oung men are kept apart from females, and where homosexual vices are
frequent. The best minds of our youth are therefore exposed to the
influences of a paederastic literature at the same time that they acquire
the knowledge and experience of unnatural practices. Nor is any trouble
taken to correct these adverse influences by physiological instruction
in the laws of sex.

XIV.

The points suggested for consideration are whether England is still
justified in restricting the freedom of adult persons, and rendering
certain abnormal forms of sexuality criminal, by any real dangers to
society: after it has been shown (1) that abnormal inclinations are
congenital, natural, and ineradicable in a large percentage of
individuals; (2) that we tolerate sterile intercourse of various types
between the two sexes; (3) that our legislation has not suppressed the
immorality in question; (4) that the operation of the Code Napoleon for
nearly a century has not increased this immorality in France; (5) that
Italy, with the experience of the Code Napoleon to guide her, adopted
its principles in 1889; (6) that the English penalties are rarely
inflicted to their full extent; (7) that their existence encourages
blackmailing, and their non-enforcement gives occasion for base
political agitation; (8) that our higher education is in open
contradiction to the spirit of our laws.[80]

FINIS.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Vindices Flammae.

[2] Stieber, "Practisches Lehrbuch der Criminal-Polizei," 1860, cap. 19,
quoted by Ulrichs, "Araxes," p. 9. It is not necessary to multiply
evidences upon a point so patent to every man of the world. But I will
nevertheless translate a striking passage from Mantegazza (_op. cit._,
p. 148). "Nor is this infamous abomination confined to the vilest
classes of our society. It soars into the highest spheres of wealth and
intelligence. Within the narrow range of my own experience I have known
among the most scandalous sodomites a French journalist, a German poet,
an Italian statesman, and a Spanish jurist; all of these men of
exquisite taste and profound culture!" It would not be difficult to draw
up a list of English kings, bishops, deans, nobles of the highest rank,
poets, historians, dramatists, officers in the army and navy, civil
servants, schoolmasters in the most fashionable schools, physicians,
members of Parliament, journalists, barristers, who in their lifetime
were, as Dante says, "d'un medesmo peccato a