Wilde
Among my hebdomadal drafts I just found one which was actually supposed to get published last monday. But here it is:
Our little sexuality work group will organise friday's seminar, and again my research has acquainted me with some interesting - or rather funny this time - bits of history.
Oscar Wilde's trial transcripts generally are a delight to read. But they are rather lengthy, so I'll give you a fragment.
Wilde gets cross-examined on an attempt at blackmail:
"Wilde: I felt that this was the man who wanted money from me. I said, "I suppose you have come about my beautiful letter to Lord Alfred Douglas. If you had not been so foolish as to send a copy of it to Mr. Beerbohm Tree, I would gladly have paid you a very large sum of money for the letter, as I consider it to be a work of art." He said, "A very curious construction can be put on that letter." I said in reply, "Art is rarely intelligible to the criminal classes." He said, "A man offered me £6o for it." I said to him, "If you take my advice you will go to that man and sell my letter to him for £6o. I myself have never received so large a sum for any prose work of that length; but I am glad to find that there is some one in England who considers a letter of mine worth £6o."' He was somewhat taken aback by my manner, perhaps, and said, "The man is out of town." I replied, "He is sure to come back," and I advised him to get the £6o."
Later on in one of the trials:
"Edward Carson [Lord Queensberry's attorney]: You stated that your age was thirty-nine. I think you are over forty. You were born on 16th October, 1854?
Oscar Wilde: I have no wish to pose as being young. I am thirty-nine or forty. You have my certificate and that settles the matter.
C: But being born in 1854 makes you more than forty?
W: Ah! Very well"
Our little sexuality work group will organise friday's seminar, and again my research has acquainted me with some interesting - or rather funny this time - bits of history.
Oscar Wilde's trial transcripts generally are a delight to read. But they are rather lengthy, so I'll give you a fragment.
Wilde gets cross-examined on an attempt at blackmail:
"Wilde: I felt that this was the man who wanted money from me. I said, "I suppose you have come about my beautiful letter to Lord Alfred Douglas. If you had not been so foolish as to send a copy of it to Mr. Beerbohm Tree, I would gladly have paid you a very large sum of money for the letter, as I consider it to be a work of art." He said, "A very curious construction can be put on that letter." I said in reply, "Art is rarely intelligible to the criminal classes." He said, "A man offered me £6o for it." I said to him, "If you take my advice you will go to that man and sell my letter to him for £6o. I myself have never received so large a sum for any prose work of that length; but I am glad to find that there is some one in England who considers a letter of mine worth £6o."' He was somewhat taken aback by my manner, perhaps, and said, "The man is out of town." I replied, "He is sure to come back," and I advised him to get the £6o."
Later on in one of the trials:
"Edward Carson [Lord Queensberry's attorney]: You stated that your age was thirty-nine. I think you are over forty. You were born on 16th October, 1854?
Oscar Wilde: I have no wish to pose as being young. I am thirty-nine or forty. You have my certificate and that settles the matter.
C: But being born in 1854 makes you more than forty?
W: Ah! Very well"
posted by Anna P.H. Geurts | 1:54 pm
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