CHAPTER XI.

.Itismerelyamethodbywhichwecanmultiplyourpersonalities. Such,atanyrate,wasDorianGray’sopinion.Heusedtowonderattheshallowpsychologyofthosewhoconceivetheegoinmanasathingsimple,permanent,reliable,andofoneessence.Tohim,manwasabeingwithmyriadlivesandmyriadsensations,acomplexmultiformcreaturethatborewithinitselfstrangelegaciesofthoughtandpassion,andwhoseveryfleshwastaintedwiththemonstrousmaladiesofthedead.Helovedtostrollthroughthegauntcoldpicture-galleryofhiscountryhouseandlookatthevariousportraitsofthosewhosebloodflowedinhisveins.HerewasPhilipHerbert,describedbyFrancisOsborne,inhisMemoiresontheReignsofQueenElizabethandKingJames,asonewhowas“caressedbytheCourtforhishandsomeface,whichkepthimnotlongcompany.”WasityoungHerbert’slifethathesometimesled?Hadsomestrangepoisonousgermcreptfrombodytobodytillithadreachedhisown?Wasitsomedimsenseofthatruinedgracethathadmadehimsosuddenly,andalmostwithoutcause,giveutterance,inBasilHallward’sstudio,tothemadprayerthathadsochangedhislife?Here,ingold-embroideredreddoublet,jewelledsurcoat,andgilt-edgedruffandwristbands,stoodSirAnthonySherard,withhissilver-and-blackarmourpiledathisfeet.Whathadthisman’slegacybeen?HadtheloverofGiovannaofNaplesbequeathedhimsomeinheritanceofsinandshame?Werehisownactionsmerelythedreamsthatthedeadmanhadnotdaredtorealize?Here,fromthefadingcanvas,smiledLadyElizabethDevereux,inhergauzehood,pearlstomacher,andpinkslashedsleeves.Aflowerwasinherrighthand,andherleftclaspedanenamelledcollarofwhiteanddamaskroses.Onatablebyhersidelayamandolinandanapple.Therewerelargegreenrosettesuponherlittlepointedshoes.Heknewherlife,andthestrangestoriesthatweretoldaboutherlovers.Hadhesomethingofhertemperamentinhim?Theseoval,heavy-liddedeyesseemedtolookcuriouslyathim.WhatofGeorgeWilloughby,withhispowderedhairandfantasticpatches?Howevilhelooked!Thefacewassaturnineandswarthy,andthesensuallipsseemedtobetwistedwithdisdain.Delicatelacerufflesfellovertheleanyellowhandsthatweresooverladenwithrings.Hehadbeenamacaronioftheeighteenthcentury,andthefriend,inhisyouth,ofLordFerrars.WhatofthesecondLordBeckenham,thecompanionofthePrinceRegentinhiswildestdays,andoneofthewitnessesatthesecretmarriagewithMrs.Fitzherbert?Howproudandhandsomehewas,withhischestnutcurlsandinsolentpose!Whatpassionshadhebequeathed?Theworldhadlookeduponhimasinfamous.HehadledtheorgiesatCarltonHouse.ThestaroftheGarterglittereduponhisbreast.Besidehimhungtheportraitofhiswife,apallid,thin-lippedwomaninblack.Herblood,also,stirredwithinhim.Howcuriousitallseemed!AndhismotherwithherLadyHamiltonfaceandhermoist,wine-dashedlips—heknewwhathehadgotfromher.Hehadgotfromherhisbeauty,andhispassionforthebeautyofothers.ShelaughedathiminherlooseBacchantedress.Therewerevineleavesinherhair.Thepurplespilledfromthecupshewasholding.Thecarnationsofthepaintinghadwithered,buttheeyeswerestillwonderfulintheirdepthandbrilliancyofcolour.Theyseemedtofollowhimwhereverhewent. Yetonehadancestorsinliteratureaswellasinone’sownrace,nearerperhapsintypeandtemperament,manyofthem,andcertainlywithaninfluenceofwhichonewasmoreabsolutelyconscious.ThereweretimeswhenitappearedtoDorianGraythatthewholeofhistorywasmerelytherecordofhisownlife,notashehadliveditinactandcircumstance,butashisimaginationhadcreateditforhim,asithadbeeninhisbrainandinhispassions.Hefeltthathehadknownthemall,thosestrangeterriblefiguresthathadpassedacrossthestageoftheworldandmadesinsomarvellousandevilsofullofsubtlety.Itseemedtohimthatinsomemysteriouswaytheirliveshadbeenhisown. Theheroofthewonderfulnovelthathadsoinfluencedhislifehadhimselfknownthiscuriousfancy.Intheseventhchapterhetellshow,crownedwithlaurel,lestlightningmightstrikehim,hehadsat,asTiberius,inagardenatCapri,readingtheshamefulbooksofElephantis,whiledwarfsandpeacocksstruttedroundhimandtheflute-playermockedtheswingerofthecenserand,asCaligula,hadcarousedwiththegreen-shirtedjockeysintheirstablesandsuppedinanivorymangerwithajewel-frontletedhorseand,asDomitian,hadwanderedthroughacorridorlinedwithmarblemirrors,lookingroundwithhaggardeyesforthereflectionofthedaggerthatwastoendhisdays,andsickwiththatennui,thatterriblet?diumvit?,thatcomesonthosetowhomlifedeniesnothingandhadpeeredthroughaclearemeraldattheredshamblesofthecircusandthen,inalitterofpearlandpurpledrawnbysilver-shodmules,beencarriedthroughtheStreetofPomegranatestoaHouseofGoldandheardmencryonNeroCaesarashepassedbyand,asElagabalus,hadpaintedhisfacewithcolours,andpliedthedistaffamongthewomen,andbroughttheMoonfromCarthageandgivenherinmysticmarriagetotheSun. OverandoveragainDorianusedtoreadthisfantasticchapter,andthetwochaptersimmediatelyfollowing,inwhich,asinsomecurioustapestriesorcunninglywroughtenamels,werepicturedtheawfulandbeautifulformsofthosewhomviceandbloodandwearinesshadmademonstrousormad:Filippo,DukeofMilan,whoslewhiswifeandpaintedherlipswithascarletpoisonthatherlovermightsuckdeathfromthedeadthinghefondledPietroBarbi,theVenetian,knownasPaultheSecond,whosoughtinhisvanitytoassumethetitleofFormosus,andwhosetiara,valuedattwohundredthousandflorins,wasboughtatthepriceofaterriblesinGianMariaVisconti,whousedhoundstochaselivingmenandwhosemurderedbodywascoveredwithrosesbyaharlotwhohadlovedhimtheBorgiaonhiswhitehorse,withFratricideridingbesidehimandhismantlestainedwiththebloodofPerottoPietroRiario,theyoungCardinalArchbishopofFlorence,childandminionofSixtusIV.,whosebeautywasequalledonlybyhisdebauchery,andwhoreceivedLeonoraofAragoninapavilionofwhiteandcrimsonsilk,filledwithnymphsandcentaurs,andgildedaboythathemightserveatthefeastasGanymedeorHylasEzzelin,whosemelancholycouldbecuredonlybythespectacleofdeath,andwhohadapassionforredblood,asothermenhaveforredwine—thesonoftheFiend,aswasreported,andonewhohadcheatedhisfatheratdicewhengamblingwithhimforhisownsoulGiambattistaCibo,whoinmockerytookthenameofInnocentandintowhosetorpidveinsthebloodofthreeladswasinfusedbyaJewishdoctorSigismondoMalatesta,theloverofIsottaandthelordofRimini,whoseeffigywasburnedatRomeastheenemyofGodandman,whostrangledPolyssenawithanapkin,andgavepoisontoGinevrad’Esteinacupofemerald,andinhonourofashamefulpassionbuiltapaganchurchforChristianworshipCharlesVI.,whohadsowildlyadoredhisbrother’swifethataleperhadwarnedhimoftheinsanitythatwascomingonhim,andwho,whenhisbrainhadsickenedandgrownstrange,couldonlybesoothedbySaracencardspaintedwiththeimagesofloveanddeathandmadnessand,inhistrimmedjerkinandjewelledcapandacanthuslikecurls,GrifonettoBaglioni,whoslewAstorrewithhisbride,andSimonettowithhispage,andwhosecomelinesswassuchthat,ashelaydyingintheyellowpiazzaofPerugia,thosewhohadhatedhimcouldnotchoosebutweep,andAtalanta,whohadcursedhim,blessedhim. Therewasahorriblefascinationinthemall.Hesawthematnight,andtheytroubledhisimaginationintheday.TheRenaissanceknewofstrangemannersofpoisoning—poisoningbyahelmetandalightedtorch,byanembroideredgloveandajewelledfan,byagildedpomanderandbyanamberchain.DorianGrayhadbeenpoisonedbyabook.Thereweremomentswhenhelookedonevilsimplyasamodethroughwhichhecouldrealizehisconceptionofthebeautiful.