130
THE STAR IN THE WEST
The nymphomaniac
, the Lesbian , the man
afflicted
with
pathic
neurosis , satyriasis
or
priapism
is
no
worse
than any other
maniac .
True , the pornophobic
Mrs.
Grundy
cries
shame
as
she
squints
askew
through the half - closed fingers
of her
hand , but we
refuse to see why this pudibonderie
of the old
“ Unco
gude ”
should
make
the
discussion
of
“ nympho
maniacs ” a tabooed
subject, whilst she trumpets
from
the top of her holy bordel
(St. Paul's ) deafening
blasts
of chaste ( !) “ bibliomania
.”
Often these unfortunates
are of noble
and
generous
character , who , striving
against their fearful
adversity , have not the strength
of will to cast off and slay the dragon of their despair .
The horror of this mental struggle is well
depicted
in
“ Jephthah
” when Jared says :
Those
eyes upon me, torturing my soul
And
threatening
revenge
? Those fingers
gross ,
Purple , and horrible , to blister
me
With infamous
tearing
at my throat .
O Hell !
Vomit thy monsters
forth
in myriads
To putrefy
this fair green
earth with blood ,
But make not me the devilish
minister
Of such a deed as this !!
Such was the almost
frenzied
exclamation
of Jared ,
when he tried to shake off the awful power
that was
urging him
to
become
participator in the murder
of
an innocent
girl ; and such
is
also
often
the
terrible
struggle that is waged
in the mind of the sexual invert .
Impelled
by
energies
sometimes
in -bred , sometimes
self-made, and sometimes
but mere matters of locality
and
education , how often does
he struggle-and
in
vain !
Jephthah
, vol . i, p. 84.