Портрет Дориана Грея

           Ordinarypeoplewaitedtilllifedisclosedtothemitssecrets,buttothefew,totheelect,themysteriesoflifewererevealedbeforetheveilwasdrawnaway. Sometimesthiswastheeffectofart,andchieflyoftheartofliterature,whichdealtimmediatelywiththepassionsandtheintellect. Butnowandthenacomplexpersonalitytooktheplaceandassumedtheofficeofart; wasindeed,initsway,arealworkofart,Lifehavingitselaboratemasterpieces,justaspoetryhas,orsculpture,orpainting. 

           Yes,theladwaspremature.Hewasgatheringhisharvestwhileitwasyetspring. Thepulseandpassionofyouthwereinhim,buthewasbecomingself-conscious. Itwasdelightfultowatchhim.Withhisbeautifulface,andhisbeautifulsoul,hewasathingtowonderat. Itwasnomatterhowitallended,orwasdestinedtoend.Hewaslikeoneofthosegraciousfiguresinapageantoraplay,whosejoysseemtoberemotefromone, butwhosesorrowsstirone’ssenseofbeauty,andwhosewoundsarelikeredroses. 

           Soulandbody,bodyandsoul—howmysterioustheywere!Therewasanimalisminthesoul,andthebodyhaditsmomentsofspirituality. Thesensescouldrefine,andtheintellectcoulddegrade.Whocouldsaywherethefleshlyimpulseceased,orthephysicalimpulsebegan? Howshallowwerethearbitrarydefinitionsofordinarypsychologists!Andyethowdifficulttodecidebetweentheclaimsofthevariousschools! Wasthesoulashadowseatedinthehouseofsin?Orwasthebodyreallyinthesoul,asGiordanoBrunothought? Theseparationofspiritfrommatterwasamystery,andtheunionofspiritwithmatterwasamysteryalso. 

           Hebegantowonderwhetherwecouldevermakepsychologysoabsoluteasciencethateachlittlespringoflifewouldberevealedtous. Asitwas,wealwaysmisunderstoodourselves,andrarelyunderstoodothers.