With the wit of Wilde, the gloominess of Poe, and a decadence uniquely his own, Saltus delves into humanity's relationship with itself, from the barbarism of sex in prehistory to the sundering of modesty from romance in 18th-century Europe. Redolent of dark poetry, Saltus's prose is riveting and seductive-this is a masterpiece awaiting rediscovery by adventurous 21st-century readers. American writer EDGAR EVERTSON SALTUS (1855-1921) is also the author of The Pomps of Satan, Imperial Purple, and The Perfume of Eros.