Critical Reception from Oscar Wilde, Glasgow Herald, John Ruskin and The Spectator
Selman-Troytt's work drew praise and condemnation in equal measure. For some reason, possibly his assertion that 'God' - as opposed to 'god', 'God' or God [no inverted commas. Ed.] - was simply the product of a diseased imagination, he drew particularly poor reviews from ecclesiastical publications.
"... it can be nothing less than a blasphemy before God when any man deliberately flings the contents of his trousers in the public's face ..."
The Glasgow Herald
1893
1893
"I feel I shall never again soil myself without believing that I should be recording the matter for posterity ... Jeremy has managed to turn a commonplace event into a cause celebre and should be congratulated ... although I fancy that henceforth it may be difficult for him to share trousers."
Oscar Wilde
1893
1893
"Whilst I concur heartily with the philosophy which is expressed so eruditely by Mr. Selman-Troytt, and although I sympathise with his very necessary examination of the subject matter; nevertheless I feel I must criticise him upon one point of style, to whit his tendency, or penchant, for prolixity, and his occasional divergence, even meandering, into pleonasm."
John Ruskin
1894
1894
"Mr Selman-Troytt appears to believe that I can have an interest in the interior of his undergarments. Allow me to disabuse him of such a notion immediately. I have no interest even in my own; nor should any man, even in the cause of scientific investigation, inquire too closely into that which should pass before Our Lord alone."
The Spectator
1893
1893
Details of other critical reception of Selman-Troytt's work.
