had gone, Platen realized with shame that his own stupid pride and want of tact had driven a good friend away, and he laments, too late, his ill behaviour. But in the relationship with Perglas (see the many entries in the Journal) we have more curious examples of how Platen could conduct himself when mixing up friendship and love. Perglas appears to have been rather well suited to be a friend to Platen, as Platen to Perglas; especially as we cannot help surmising that Perglas was psychically homosexual—at least bisexual. But somehow neither young man was able to be perfectly straightforward and frank with the other. Neither would trust the other with his heart and nature. Perglas, more than once, in his sexual attitude toward women, with his plain sympathy for Platen's vaguely defined nature, hints at a hellenic sort of bond as desired by him, too. But their half-confidences and Platen's disputes and dogmatic ways, repelled Perglas. They quarrelled and made up, quarrelled again and made up again—constantly. They could not be happy apart, yet could not get along when together—in large part because of hall-confidences rather than complete ones, and also because Platen's temperament was at no time easy to meet. It was exacting, often bitter externally, in a nervous sort, of way; while all the while he might be most passionately desirous of the good-will and intimacy made almost impossible by such conduct. Bitter tears of shame and loneliness did this failing of his temperament cost him! Not till rather late in his life could he get the better of it—in part. Perglas and he were presently separated by duties. Their friendship became one by letters. Some of those from Perglas were impassioned enough; as when he declares that he "cannot exist" without Platen. Perglas died in 1820. Platen was preoccupied with other affairs at that time. We may note here that though he speaks of the absence of physical desire in any intimacy of this period, yet he uses one expression concerning his relations with Perglas that show
— 578 —
(16)
