Baffled by official prudery in the production of his poetic episode from Holy Writ, yet resolved that the names of SARAH and OSCAR shall be bracketted together on the muster-roll of genius, Mr. WILDE has undertaken to re-write RACINE's Phèdre for that distinguished actress. In his version the smoothly-chaste and insipidly-correct verses which our grandmothers learnt to recite, and our grandfathers pretended to admire on the lips of the classic RACHEL, will give place to the school of BAUDELAIRE and VALLES. We have been fortunate in obtaining an échantillon of this great work.
ACTE I., SCENE 3. Phèdre, Oenone.
Phèdre. Je me meurs d'ennuie. Mon éventail, et vite!
Oenone. Madame, je devine votre mal. Vous aimez HIPPOLYTE!
Phèdre. HIPPOLYTE! Imbécile, ce que j'aime est le vice,
La rime sans raison, l'audace, l'immondice,
L'horrible, l'eccentrique, le sens-dessus-dessous,
La fanfaronnade, la réclame, le sang, et la boue;
La bave fétide des bouches empoisonnées;