OSCAR WILDE
A CRITICAL STUDY BY ARTHUR RANSOME
LONDON
MARTIN SECKER
NUMBER FIVE JOHN STREET
ADELPHI
MCMXII
Oscar Wilde.
from the Painting by Harper Pennington
nowin the possession of Robert Ross. Esq.
BY THE SAME AUTHOR
BOHEMIA IN LONDON (Sketches and Essays), 1907
A HISTORY OF STORY-TELLING, 1909
EDGAR ALLAN POE, 1910
THE HOOFMARKS OF THE FAUN, 1911
Etc.
Copyright reserved in all countries signatory to theBerne Convention. The copyright of this book inRussia is the property of the Scorpion Press, Moscow
TO
ROBERT ROSS
NOTE
I wish to thank Mr. Robert Ross, Wilde's literary executor, who hashelped me in every possible way, allowed me to read many of the lettersthat Wilde addressed to him, and given much time out of a very busy lifeto the verification, from documents in his possession, of thebiographical facts included in my book. I wish to thank Mr. WalterLedger for much interesting information, and for the sight of many rareeditions of Wilde's books that made possible the correction of severalbibliographical errors into which I had fallen. I wish to thank Mr.Martin Secker for putting at my disposal his collection of latenineteenth-century literature. I wish to thank an anonymous author forlending me the proof-sheets of a forthcoming book, which will contain afull and accurate account of the legal proceedings for and againstWilde. Many of those who knew Wilde have helped me, by letter or inconversation, with valuable reminiscence. I would thank, particularly,[Pg 10]M. Paul Fort, M. Remy de Gourmont, M. Stuart Merrill, and Mr. Reginald Turner.
The texts of Wilde's books that I have used throughout are these:Messrs. Methuen's limited edition of the works, and the five shillingedition issued by the same firm; Mr. Charles Carrington's edition ofThe Picture of Dorian Gray; Mr. A. L. Humphreys' edition of The Soulof Man under Socialism; Mr. David Nutt's edition of The Happy Princeand other Tales. To these, as to the best, and in some cases the only,editions easily accessible, I must refer my readers. Much accurateobservation is to be found in M. André Gide's "Oscar Wilde," publishedby the Mercure de France, and the result of much laborious and usefulresearch is embodied in Mr. Stuart Mason's "Bibliography of the Poems ofOscar Wilde," published by Mr. Grant Richards. Permission to includemany quotations has been granted by Messrs. Methuen and Co., and Mr. Robert Ross.
CONTENTS
| PAGE | |
| INTRODUCTORY | 13 |
| BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY | 27 |
| POEMS | 36 | ...