e long contemplation of them, in
disdain of what in life is common and ignoble and in such felicitous
sense of humour as enables one to see how vain and foolish is all popular
opinion, and popular judgment, upon the wonderful things of art. These
qualities Mr. John Gray possesses in a marked degree. He needs no other
protection, nor, indeed, would he accept it.--I remain, Sir, your
obedient servant, OSCAR WILDE.

LADY WINDERMERE'S FAN: AN EXPLANATION

(St. James's Gazette, February 27, 1892.)

To the Editor of the St. James's Gazette.

SIR,--Allow me to correct a statement put forward in your issue of this
evening to the effect that I have made a certain alteration in my play in
consequence of the criticism of some journalists who write very
recklessly and very foolishly in the papers about dramatic art. This
statement is entirely untrue and grossly ridiculous.

The facts are as follows. On last Saturday night, after the play was
over, and the author, cigarette in hand, had delivered a delightful and
immortal speech, I had the pleasure of entertaining at supper a small
number of personal friends; and as none of them was older than myself I,
naturally, listened to their artistic views with attention and pleasure.
The opinions of the old on matters of Art are, of course, of no value
whatsoever. The artistic instincts of the young are invariably
fascinating; and I am bound to state that all my friends, without
exception, were of opinion that the psychological interest of the second
act would be greatly increased by the disclosure of the actual
relationship existing between Lady Windermere and Mrs. Erlynne--an
opinion, I may add, that had previously been strongly held and urged by
Mr. Alexander.

As to those of us who do not look on a play as a mere question of
pantomime and clowning psychological interest is everything, I
determined, consequently, to make a change in the precise moment of
revelation. This determination, however, was entered into long before I
had the opportunity of studying the culture, courtesy, and critical
faculty displayed in such papers as the Referee, Reynolds', and the
Sunday Sun.

When criticism becomes in England a real art, as it should be, and when
none but those of artistic instinct and artistic cultivation is allowed
to write about works of art, artists will, no doubt, read criticisms with
a certain amount of intellectual interest. As things are at present, the
criticis