WILDE (OSCAR) Autograph letter signed ('Oscar Wilde') to an unidentified recipient ('My Dear Pessimist'), thanking them for the bouquet and the Balzac, commenting '...both have given me much pleasure for in spite of everything I suppose pleasure is a word not yet banished from the vocabulary of humanity...', and agreeing to join him for breakfast, 3 pages on a bifolium, dust-staining and marks, discolouration, slight loss to upper right corner, short tears along vertical hold, 8vo (145 x 100mm.), Albemarle Club, [n.d. but possibly early 1890's] Footnotes: 'IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING I SUPPOSE PLEASURE IS A WORD NOT YET BANISHED FROM THE VOCABULARY OF HUMANITY'. Our letter is written from the Albemarle Club, a mixed club of around 600 members to which both Wilde and his wife Constance belonged, and the place where the Marquess of Queensbury delivered his famous insult which led to Wilde's libel action against him. Wilde writes in his characteristic style to thank an unknown recipient for the flowers and the volume of Balzac. It has been suggested that a likely candidate may be Lord Alfred Douglas, although Wilde usually addressed him as 'My dearest boy' or variations of that sentiment in the surviving correspondence. It is undated, but Wilde's first letter from the club is dated to 1885 with the majority of correspondence from that address dating from the early 1890's. It is not published in Merlin Holland and Rupert Hart, eds, The Complete Letters of Oscar Wilde, 2000, but is listed on the 'Uncollected Letters of Oscar Wilde' website. Saleroom notices: Oscar Wilde here is talking of [Paul] Bourget and Balzac, and not as suggested in the catalogue entry. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * * VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing

Saleroom Notice:
Oscar Wilde here is talking of [Paul] Bourget and Balzac, and not as suggested in the catalogue entry.