　The

writer；　whose　name　has　escaped　me；　opined　that　the　reason　the　works

of　Pater　and　Wilde　were　no　longer　read　was　owing　to　both　authors

having　treated　English　as　a　dead　language。　　By　a　singular

coincidence　I　had　purchased　simultaneously　with　the　newspaper　a

shilling　copy　of　Pater's　〃Renaissance；〃　published　by　Messrs。

Macmillan；　and　a　few　days　afterwards　Messrs。　Methuen　issued　at　a

shilling　the　twenty…eighth　edition　of　〃De　Profundis。〃　　Obviously

either　Messrs。　Macmillan　and　Messrs。　Methuen　or　the　authority　on

dead　languages　must　have　been　suffering　from　hallucinations。　　It

occurred　to　me　that　a　selection　of　Wilde's　prose　might　at　least

rehabilitate　the　notorious　reputation　for　common　sense　enjoyed　by

all　publishers；　who　rarely　issue　shilling　editions　of　deceased

authors　for　mere　aesthetic　considerations。　　And　I　confess　to　a　hope

that　this　volume　may　reach　the　eye　or　ear　of　those　who　have　not　read

Wilde's　books；　or　of　those；　such　as　Mr。　Sydney　Grundy；　who　are

irritated　by　the　revival　of　his　plays　and　the　praise　accorded　to　his

works　throughout　the　Continent。



Wilde's　prose　is　distinguished　by　its　extraordinary　ease　and

clarity；　and　by　the　absencevery　singular　in　his　caseof　the

preciosity　which　he　admired　too　much　in　other　writers；　and　advocated

with　over…emphasis。　　Perhaps　that　is　why　many　of　his　stories　and

essays　and　plays　are　used　as　English　text…books　in　Russian　and

Scandinavian　and　Hungarian　schools。　　Artifice　and　affectation；　often

assumed　to　be　recurrent　defects　in　his　writings　by　those

unacquainted　with　them；　are　comparatively　rare。　　Wilde　once　boasted

in　an　interview　that　only　Flaubert；　Pater；　Keats；　and　Maeterlinck

had　influenced　him；　and　then　added　in　a　characteristic　way：　　〃But　I

had　already　gone　more　than　half…way　to　meet　them。〃　　Anyone　curious

as　to　the　origin　of　Wilde's　style　and　development　should　consult　the

learned　treatise　｛1｝　of　Dr。　Ernst　Bendz；　whose　comprehensive

treatment　of　the　subject　renders　any　elucidation　of　mine

superfluous；　while　nothing　can　be　added　to　Mr。　Holbrook　Jackson's

masterly　criticism　｛2｝　of　Wilde　and　his　position　in　literature。



In　making　this　selection；　with　the　valuable　assistance　of　Mr。　Stuart

Mason；　I　have　endeavoured　to　illustrate　and　to　justify　the　critical

appreciations　of　both　Dr。　Bendz　and　Mr。　Holbrook　Jackson；　as　well　as

to　afford　the　general　reader　a　fair　idea　of　Wilde's　variety　as　a

prose　writer。　　He　is　more　various　than　almost　any　author　of　the　last

century；　though　the　act　of　writing　was　always　a　burden　to　him。　　Some

critic　acutely　pointed　out　that　poetry　and　prose　were　almost　side…

issues　for　him。　　The　resulting　faults　and　weakness　of　what　he　left

are　obvious。　　Except　in　the　plays　he　has　no　sustained　scheme　of

thought。　　Even　〃De　Profundis〃　is　too　desultory。



For　the　purpose　of　convenient　reference　I　have　exercised　the

prerogative　of　a　literary　executor　and　editor　by　endowing　with

special　titles　some　of　the　pieces　quoted　in　these　pages。　　Though

unlike　one　of　Wilde's　other　friends　I　cannot　claim　to　have

collaborated　with　him　or　to　have　assisted　him　in　any　of　his　plays；　I

was　sometimes　permitted；　as　Wilde　acknowledges　in　different　letters；

