“I saw with my own eyes the Sibyl of Cumae hanging in a jar, and when the boys said to her, Sibyl, what do you want? she replied I want to die.”

“Nam Sibyllam quidem Cumis ego ipse oculis meis vidi in ampulla pendere, et cum illi pueri dicerent: Σίβυλλα τί θέλεις; respondebat illa: ἀποθανεῖν θέλω.For with my own eyes I saw Sibyl hanging in a jar, and when the young boys asked her, 'Sibyl, what do you want?', she replied, 'I want to die.”

“I myself have seen with my own eyes the sybil hanging in a bottle at Cumae. And when the little boys asked her "Sybil, what do you want?" she said, "I want to die.”

“Sibyl, what do you want?”“I want to live,” the Sibyl said, and her voice rang rich and full. “I want to keep on living forever and watching heroes and fools and knights go up and down, into the world and out. I want to keep being myself and mind the work that minds me. Work is not always a hard thing that looms over your years. Sometimes, work is the gift of the world to the wanting.”

“Well, I can’t help going to see Sibyl play, even if it is only for an act. I get hungry for her presence; and when I think of the wonderful soul that is hidden away in that little ivory body, I am filled with awe.""You can dine with me to-night, Dorian, can’t you?"He shook his head. "To night she is Imogen," he answered, "and tomorrow night she will be Juliet.""When is she Sibyl Vane?""Never.""I congratulate you.”

“You, who know all the secrets of life, tell me how to charm Sibyl Vane to love me! I want to make Romeo jealous, I want the dead lovers of the world to hear our laughter, and grow sad. I want a breath of our passion to stir their dust into consciousness, to wake their ashes into pain. My God, Harry, how I worship her!”