" One often thinks of Fiona in connection with
that story. You are seldom quite sure whether it is a Christian or a
pagan deity whom you are invoking, but there is no question as to the
paganism of the atmosphere which you often breathe.
As a matter of fact, William Sharp began in frank and avowed paganism,
and passed from that through various phases into a high spirituality.
His early utterances in regard to Art, in which he deprecated any
connection between Art and a message, and insisted upon its being mere
expression, were of course sheer paganism. In 1892, before Fiona was
born, he published one of those delightful magazines which run through a
short and daring career and then vanish as suddenly as they arose. In
fact his magazine, _The Pagan Review_, from first to last had only one
number. It was edited by Mr. Brooks and William Sharp, and its articles
were contributed by seven other people. But these seven, and Mr. Brooks
as well, turned out eventually all to be William Sharp himself. It was
"frankly pagan; pagan in sentiment, pagan in convictions, pagan in
outlook.... The religion of our forefathers has not only ceased for us
personally, but is no longer in any vital and general sense a sovereign
power in the realm.
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