Page:Writings of Oscar Wilde - Volume 01.djvu/34

20 "the artist should never do the same thing twice." One might amend his dictum, and say that the artist cannot do the same thing twice, even if he tries; for his work marks and records a continuous spiritual progression, and he can no more control it than he can control the development of his spirit.

The two main characteristics of Wilde's writings, as of his own nature, to be found there in unusual juxtaposition, are the love of beauty, and the sense of comedy. The flamboyant methods by which Wilde chose first to announce his evangel of æstheticism made the world for a long while look upon him as a sort of quack of the beautiful; but, before he had set out upon his mission of the sunflower, he had published a volume of poems, which was earnest enough of his sincerity. "Spirit of beauty," ran some lines of one of the poems, lines which he had painted in gold along the frieze of his Tite Street drawing-room—

"tarry still a-while,
 * They are not dead, thine ancient votaries,

Some few there are to whom thy radiant smile
 * Is better than a thousand victories."