Caesar and the platitudinous posturings of Marcus Aurelius (no verse of the probably Byronic Nero surviving) the most literate of the Emperors. He dabbled in architecture-the villa and his extant Tomb in Rome showing a very considerable skill. His supervision of the several cities erected during his reign, especially the Antinoopolis, indicate even more experience in the field.

Marguerite Yourcenar's "Hadrian's Memoirs," in the form of a long series of letters supposedly written by the Emperor to his heir and nephew, Marcus Aurelius, confirms this portrait. Again the writing is remarkable for style and perception.

Miss Clark ignores the usual rumors of heterosexual liaisons, or indeed did not find such relative to her limited purpose. Hadrian's unfruitful and uncomfortable marriage is duly noted and full emphasis is placed upon Antinous, about whom (unlike Kiefer in his "Sexual Life in Ancient Rome") the author does not even consider the possibility of a non-sexual relationship. On the contrary, the work is permeated with the most remarkable sensuousness, the understanding of which is perhaps greater, if anything, by the author's being a woman. The only fault, to my mind, is what I consider a bias from the older psychological orthodoxies, in which she elaborates the Emperor's infatuation into the "first Romantic obsession," the beginning of romantic, as against sexual, love, in European history. This, because being homosexual, the love could never be "fully consummated" emotionally, resulting in frustration and the sublimation of the physical into the intellectual.

By contrast, Mlle. Yourcenar finds full consummation, both physical and emotional, for both lover and beloved, with the usual lover's quarrels, to be sure, but lasting over a period of six to seven years, from Antinous' fourteenth year to his suicide (?) at twenty. She notes a few passing heterosexual affairs for Hadrian, which may be the inaccurate guesses of gossiping historians, but also the other homosexual contacts which leave little doubt as to the chief expression of the Emperor's tastes: the young Lucius, whom Hadrian's critics complained was made heir to the Empire to repay favors rendered the emperor in the past; Marcus Aurelius, the nephew, possible "innocent" favorite, and eventual successor; various slaves and youths, all beautiful and with little other claim to an emperor's attention.

For the points made on the various issues discussed above, as well as for their intrinsic literary value, both "Rome and a Villa" and "Hadrian's Memoirs" should be of pressing interest to readers of this magazine.

ore and more collections are being received by the library all the time. Most recent and impressive acquisition is a beautiful gift of some eighty volumes from our good friend and subscriber Mr. Claud C. Hamel. All of the books come from his own personal library.

The collection includes fiction, biography, medicine, and psychology where these subjects apply to homosexuality. Some of the especially fine volumes are, The Sotadic Zone by Sir Richard Burton, Panurge Press, N. Y. limited numbered edition; Phallism in Ancient Worship by Westropp, J. W. Bouton N. Y. 1975; and Hermaphroditos by A. P. Cawadias, Wm. Heinemann, London 1946. We want to take this opportunity to publicly thank Mr. Hamel for this generous gift.

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