The Toronto World - Monday, April 8, 1895
This report was originally published in English. Machine translations may be available in other languages.
WILDE AS WE KNEW HIM.
His Visit to America as Aestheticism’s Apostle—Caricatured by Du Maurier and Satirized by
Gilbert.
New York Sun: Oscar Wilde first achieved notoriety as a prostrate apostle and then as the leader of the then infantile aesthetic craze. He carried his aesthetic peculiarities so far that he became the subject of Du Maurier’s caricaturing pencil and Gilbert’s satirizing fun. That may have been what he was trying for. Neither the caricaturist nor the satirist diminished the ardor with which Wilde pursued what was vaguely called aestheticism. The Bunthornes of "Patience" made up in exact imitation of Wilde, and he posed in the lobbies of the same theatres and composed phrases which outdid, in lily-like languor, the phrases that Gilbert had thought to be satires. One of the songs of "Patience" which seemed to contain a more or less pointed allusion to Wilde ran:
Oscar Wilde, about whom so much is now being said, first achieved notoriety as a prostate apostle and then as the leader of the then infantile aesthetic craze. He carried his aesthetic peculiarities so far that he became the subject of Du Maurier's caricaturing pencil and Gilbert's satirizing fun. That may have been what he was trying for. Neither the caricaturist nor the satirist diminished the ardor with which Wilde pursued what was vaguely called aestheticism. The Bunthornes of "Patience" made up in exact imitation of Wilde, and he posed in the lobbies of the same theatres and composed phrases which outdid, in lily-like languor, the phrases Gilbert and thought to be satires. One of the songs of "Patience" which seemed to contain a more or less pointed allusion to Wilde ran:
Oscar Wilde, whose downfall is the talk of two continents, first achieved notoriety as a prostrate apostle, and then as the leader of the then infantile aesthetic craze. He carried his aesthetic peculiarities so far that he became the subject of Du Maurier’s caricaturing pencil and Gilbert’s satirizing fun. That may have been what he was trying for. Neither the caricaturist nor the satirist diminished the ardor with which Wilde purpled what was vaguely called aestheticism. The Bunthornes of "Patience" made up in exact imitation of Wilde, and he posed in the lobbies of the same theatres and composed phrases which outdid, in lily-like languages, the phrases Gilbert has thought to be satires. One of the songs of "Patience," which seemed to contain a more or less pointed allusion to Wilde, ran:—
Oscar Wilde, an account of whose downfall is printed elsewhere this morning, first achieved notoriety as a prostrate apostle and then as the leader of the then infantile æsthetic-craze. He carried his æsthetic peculiarities so far that he became the subject of Du Maurier's caricaturing pencil and Gilbert's satirizing fun. That may have been what he was trying for. Neither the caricaturist nor the satirist diminished the ardor with which Wilde pursued what was vaguely called æstheticism. The Bunthornes of "Patience" made up in exact imitation of Wilde, and he posed in the lobbies of the same theatres and composed phrases which outdid, in lily-like languor, the phrases Gilbert had thought to be satires. One of the songs of "Patience" which seemed to contain a more or less pointed allusion to Wilde ran:
Then, a sentimental passion of a vegetable fashion
Should excite your languid spleen;
An attachment, a la Plato, for a bashful
young potato,
Or a not too French French bean;
Though the Philistines may jostle, you will rank as an apostle
In the sentimental
band;
If you walk down Piccadilly with a poppy on a lily
In your medieval hand;
And every one will say
As you walk your mystic
way,
"If he’s content with a vegetable love that would certainly not suit me,
Why, what a most particularly pure young man this pure young man
must be."
Then a sentimental passion of a vegetable fashionShould excite your languid spleen;An attachment, a la Plato, for a bashful young potato,Or a not too French French bean;Though the Philistines may jostle, you will rank as an apostleIn the sentimental band;If you walk down Piccadilly with a poppy or a lilyIn your mediaeval hand;And every one will sayAs you walk your mystic way,"If he's content with a vegetable love that would certainly not suit me.Why, what a most particularly pure young man this pure young man must be."
Then a sentimental passion of a vegetable fashion Should excite your languid spleen: An attachment, à la Plato, for a bashful young potato, Or a not too French French bean: Though the Philistines may jostle, you will rank as an apostle In the sentimental band. If you walk down Picadilly with a poppy or a lily In your mediæval hand; And every one will say As you walk your mystic way, "If he's content with a vegetable love that would certainly not suit me. Why, what a most particularly pure young man this pure young man must be."
Then a sentimental passion of a vegetable fashion Should excite your languid spleen; An attachment, a la Plato, for a bashful young potato, Or a not too French French bean; Though the Philistines may jostle, you will rank as an apostle In the sentimental band, If you walk walk down Piccadilly with a poppy or a lily In your mediaeval hand; And every one will say As you walk your mystic may, "If he’s content with vegetable love that would certainly not suit me, Why, what a most peculiarly pure young man this pure young man must be."
