maux et Camees." Such books as Le Conso's
"Clericalis Disciplina" belong not to culture, but to curiosity. Anybody
may be excused for not knowing them.

Finally, let me say this--the aesthetic movement produced certain curious
colours, subtle in their loveliness and fascinating in their almost
mystical tone. They were, and are, our reaction against the crude
primaries of a doubtless more respectable but certainly less cultivated
age. My story is an essay on decorative art. It re-acts against the
crude brutality of plain realism. It is poisonous, if you like, but you
cannot deny that it is also perfect, and perfection is what we artists
aim at.

I remain, Sir, your obedient servant,

OSCAR WILDE.

16, Tite Street, June 30th.

[12] July 2nd, 1890.

* * * * *

_We allow absolute freedom to the journalist, and entirely limit the
artist. English public opinion, that is to say, tries to constrain and
impede and warp the man who makes things that are beautiful in effect,
and compels the journalist to retail things that are ugly, or
disgusting, or revolting in fact, so that we have the most serious
journalists in the world, and the most indecent newspapers._

* * * * *

"THE SCOTS OBSERVER'S" REVIEW.

The following diatribe is from a journal, _The Scots Observer_[13],
which had an ephemeral existence in the early 'nineties. Under the
heading of "Reviews and Magazines" it launched forth in these words:--

"Why go grubbing in muck heaps? The world is fair, and the
proportion of healthy-minded men and honest women to those that are
foul, fallen or unnatural is great. Mr. Oscar Wilde has again been
writing stuff that were better unwritten; and while "The Picture of
Dorian Gray," which he contributes to _Lippincott's_, is ingenious,
interesting, full of cleverness, and plainly the work of a man of
letters, it is false art for its interest is medico-legal; it is
false to human nature--for its hero is a devil; it is false to
morality--for it is not made sufficiently clear that the writer
does not prefer a course of unnatural iniquity to a life of
cleanliness, health and sanity. The story--which deals with matters
only fitted for the Criminal Investigation Department or a hearing
_in camera_--is discreditable alike to author and editor.

Mr. Wilde has bra