Улисс

           HisarticlesonShakespeareintheSaturdayReviewweresurelybrilliant.Oddlyenoughhetoodrawsforusanunhappyrelationwiththedarkladyofthesonnets.ThefavouredrivalisWilliamHerbert,earlofPembroke.Iownthatifthepoetmustberejectedsucharejectionwouldseemmoreinharmonywith—whatshallIsay?—ournotionsofwhatoughtnottohavebeen.

           Felicitouslyheceasedandheldameekheadamongthem,auk’segg,prizeoftheirfray.

           Hethousandtheesherwithgravehusbandwords.Dostlove,Miriam?Dostlovethyman?

           —Thatmaybetoo,Stephensaid.There’sasayingofGoethe’swhichMrMageelikestoquote.Bewareofwhatyouwishforinyouthbecauseyouwillgetitinmiddlelife.Whydoeshesendtoonewhoisabuonaroba,abaywhereallmenride,amaidofhonourwithascandalousgirlhood,alordlingtowooforhim?HewashimselfalordoflanguageandhadmadehimselfacoistrelgentlemanandhehadwrittenRomeoandJuliet.Why?Beliefinhimselfhasbeenuntimelykilled.Hewasoverborneinacornfieldfirst(ryefield,Ishouldsay)andhewillneverbeavictorinhisowneyesafternorplayvictoriouslythegameoflaughandliedown.Assumeddongiovannismwillnotsavehim.Nolaterundoingwillundothefirstundoing.Thetuskoftheboarhaswoundedhimtherewhereloveliesableeding.Iftheshrewisworstedyetthereremainstoherwoman’sinvisibleweapon.Thereis,Ifeelinthewords,somegoadofthefleshdrivinghimintoanewpassion,adarkershadowofthefirst,darkeningevenhisownunderstandingofhimself.