[Portions of this header are copyright (C) 2001 by Michael S. Hart and may be reprinted only when these Etexts are free of all fees.] [Project Gutenberg is a TradeMark and may not be used in any sales of Project Gutenberg Etexts or other materials be they hardware or software or any other related product without express permission.] This etext was prepared by Hollis Ramsey <holliser@ev1.net> Oscar Wilde, His Life and Confessions, Volume 1 by Frank Harris CONTENTS VOLUME I Introduction Chapter I--Oscar's Father and Mother on Trial Chapter II--Oscar Wilde as a Schoolboy Chapter III--Trinity, Dublin: Magdalen, Oxford Chapter IV--Formative Influences: Oscar's Poems Chapter V--Oscar's Quarrel with Whistler and Marriage Chapter VI--Oscar Wilde's Faith and Practice Chapter VII--Oscar's Reputation and Supporters Chapter VIII--Oscar's Growth to Originality About 1890 Chapter IX--The Summer of Success: Oscar's First Play Chapter X--The First Meeting with Lord Alfred Douglas Chapter XI--The Threatening Cloud Draws Nearer Chapter XII--Danger Signals: the Challenge Chapter XIII--Oscar Attacks Queensberry and is Worsted Chapter XIV--How Genius is Persecuted in England Chapter XV--The Queen vs. Wilde: The First Trial Chapter XVI--Escape Rejected: The Second Trial and Sentence VOLUME II Chapter XVII--Prison and the Effects of Punishment Chapter XVIII--Mitigation of Punishment; but not Release Chapter XIX--His St. Martin's Summer: His Best Work Chapter XX--The Results of His Second Fall: His Genius Chapter XXI--His Sense of Rivalry; His Love of Life and Laziness Chapter XXII--"A Great Romantic Passion!" Chapter XXIII--His Judgments of Writers and of Women Chapter XXIV--We Argue About His "Pet Vice" and Punishment Chapter XXV--The Last Hope Lost Chapter XXVI--The End Chapter XXVII--A Last Word Shaw's "Memories" The Appendix The crucifixion of the guilty is still more awe-inspiring than the crucifixion of the innocent; what do we men know of innocence? INTRODUCTION I was advised on all hands not to write this book, and some English friends who have read it urge me not to publish it. "You will be accused of selecting the subject," they say, "because sexual viciousness appeals to you, and your method of treatment lays you open to attack. "You criticise and condemn the English conception of justice, and English legal methods: you even question the impartiality of English judges, and throw an unpleasant light on English juries and the English public--all of which is not only unpopular but will convince the unthinking that you are a presumptuous, or at least an outlandish, person with too good a conceit of himself and altogether too free a tongue." I should be more than human or less if these arguments did not give me pause. I would do nothing willingly to alienate the few who are still friendly to me. But the motives driving me are too strong for such personal considerations. I might say with the Latin: