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 position, brilliancy, intellectual daring; I made art a philosophy, and philosophy an art: I altered the minds of men and the colour of things: there was nothing I said or did, that did not make people wonder.”—Why, such is the language of youthful vulgarity. I admit his words that he created a new literature; but what he appears to have created in letters will be found at once to be nothing but the old truth or wisdom or beauty newly spoken. “And for the rest,” I shall exclaim, “never would I care.” His way of saying was in fact quite creditable; but when I think what a bad influence he had and is still having on younger tired brains by his acrobatic superficiality, I more blame and deny him than praise and accept him.

However, I am happy to see that his vogue is spreading its wide wings even in this faraway Japan; what I hike to dwell on is that the English society, not only the English reading public, seems to have finally realized what it inflicted on him, and looks as if, though rather late, it wished to atone. Wilde says in a certain part of “De Profundis”: “I can claim Rh