to　act　in　the　capacity　of　godfather　by　suggesting　the　actual　titles

by　which　some　of　his　books　are　known　to　the　world。　　I　mention　the

circumstance　only　as　a　precedent　for　my　present　temerity。　　To

compensate　those　who　disapprove　of　my　choice；　I　have　included　two

unpublished　letters。　　The　examples　of　Wilde's　epistolary　style；

published　since　his　death；　have　been　generally　associated　with

disagreeable　subjects。　　Those　included　here　will；　I　hope；　prove　a

pleasant　contrast。



ROBERT　ROSS





HOW　THEY　STRUCK　A　CONTEMPORARY





There　is　such　a　thing　as　robbing　a　story　of　its　reality　by　trying　to

make　it　too　true；　and　The　Black　Arrow　is　so　inartistic　as　not　to

contain　a　single　anachronism　to　boast　of；　while　the　transformation

of　Dr。　Jekyll　reads　dangerously　like　an　experiment　out　of　the

Lancet。　　As　for　Mr。　Rider　Haggard；　who　really　has；　or　had　once；　the

makings　of　a　perfectly　magnificent　liar；　he　is　now　so　afraid　of

being　suspected　of　genius　that　when　he　does　tell　us　anything

marvellous；　he　feels　bound　to　invent　a　personal　reminiscence；　and　to

put　it　into　a　footnote　as　a　kind　of　cowardly　corroboration。　　Nor　are

our　other　novelists　much　better。　　Mr。　Henry　James　writes　fiction　as

if　it　were　a　painful　duty；　and　wastes　upon　mean　motives　and

imperceptible　'points　of　view〃　his　neat　literary　style；　his

felicitous　phrases；　his　swift　and　caustic　satire。　　Mr。　Hall　Caine；

it　is　true；　aims　at　the　grandiose；　but　then　he　writes　at　the　top　of

his　voice。　　He　is　so　loud　that　one　cannot　bear　what　he　says。　　Mr。

James　Payn　is　an　adept　in　the　art　of　concealing　what　is　not　worth

finding。　　He　hunts　down　the　obvious　with　the　enthusiasm　of　a　short…

sighted　detective。　　As　one　turns　over　the　pages；　the　suspense　of　the

author　becomes　almost　unbearable。　　The　horses　of　Mr。　William　Black's

phaeton　do　not　soar　towards　the　sun。　　They　merely　frighten　the　sky

at　evening　into　violent　chromolithographic　effects。　　On　seeing　them

approach；　the　peasants　take　refuge　in　dialect。　　Mrs。　Oliphant

prattles　pleasantly　about　curates；　lawn…tennis　parties；　domesticity；

and　other　wearisome　things。　　Mr。　Marion　Crawford　has　immolated

himself　upon　the　altar　of　local　colour。　　He　is　like　the　lady　in　the

French　comedy　who　keeps　talking　about　〃le　beau　ciel　d'Italie。〃

Besides；　he　has　fallen　into　the　bad　habit　of　uttering　moral

platitudes。　　He　is　always　telling　us　that　to　be　good　is　to　be　good；

and　that　to　be　bad　is　to　be　wicked。　　At　times　he　is　almost　edifying。

Robert　Elsmere　is　of　course　a　masterpiecea　masterpiece　of　the

〃genre　ennuyeux；〃　the　one　form　of　literature　that　the　English　people

seems　thoroughly　to　enjoy。　　A　thoughtful　young　friend　of　ours　once

told　us　that　it　reminded　him　of　the　sort　of　conversation　that　goes

on　at　a　meat　tea　in　the　house　of　a　serious　Nonconformist　family；　and

we　can　quite　believe　it。　　Indeed　it　is　only　in　England　that　such　a

book　could　be　produced。　　England　is　the　home　of　lost　ideas。　　As　for

that　great　and　daily　increasing　school　of　novelists　for　whom　the　sun

always　rises　in　the　East…End；　the　only　thing　that　can　be　said　about

them　is　that　they　find　life　crude；　and　leave　it　raw。The　Decay　of