Портрет Дориана Грея

           ButitappearedtoDorianGraythatthetruenatureofthesenseshadneverbeenunderstood,andthattheyhadremainedsavageandanimal merelybecausetheworldhadsoughttostarvethemintosubmissionortokillthembypain, insteadofaimingatmakingthemelementsofanewspirituality,ofwhichafineinstinctforbeautywastobethedominantcharacteristic. AshelookedbackuponmanmovingthroughHistory,hewashauntedbyafeelingofloss. Somuchhadbeensurrendered!andtosuchlittlepurpose! Therehadbeenmadwilfulrejections,monstrousformsofself-tortureandself-denial, whoseoriginwasfear,andwhoseresultwasadegradationinfinitelymoreterriblethanthatfancieddegradationfromwhich,intheirignorance,theyhadsoughttoescape, Nature,inherwonderfulirony,drivingouttheanchoritetofeedwiththewildanimalsofthedesert andgivingtothehermitthebeastsofthefieldashiscompanions. 

           Yes:therewastobe,asLordHenryhadprophesied,anewHedonism thatwastorecreatelife,andtosaveitfromthatharsh,uncomelypuritanismthatishaving,inourownday,itscuriousrevival. Itwastohaveitsserviceoftheintellect,certainly; yet,itwasnevertoacceptanytheoryorsystemthatwouldinvolvethesacrificeofanymodeofpassionateexperience. Itsaim,indeed,wastobeexperienceitself,andnotthefruitsofexperience,sweetorbitterastheymightbe. Oftheasceticismthatdeadensthesenses,asofthevulgarprofligacythatdullsthem,itwastoknownothing. Butitwastoteachmantoconcentratehimselfuponthemomentsofalifethatisitselfbutamoment.