THAT Oscar Wilde had the power of true spontaneous wit is shown by his happy retort on Sir Lewis Morris. Morris was complaining about what he considered the studied neglect of his claims when possible successors to the laureateship were being discussed after Tennyson's death. Said the author of The Epic of Hades:
'It is a complete conspiracy of silence against me — a conspiracy of silence! What ought I to do, Oscar?'
'Join it', replied Wilde with happy readiness.
From Walter Jerrold, A Book of Famous Wits (1912), p. 318.