Some of us still persist in believing that Oscar Wilde might easily have won and never again been caught in that dreadful wind which whips the victims of sensual desire about unceasingly, driving them hither and thither without rest in that awful place where: "Nulla speranza gli conforta mai." (No hope ever comforts!) FOOTNOTES: [7] Reproduced in the Appendix.
[8] Fac-simile copies of some of the notes Oscar wrote to Warder Martin about these children are reproduced in the Appendix.

The notes were written on scraps of paper and pushed under his cell-door; they are among the most convincing evidences of Oscar's essential humanity and kindness of heart.
[9] The Home Secretary, Sir Matthew White Ridley, when questioned by Mr.
Michael Davitt in the House of Commons, May 25, 1897, declared that this dismissal of a warder for feeding a little hungry child at his own expense was "fully justified" and a "proper step." This same Home Secretary appointed his utterly incompetent brother to be a judge of the High Court.
[10] The correspondent to whom Wilde writes and the other friend referred to are Roman Catholics.
[11] This refers to a story which Wilde was much interested in at the time.
[12] The proprietor of the hotel.
[13] The Sphinx is a nickname for Mrs.Leverson, author of "The Eleventh Hour," and other witty novels.
[14] Ernest was her husband.
[15] The silver spoon is a proposed line for a play given by Ross to Turner (Reggie).
[16] Wilde's solicitor in Regina v.

Wilde.
[17] A reference to the "Vailima Letters" of Stevenson which Wilde read when he was in prison.
[18] An architect who sent Wilde books on his release from prison.
[19] His letter to _The Daily Chronicle_ about Warder Martin and the little children.
[20] The Ballad was finished in Naples and Alfred Douglas has since declared that he helped Oscar Wilde to write it.

I have no wish to dispute this: Alfred Douglas' poetic gift was extraordinary, far greater than Oscar Wilde's.

The poem was conceived in prison and a good deal of it was printed before Oscar went near Alfred Douglas and some of the best stanzas in it are to be found in this earlier portion: no part of the credit of it, in my opinion, belongs to Alfred Douglas.