Arber, who always felt much horror for the abnormal, argues that Barnfield's occupation with homosexual topics was merely due to a search for novelty, that it was "for the most part but an amusement and had little serious or personal in it." Those readers of Barnfield, however, who are acquainted with homosexual literature will scarcely fail to recognize a personal preoccupation in his poems.

This is also the opinion of Moll in his _Beruehmte Homosexuelle_.
[86] See appendix to my edition of Marlowe in the _Mermaid Series_, first edition.

For a study of Marlowe's "Gaveston," regarded as "the hermaphrodite in soul," see J.A.Nicklin, _Free Review_, December, 1895.
[87] As Raffalovich acutely points out, the twentieth sonnet, with its reference to the "one thing to my purpose nothing," is alone enough to show that Shakespeare was not a genuine invert, as then he would have found the virility of the loved object beautiful.

His sonnets may fairly be compared to the _In Memoriam_ of Tennyson, whom it is impossible to describe as inverted, though in his youth he cherished an ardent friendship for another youth, such as was also felt in youth by Montaigne.
[88] A scene in Vanbrugh's _Relapse_, and the chapter (ch.

li) in Smollett's _Roderick Random_ describing Lord Strutwell, may also be mentioned as evidencing familiarity with inversion.