hat on earth had induced Wilde to begin the prosecution; what
madness had driven him and why had he listened to the insane advice to
bring the action when he must have known the sort of evidence which
could be brought against him.

After promising to produce Parker and the others Mr. Carson stopped
speaking and began looking through his papers; when he began again,
everyone held his breath; what was coming now? He proceeded in the
same matter-of-fact and serious way to deal with the case of the
youth, Conway. Conway, it appeared, had known Mr. Wilde and his family
at Worthing. Conway was sixteen years of age.... At this moment Sir
Edward Clarke returned with Mr. Charles Mathews, and asked permission
of the judge to have a word or two with Mr. Carson. At the close of a
few minutes' talk between the counsel, Sir Edward Clarke rose and told
the Judge that after communicating with Mr. Oscar Wilde he thought it
better to withdraw the prosecution and submit to a verdict of "not
guilty."

He minimised the defeat. He declared that, in respect to matters
connected with literature and the letters, he could not resist the
verdict of "not guilty," having regard to the fact that Lord
Queensberry had not used a direct accusation, but the words "posing
as," etc. Besides, he wished to spare the jury the necessity of
investigating in detail matter of the most appalling character. He
wished to make an end of the case--and he sat down.

Why on earth did Sir Edward Clarke not advise Oscar in this way weeks
before? Why did he not tell him his case could not possibly be won?

I have heard since on excellent authority that before taking up the
case Sir Edward Clarke asked Oscar Wilde whether he was guilty or not,
and accepted in good faith his assurance that he was innocent. As soon
as he realised, in court, the strength of the case against Oscar he
advised him to abandon the prosecution. To his astonishment Oscar was
eager to abandon it. Sir Edward Clarke afterwards defended his
unfortunate client out of loyalty and pity, Oscar again assuring him
of his innocence.

Mr. Carson rose at once and insisted, as was his right, that this
verdict of "not guilty" must be understood to mean that Lord
Queensberry had succeeded in his plea of justification.

Mr. Justice Collins thought that it was not part of the function of
the Judge and jury to insist on wading through prurient details, which
had no bearing on the matter at issue, which had alre