many as a craze, a few had stood firm, and slowly the steadfast minority had
begun to sway the majority as is often the case in democracies. Oscar Wilde
profited by the victory of these art-loving forerunners. Here and there among
the indifferent public, men were attracted by the artistic view of life and
women by the emotional intensity of the new creed. Oscar Wilde became the
prophet of an esoteric cult. But notoriety even did not solve the monetary
question, which grew more and more insistent. A dozen times he waved it aside
and went into debt rather than restrain himself. Somehow or other he would fall
on his feet, he thought. Men who console themselves in this way usually fall
on someone else's feet and so did Oscar Wilde. At twenty-six years of age and
curiously enough at the very moment of his insolent-bold challenge of the world
with fantastic dress, he stooped to ask his mother for money, money which she
could ill spare, though to do her justice she never wasted a second thought on
money where her affections were concerned, and she not only loved Oscar but was
proud of him. Still she could not give him much; the difficulty was only
postponed; what was to be done?
His vanity had grown with his growth; the dread of defeat was only a spur
to the society favourite; he cast about for some means of conquering the
Philistines, and could think of nothing but his book of poems. He had been
trying off and on for nearly a year to get it published. The publishers told
him roundly that there was no money in poetry and refused the risk. But the
notoriety of his knee-breeches and silken hose, and above all the continual
attacks in the society papers, came to his aid and his book appeared in the
early summer of 1881 with all the importance that imposing form, good paper,
broad margins, and high price (10/6) could give it. The truth was, he paid for
the printing and production of the book himself, and David Bogue, the publisher,
put his name on for a commission.
Oscar had built high fantastic hopes on this book. To the very end of his
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