Beardsley’s letter of the 19th of December to Smithers was clearly in reply to the urging of Smithers that Beardsley should be the editor of his new magazine _The Peacock_ and should design the cover and whatever else was desired by Smithers. But Beardsley makes one unswerving condition, and but one--that “it is quite _agreed that Oscar Wilde contributes nothing to the magazine, anonymously, pseudonymously or otherwise_.” The underlining is Beardsley’s. Beardsley’s detestation of Wilde, and of all for which Wilde stood in the public eye, is the more pronounced seeing that both men had entered the Church of Rome with much publicity. Beardsley would not have Wilde in any association with him at any price.... Before Beardsley leaves the subject of _The Peacock_ he undertakes to design “a resplendent peacock in black and white” and reminds Smithers that he has “already some fine wash drawings” of his from which he can choose designs for the first number of the magazine. So that we at least know that this first number of _The Peacock_ was to have had a resplendent peacock in black and white for its cover, and that it was to have been adorned with the superb decorations for _Mademoiselle de Maupin_, the supreme artistic achievement of Beardsley’s resplendent skill. He outstripped in beauty of handling even his already exquisite craftsmanship: and it is the most tragic part of his tragedy of life that he was to die before he had given the world the further fulfilment of his wondrous artistry--leaving us wondering as to what further heights he might have scaled. Beardsley knew full well that these drawings in line and wash, in his “aquatint” style, were his supreme achievement. We know from a letter from Beardsley in this month that Smithers was still at his little office at No. 4, in the Royal Arcade, off Bond Street, whence Smithers sent me a coloured engraving of the _Mademoiselle de Maupin_, at Beardsley’s request, which had been beautifully reproduced in a very limited edition. Though Beardsley himself realised his weakness in oil painting, he would have made a mark in watercolours, employed with line, like coloured engravings. But the gods had willed that it should not be.