selected prose of oscar wilde-第20节

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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　convert　England　on　account　of　England's　kindness　to　les　pretres

exiles　at　the　time　of　the　Revolution。　　It　is　to　be　the　reward　of

that　sea…lashed　island。



Stained　glass　windows　are　wanted　in　the　church；　he　has　only　six；

fourteen　more　are　needed。　　He　gets　them　at　300　francs12　poundsa

window　in　Paris。　　I　was　nearly　offering　half　a　dozen；　but　remembered

you；　and　so　only　gave　him　something　pour　les　pauvres。　　You　had　a

narrow　escape；　Robbie。　　You　should　be　thankful。



I　hope　the　40　pounds　is　on　its　way；　and　that　the　60　pounds　will

follow。　　I　am　going　to　hire　a　boat。　　It　will　save　walking　and　so　be

an　economy　in　the　end。　　Dear　Robbie；　I　must　start　well。　　If　the　life

of　St。　Francis　of　Assissi　awaits　me　I　shall　not　be　angry。　　Worse

things　might　happen。



Yours；



OSCAR。



…　Letter　to　Robert　Ross。







A　VISIT　TO　THE　POPE







c/o　COOK　&　SON；　PIAZZA　DI　SPAGNA；　ROME；

April　16th；　1900。



My　dear　Robbie；I　simply　cannot　write。　　It　is　too　horrid；　not　of

me；　but　to　me。　　It　is　a　mode　of　paralysisa　cacoethes　tacendithe

one　form　that　malady　takes　in　me。



Well；　all　passed　over　very　successfully。　　Palermo；　where　we　stayed

eight　days；　was　lovely。　　The　most　beautifully　situated　town　in　the

worldit　dreams　away　its　life　in　the　concha　d'oro；　the　exquisite

valley　that　lies　between　two　seas。　　The　lemon　groves　and　the　orange

gardens　were　so　entirely　perfect　that　I　became　quite　a　Pre…

Raphaelite；　and　loathed　the　ordinary　impressionists　whose　muddly

souls　and　blurred　intelligences　would　have　rendered；　but　by　mud　and

blur；　those　〃golden　lamps　hung　in　a　green　night〃　that　filled　me　with

such　joy。　　The　elaborate　and　exquisite　detail　of　the　true　Pre…

Raphaelite　is　the　compensation　they　offer　us　for　the　absence　of

motion；　literature　and　motion　being　the　only　arts　that　are　not

immobile。



Then　nowhere；　not　even　at　Ravenna；　have　I　seen　such　mosaics　as　in

the　Capella　Palatine；　which　from　pavement　to　domed　ceiling　is　all

gold：　　one　really　feels　as　if　one　was　sitting　in　the　heart　of　a

great　honey…comb　looking　at　angels　singing：　　and　LOOKING　at　angels；

or　indeed　at　people；　singing；　is　much　nicer　than　listening　to　them；

for　this　reason：　　the　great　artists　always　give　to　their　angels

lutes　without　strings；　pipes　without　vent…holes；　and　reeds　through

which　no　wind　can　wander　or　make　whistlings。



Monreale　you　have　heard　ofwith　its　cloisters　and　cathedral：　　we

often　drove　there。



I　also　made　great　friends　with　a　young　seminarist；　who　lived　in　the

cathedral　of　Palermohe　and　eleven　others；　in　little　rooms　beneath

the　roof；　like　birds。



Every　day　he　showed　me　all　over　the　cathedral；　I　knelt　before　the

huge　porphyry　sarcophagus　in　which　Frederick　the　Second　lies：　　it　is

a　sublime　bare　monstrous　thingblood…coloured；　and　held　up　by　lions

who　have　caught　some　of　the　rage　of　the　great　Emperor's　restless

soul。　　At　first　my　young　friend；　Giuseppe　Loverdi；　gave　me

information；　but　on　the　third　day　I　gave　information　to　him；　and　re…

wrote　history　as　usual；　and　told　him　all　about　the　supreme　King　and

his　Court　of　Poets；　and　the　terrible　book　that　he　never　wrote。　　His

reason　for　entering　the　church　was　singularly　mediaeval。　　I　asked

him　why　he　thought　of　becoming　a　clerico；　and　how。　　He　answered：

〃My　father　is　a　cook　and　most　poor；　and　we　are　many　at　home；　so　it

seemed　to　me　a　good　thing　that　there　should　be　in　so　small　a　house

as　ours；　one　mouth　less　to　feed；　for　though　I　am　slim；　I　eat　much；

too　much；　alas！　I　fear。〃



I　told　him　to　be　comforted；　because　God　used　poverty　often　as　a

means　of　bringing　people　to　Him；　and　used　riches　never；　or　rarely；

so　Giuseppe　was　comforted；　and　I　gave　him　a　little　book　of　devotion；

very　pretty；　and　with　far　more　pictures　than　prayers　in　itso　of

great　service　to　Giuseppe　whose　eyes　are　beautiful。　　I　also　gave　him

many　lire；　and　prophesied　for　him　a　Cardinal's　hat；　if　he　remained

very　good　and　never　forgot　me。



At　Naples　we　stopped　three　days：　　most　of