eeds into the pores and tubes of most
exquisite sensibility." One consequence of such legislation may be
easily foreseen. "A sentence of death and infamy was often founded on
the slight and suspicious evidence of a child or a servant: the guilt of
the green faction, of the rich, and of the enemies of Theodora, was
presumed by the judges, and paederasty became the crime of those to whom
no crime could be imputed."

This state of things has prevailed wherever the edicts of Justinian have
been adopted into the laws of nations. The Cathari, the Paterini, the
heretics of Provence, the Templars, the Fraticelli, were all accused of
unnatural crimes, tortured into confession, and put to death. Where
nothing else could be adduced against an unpopular sect, a political
antagonist, a wealthy corporation, a rival in literature, a powerful
party-leader, unnatural crime was insinuated, and a cry of "Down with
the pests of society" prepared the populace for a crusade.

It is the common belief that all subjects of sexual inversion have
originally loved women, but that, through monstrous debauchery and
superfluity of naughtiness, tiring of normal pleasure, they have
wilfully turned their appetites into other channels. This is true about
a certain number. But the sequel of this Essay will prove that it does
not meet by far the larger proportion of cases, in whom such instincts
are inborn, and a considerable percentage in whom they are also
inconvertible. Medical jurists and physicians have recently agreed to
accept this as a fact.

It is the common belief that a male who loves his own sex must be
despicable, degraded, depraved, vicious, and incapable of humane or
generous sentiments. If Greek history did not contradict this
supposition, a little patient enquiry into contemporary manners would
suffice to remove it. But people will not take this trouble about a
matter, which, like Gibbon, they "touch with reluctance and despatch
with impatience." Those who are obliged to do so find to their surprise
that "among the men who are subject to this deplorable vice there are
even quite intelligent, talented, and highly-placed persons, of
excellent and even noble character."[2] The vulgar expect to discover
the objects of their outraged animosity in the scum of humanity. But
these may be met with every day in drawing-rooms, law-courts, banks,
universities, mess-rooms; on the bench, the throne, the chair of the
professor; under the blouse of the