Made His Reputation in Six Years
The more limp Du Maurier drew his caricature the limper was Oscar when he confronted the next assemblage; the longer Du Maurier made his people’s hair the longer Wilde stayed away from the barber’s.
The more limp Du Maurier drew his caricature the limper was Oscar when he confronted the next assemblage; the longer Du Maurier made his people's hair the longer Wilde stayed away from the barber's.
The more limp Du Maurier drew his caricature, the limper was Oscar when he confronted the next assemblage; the longer Du Maurier made his people's hair, the longer Wilde stayed away from the barber's.
The more limp Du Maurier drew his caricature the limper was Oscar when he confronted the next assemblage; the longer Du Maurier made his people’s hair the longer Wilde stayed away from the barber’s.
Up to that time, 15 years ago, Wilde had done little else to attract attention to himself. He was known to be the son of exceptionally clever parents and winner of the Newdigate at Oxford, but besides cleverly advertising himself and writing a few verses, he had done no clever original work, and was not seriously considered. His reputation as lecturer, man of fashion, wit, poet, novelist, essayist, playwright, has been made, in most particulars, in the last half dozen years, all since his lecturing tour in this country.
Up to that time, fifteen years ago, Wilde had done little else to attract attention to himself. He was known to be the son of exceptionally clever parents and winner of the Newdigate at Oxford, but, besides cleverly advertising himself and writing a few verses, he had done no clever original work, and was not seriously considered. His reputation as lecturer, man of fashion, wit, poet, novelist, essayist, playwright has been made, in most particulars, in the last half dozen years, all since his lecturing tour in this country.
Up to that time, fifteen years ago, Wilde had done little else to attract attention to himself. He was known to be the son of exceptionally clever parents and winner of the Newdigate at Oxford, but, besides cleverly advertising himself and writing a few verses, he had done no clever original work, and was not seriously considered. His reputation as lecturer, man of fashion, wit, poet, novelist, essayist, playwright has been made, in most particulars, in the last half dozen years, all since his lecturing tour in this country.
Up to the time of his American lecturing tour Wilde had done little else to attract attention to himself. He was known to be the son of exceptionally clever parents, and winner of the Newdigate at Oxford; but, besides cleverly advertising himself and writing a few verses, he had done no clever original work, and was not seriously considered. His reputation as a lecturer, man of fashion, wit, poet, novelist, essayist, playwright, has been made in most particulars, in the last half dozen years.
He came to America about 12 years ago, frankly advertised as a freak lecturing on "aestheticism." He wore knee breeches, silk hose, lace cuffs, and was otherwise variously freakish in his dress. At Boston a half hundred Harvard boys marched into his lecture hall dressed as he was, each carrying a lily. Wilde’s noted imperturbability did not desert him. Here merely lisped, "How tenderly droll!" and went on with his lecture.
Wilde came to America about 12 years ago, frankly advertising as a freak lecturing on "Aestheticism." He wore knee breeches, silk hose, lace cuffs, and was otherwise variously freakish in his dress. At Boston a half hundred Harvard boys marched into his lecture hall dressed as he was, each carrying a lily. Wilde’s noted imperturbability did not desert him. He merely lisped, "How tenderly droll" and went on with his lecture.
He came here about twelve years ago, frankly advertised as a freak lecturing on "aestheticism." He wore knee breeches, silk hose, lace cuffs, and was otherwise variously freakish in his dress. At Boston a half hundred Harvard boys marched into his lecture hall dressed as he was, each carrying a lily. Wilde's noted imperturbability did not desert him. He merely lisped, "How tenderly droll!" and went on with his lecture.
He came here about twelve years ago, frankly advertised as a freak lecturing on "æstheticism." He wore knee breeches, silk hose, lace cuffs, and was otherwise variously freakish in his dress. At Boston a half hundred Harvard boys marched into his lecture hall dressed as he was, each carrying a lily. Wilde's noted imperturbability did not desert him. He merely lisped, "How tenderly droll!" and went on with his lecture.
In a Western city he was the guest of a club, among whose members were a number of stout drinkers. They undertook to "tank up the aesthete," as they expressed it. The process was long. As the sun was breaking into the club windows, Wilde looked about over a room strewn with fallen braves, and said to the one man still able to comprehend speech:
In a Western city he was the guest of a club among whose members were a number of stout drinkers. They undertook to "tank up the æsthete" as they expressed it. The process was long. As the sun was breaking into the club windows, Wilde looked about over a room strewn with fallen braves, and said to the one man still able to comprehend speech:
In a western city he was the guest of a club, among whose members were a number of stout drinkers. They undertook to "tank up the aesthete," as they expressed it. The process was long. As the sun was breaking into the club windows Wilde looked over a room strewn with fallen braves, and said to the one man still able to comprehend speech:
In a western city he was the guest of a club, among whose members were a number of stout drinkers. They undertook to "tank up the aesthete" as they expressed it. The process was Iong. As the sun was breaking into the club windows, Wilde looked about over a room strewn with fallen braves, and said to the one man still able to comprehend speech: "We've had a charmingly quiet little evening. Don't you feel like a bit of a run about town before breakfast?"
