[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. See [Appendix] for Ross's opinion.
[21] Hanging in chains was called keeping sheep by moonlight.
[22] This was the sum promised by the whole Queensberry family and by Lord Alfred Douglas in particular to Oscar to defray the costs of that first action for libel which they persuaded him to bring against Lord Queensberry. Ross has since stated in court that it was never paid. The history of the monies promised and supplied to Oscar at that time is so extraordinary and so characteristic of the age that it might well furnish a chapter to itself. Here it is enough just to say that those who ought to have supplied him with money evaded the obligation, while others upon whom he had no claim, helped him liberally; but even large sums slipped through his careless fingers like water.