De Profundis (letter) De Profundis (letter) De Profundis (Latin: "from the depths") is a letter written by Oscar Wilde during his imprisonment in Reading Gaol, to "Bosie" (Lord Alfred Douglas). In its first half Wilde recounts their previous relationship and extravagant lifestyle which eventually led to Wilde's conviction and imprisonment for gross indecency. He indicts both Lord Alfred's vanity and his own weakness in acceding to those wishes. In the second half, Wilde charts his spiritual development in prison and identification with Jesus Christ, whom he characterises as a romantic, individualist artist. The letter began "Dear Bosie" and ended "Your Affectionate Friend". Wilde
Lord Alfred Hervey Lord Alfred Hervey Lord Alfred Hervey (25 June 1816 – 15 April 1875), known before 1826 as Alfred Hervey, was a British politician. Alfred Hervey was born on 25 June 1816. He was the youngest son of Frederick Hervey, 1st Marquess of Bristol and Elizabeth Albana (1775–1844). His maternal grandfather was Clotworthy Upton, 1st Baron Templetown. He received his education at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge. He served as a Junior Lord of the Treasury in Lord Aberdeen's coalition government and Lord Palmerston's first government. He was one of the two MPs for Brighton during the years 1842–1857. Active in