A history of English sexual morals / by Ivan Bloch ; translated by William H. Forstern.

  • Iwan Bloch
Date:
1936
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: A history of English sexual morals / by Ivan Bloch ; translated by William H. Forstern. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    42/700 (page 12)
    Few observers of the English scene have failed to note this close association of prudery and sexual hypocrisy with immorality. c The more prudish and narrow the sexual outlook of a people or society is, the more criminal are natural aberrations considered; the more disgraceful and unregulated is the organisation of prostitution, that veritable spreader of poison, and of half-prostitution, the curse of big cities—then, I say, all the more rankly does secret vice flourish which lends its victims a spurious air of exquisite morality. And in England above all! Many pages would not suffice to recount my observations on that!1' A diplomat has depicted this basis of prudery in England with point and vigour.2 Into the category of English prudery falls the case of Colonel Valentine Baker, which caused a great scandal in the 'seventies. The Colonel happened one day to be alone in a railway carriage with a pretty, coquettish girl. She flirted with him a bit: he flirted with her, and then she made as if to sleep. The Colonel instantly took his chance and began to caress her: she quietly accepted his caresses, like a nice respectable girl. But when he got above himself and went so far as to cry out 4 My darling! My ducky ', the modest maiden, preferring acts of love to words of love, springs 1 Gustav Jager. Discovery of the Soul. Leipzig, 1884. Vol. I, p. 265. 2 ' La pruderie londonienne a ses demangeaisons et ses curiosites impures. Elle aime a voler ou a se poser sur la frontiere qui separe les bienseances conventionelles de la franche debauche. II n'y a rien qu'elle aime si cordialement qu'un soupcon de vice. Vous connaissez ce tableau celebre intitule le Fruit Defendu et representant deux jeunes filles regardant curieusement dans un volume qu'elles ont pris sur un rayon de la bibliotheque paternelle. Elles lisent des choses qui les font successive- ment sourire et rougir; eh bien! c'est la symbole vivant et grave de la societe de Londres. Qu'est en effet pour elle, le mystere de la purete en comparaison avec le mystere du vice? Qui n'aimerait mieux connaitre les vies des p6cheurs que celles des saints? La societe de Londres est infin^ment charitable parce que sa curiosity ne connait pas des bonnes.'— La Societe de Londres par un Diplomate etranger. Third edition. Paris, 1885. P. 301. [12]