Genius of the Thames, pp. 24, 26, 28, 76, 98.) At the same time, I am free to say that the poem appears to be far beyond mediocrity in genius and versification, and the conclusion of Palmyra the finest piece of poetry I ever read. I have not had time to read the Philosophy of Melancholy, and of course am only half acquainted with that genius and those powers whose application I should consider my self rash and impertinent in criticizing, did I not conceive that frankness and justice demand it.

"I should esteem it as a favor if you would present the enclosed letter to the Chevalier Lawrence. I have read his Empire of the Nairs; nay, have it. Perfectly and decidedly do I subscribe to the truth of the principles which it is designed to establish.

"I hope you will excuse, nay and doubt not but you will, the frankness I have used. Characters of our liberality are so wondrous rare, that the sooner they know each other, and the fuller and more complete that knowledge is, the better. "Dear Sir, permit me to remain

"Yours, very truly,

"PERCY B. SHELLEY."

“I am about translating an old French work, professedly by M. Mirabaud not the famous one

Nature. Do you know anything of it?

La Système de la

"To T. Hookham, Esq., Bond Street, London.”

The

Although by this time several letters had passed between Shelley and Godwin, they had never met. former therefore addressed to the latter a warm invitation to pay him and his wife a rural visit at their cottage, where, in the perusal of ancient authors, and the interchange of discourse on high social themes, they might become personally acquainted. Godwin, however, did not go immediately to Lymouth; and, in a letter dated

66

July 7th, 1812, Shelley declines to press the invitation, because, as his wife suggested to him, their wished-for guest was at that time in delicate health, and their rooms were complete servants' rooms." Allusion is made in the same letter to the Shelleys going up to London, and living with the Godwins. On the 18th of September, the author of Political Justice unexpectedly arrived at Lymouth only to find that the young couple had left since August 31st. This must have been a great vexation to Godwin; for, in a communication to his wife, written from Bristol, previous to embarking for Devonshire, he speaks of Shelley as "the young man who has so greatly excited my curiosity." A subsequent letter to Mrs. Godwin gives the details of the misadventure.

"Lymouth, Valley of Stones, Sept. 19th, 1812. "MY DEAR Love,

"THE Shelleys are gone! have been gone these three weeks. I hope you hear this first from me; I dread lest every day may have brought you a letter from them, conveying this strange intelligence. I know you would conjure up a thousand frightful ideas of my situation under this disappointment. I have myself a disposition to take quietly any evil, when it can no longer be avoided, when it ceases to be attended with uncertainty, and when I can already compute the amount of it. I heard this news instantly on my arrival at this place, and therefore walked immediately (that is, as soon as I had dined) to the Valley of Stones, that, if I could not have what was gone away, I might at least not fail to visit what remained.

"You advise me to return by sea. I thank you a thousand times for your kind and considerate motive in this; but certainly nothing more repulsive could be proposed to me at this

moment than a return by sea. I left Bristol at one o'clock on Wednesday, and arrived here at four o'clock on Friday (yesterday), after a passage of fifty-one hours. We had fourteen passengers, and only four berths; therefore, I lay down only once for a few hours. We had very little wind, and accordingly regularly tided it for six hours, and lay at anchor for six, till we reached this place. This place is fifteen miles short of Ilfracombe. If the captain, after great entreaty from the mate and one of his passengers (for I cannot entreat for such things), [had not] lent me his own boat to put me ashore, I really think I should have died with ennui. We anchored, Wednesday night, somewhere within sight of the Holmes (small islands, so called, in the Bristol Channel). The next night we came within sight of Minehead; but the evening set in with an alarming congregation of black clouds, the sea rolled vehemently without a wind (a phenomenon, which is said to portend a storm), and the captain, in a fright, put over to Penarth, near Cardiff, on the coast of Wales, and even told us that he should put us ashore there for the night. At Penarth, he said, there was but one house; but it had a fine large barn annexed to it, capable of accommodating us all. This was a cruel reverse to me and my fellow passengers, who had never doubted that we should reach the end of our voyage some time in the second day. By the time, however, we had made the Welsh Coast, the frightful symptoms disappeared, the night became clear and serene, and I landed here happily that is, without further accident - the next day. These are small events to persons accustomed to a seafaring life, but they were not small to me; and you will allow that they were not much mitigated by the elegant and agreeable accommodations of our crazed vessel. I was not decisively sea-sick; but had qualmish and discomforting sensations from the time we left the Bristol river, particularly after having lain down a few hours on Wednesday night.

"Since writing the above, I have been to the house where Shelley lodged, and I bring good news. I saw the woman of

the house and I was delighted with her. She is a good creature, and quite loved the Shelleys. They lived here nine weeks and three days. They went away in a great hurry, and in debt to her and two more. They gave her a draft upon the Honorable Mr. Lawleys, brother to Lord Cloncurry, and they borrowed of her twenty-nine shillings, beside 37. that she got for them from a neighbor, all of which they faithfully returned when they got to Ilfracombe, the people not choosing to change a bank-note which had been cut in half for safety in sending it by the post.* But the best news is, that the woman says they will be in London in a fortnight. This quite comforts my heart."

In the restlessness of his disposition, Shelley had proceeded to Tanyralt, Caernarvonshire, where he hired a cottage belonging to a Mr. Maddox. This gentleman had reclaimed several thousand acres from the sea; but the embankment proved insufficient during an unusually high tide. The poor cottagers living on this hazardous land were thrown into great distress by the incursions of the sea consequent on the breaches made in the earthworks; and Shelley now exhibited a remarkable proof of that noble munificence which was one of the most striking features of his character. He personally solicited subscriptions from the gentlemen of the neighborhood, and himself headed the list with a donation of 500%., though his means, as the reader has seen, were small. But he did not allow his zeal to stop even here; for, accompanied by his wife, he hurried up to London, to obtain further succor. He was finally successful in his efforts; the embankment was repaired and strengthened, and the inhabitants were protected from future risk.

*They had received only the half. - ED.

During his visit to London, Shelley made the personal acquaintance of Godwin, with whom he lived for a time; and to the philosopher's daughter Fanny he addressed the subjoined letter, after having rather abruptly left their house:

"DEAR FANNY,

Dec. 10th, 1812.

"So you do not know whether it is proper to write to me? Now, one of the most conspicuous considerations that arise from such a topic is—who and what am I? I am one of those formidable and long-clawed animals called a man, and it is not until I have assured you that I am one of the most inoffensive of my species, that I live on vegetable food, and never bit since I was born, that I venture to obtrude myself on your attention. But to be serious. I shall feel much satisfaction in replying, with as much explicitness as my nature is capable of, to any questions you may put to me. I know that I have in some degree forfeited a direct claim to your confidence and credit, and that of your inestimable circle; but, if you will believe me as much as you can, I will be as sincere as I can. I certainly am convinced that, with the exception of one or two isolated instances, I am so far from being an insincere man, that my plainness has occasionally given offence, and caused some to accuse me of being defective in that urbanity and toleration which is supposed to be due to society. Allow me, in the absence of the topics which are eventually to be discussed between us, to assume the privilege you have claimed, and ask a question. How is Harriet a fine lady? You indirectly accuse her in your letter of this offence-to me the most unpardonable of all. The ease and simplicity of her habits, the unassuming plainness of her address, the uncalculated connection of her thought and speech, have ever formed, in my eyes, her greatest charms; and none of these are compatible with fashionable life, or the attempted assumption of its vulgar and noisy éclat. You have a prejudice to contend