And in his hands he held an ivory lute,
With strings of gold that were as maidens’ hair,
And sang with voice as tuneful as a flute,
And round his neck three chains of roses were. 
But he that was his comrade walked aside;
He was full sad and sweet, and his large eyes
Were strange with wondrous brightness, staring wide
With gazing; and he sighed with many sighs
That moved me, and his cheeks were wan and white
Like pallid lilies, and his lips were red
Like poppies, and his hands he clenched tight,
And yet again unclenched, and his head
Was wreathed with moon-flowers pale as lips of death. 
A purple robe he wore, o’erwrought in gold
With the device of a great snake, whose breath
Was fiery flame:  which when I did behold
I fell a-weeping and I cried, “Sweet youth
Tell me why, sad and sighing, thou dost rove
These pleasant realms?  I pray thee speak me sooth
What is thy name?” He said, “My name is Love.” 
Then straight the first did turn himself to me
And cried, “He lieth, for his name is Shame,
But I am Love, and I was wont to be
Alone in this fair garden, till he came
Unasked by night; I am true Love, I fill
The hearts of boy and girl with mutual flame.” 
Then sighing said the other, “Have thy will,
I am the Love that dare not speak its name.”

LORD ALFRED DOUGLAS.

September, 1892.

IN PRAISE OF SHAME

    Unto my bed last night, methought there came
    Our lady of strange dreams, and from an urn
    She poured live fire, so that mine eyes did burn
    At sight of it.  Anon the floating flame
    Took many shapes, and one cried, “I am Shame
    That walks with Love, I am most wise to turn
    Cold lips and limbs to fire; therefore discern
    And see my loveliness, and praise my name.”

    And afterward, in radiant garments dressed,
    With sound of flutes and laughing of glad lips,
    A pomp of all the passions passed along,
    All the night through; till the white phantom ships
    Of dawn sailed in.  Whereat I said this song,
    “Of all sweet passions Shame is loveliest.”

LORD ALFRED DOUGLAS.

THE UNPUBLISHED PORTION OF “DE PROFUNDIS”

This is not the whole of the unpublished portion of “De Profundis”; but that part only which was read out in Court and used for the purpose of discrediting Lord Alfred Douglas; still, it is more than half of the whole in length and absolutely more than the whole in importance:  nothing of any moment is omitted, except the reiteration of accusations and just this repetition weakens the effect of the argument and strengthens the impression of querulous nagging instead of dispassionate statement.  If the whole were printed Oscar Wilde would stand worse; somewhat more selfish and more vindictive.