In a Western city he was the guest of a club, among whose members were a number of stout drinkers. They undertook to "tank up the aesthete," as they expressed it. The process was long. As the sun was breaking into the club windows, Wilde looked about the room strewn with the fallen braves, and said to one man still able to comprehend speech:"We've had a charmingly quiet little evening. Don't you feel like a bit of a run about town before breakfast?"
"We’ve had a charmingly quiet little evening. Don’t you feel like a bit of a run about town before breakfast?"
"We've had a charmingly quiet little evening. Don't you feel like a bit of a run about town before breakfast?"
"We’ve had a charmingly quiet little evening. Don’t you feel like a bit of a run about town before breakfast?"
But those who met him under normal conditions found Mr. Wilde a witty and engaging talker; unusually well informed on a wide range of literature and art subjects, and quite able to care for himself in any mental encounter. The public at large, not knowing this of him, refused to accept him or his cult seriously, and Wilde returned to England richer only in experiences and a few hundred pounds. He had apologists, not of his class, for his "lily-like" eccentricities. In 1889 Edmund Yates wrote of him in The London World:
But those who met him under normal conditions found Mr. Wilde a witty and engaging talker; unusually well informed on a wide range of literary and art subjects, and quite able to care for himself in any mnental encounter. The public at large, not knowing this of him, refused to accept him or his cult seriously, and Wilde returned to England richer only in experiences and a few hundred pounds. He had apologists, not of his class, for his "lilylike" eccentricities. In 1880 Edmund Yates wrote of him in the London World:
But those who met him under normal conditions found Mr. Wilde a witty and engaging talker; unusually well informed on a wide range of literary and art subjects, and quite able to care for himself in any mental encounter. The public at large, not knowing this of him, refused to accept him or his cult seriously, and Wilde returned to England richer only in experiences and a few hundred pounds. He had apologists, not of his class, for his "lily-like" eccentricities. In 1889 Edmund Yates wrote of him the London World:
But those who met him under normal conditions found Mr. Wilde a witty and engaging talker; unusually well informed on a wide range of literature and art subjects, and quite able to care for himself in any mental encounter. The public at large not knowing this of him refused to accept him or his cult seriously, and Wilde returned to England richer only in experience, and a few hundred pounds. He had apologists, not of his class for his "lily-like" eccentricities.
"He came out with a great splurge: his hair, his watch fob, his costume and his walking stick started him well; the living up to the lily, and his disappointment with the Atlantic, and other quaint phrases carried him on for a bit; but he made something of a failure of his lecturing tour in America, and has not been much heard of since his return, so that there was a general impression that though he had come out well, he had gone in again. But those who were well acquainted with him knew better, and had perfect reliance on his unquestionable cleverness and his determination to make a mark. They felt that in these days, when every gate is thronged with suitors, a little charlatanism to call attention to one’s self is not merely admissible, but is necessary; granted always that when the attention has been attracted there is something really worth seeing in the show. Mr. Wilde has "justified these good opinions by working unobtrusively, indeed, but always well."
"He came out with a great splurge; his hair, his watch fob, his costume, and his walking stick started him well; the living up to the lily, and his disappointment with the Atlantic, and other quaint phrases carried him on for a bit; but he made somewhat of a failure in his lecturing tour in America, and has not been much heard of since his return, so that there was a general impression that though he had come out well, he had gone in again. But those who were well acquainted with him knew better, and had perfect reliance on his unquestionable cleverness and his determination to make a mark. They felt that in these days, when every gate is thronged with suitors, a little charlatanism to call attention to one's self is not merely admissible, but is necessary; granted always that when the attention has been attracted there is something really worth seeing in the show. Mr. Wilde has justified these good opinions by working unobtrusively, indeed, but always well."
"He came out with a great splurge; his hair, his watch fob, his costume, and his walking stick started him well; the living up to the lily, and his disappointment with the Atlantic, and other quaint phrases carried him on for a bit; but he made somewhat of a failure in his lecturing tour in America, and has not been much heard of since his return, so that there was a general impression that though he had come out well, he had gone in again. But those who were well acquainted with him knew better, and had perfect reliance on his unquestioniable cleverness and his determination to make a mark. They felt that in these days, when every gate is thronged with suitors, a little charlatanism to call attention to one's self is not merely admissible, but is necessary; granted always that when the attention has been attracted there is something really worth seeing in the show. Mr. Wilde has justified these good opinions by working unobtrusively, indeed, but always well."