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"FIELD PLACE, September 6th, 1810. "SIR,-I have to return you my thankful acknowledgments for the receipt of the books, which arrived as soon as I had any reason to expect: the superfluity shall be balanced as soon as I pay for some books which I shall trouble you to bind for me.

"I enclose you the title-page of the Poems, which, as you see, you have mistaken on account of the illegibility of my handwriting. I have had the last proof impression from the printer this morning, and I suppose the execution of the work will not be long delaved. As soon as it possibly can, it shall reach you, and believe me, sir, grateful for the interest you take in it. "I am, sir,

"Your obedient humble servant,

"PERCY B. SHELLEY."

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"FIELD PLACE, September 28th, 1810. "SIR,-I sent, before I had the pleasure of knowing you, the MS. of a poem to Messrs. Ballantyne and Co. Edinburgh; they declined publishing it, with the enclosed letter. I now offer it to you, and depend upon your honour as a gentleman for a fair price for the copyright. It will be sent to you from Edinburgh. The subject is, 'The Wandering Jew. As to its containing atheistical principles, I assure you I was wholly unaware of the fact hinted at.

Your good sense will point out to you the impossibility of inculcating pernicious doctrines in a poem which, as you will see, is so totally abstract from any cir

cumstances which occur under the possible view of mankind.

"I am, sir,

"Your obliged and humble servant, "PERCY B. SHELLEY."

The enclosure-a curiosity-is as follows:

"EDINBURGH, September 24th, 1810. "SIR,-The delay which occurred in our reply to you respecting the poem. you have obligingly offered us for publication, has arisen from our literary friends and advisers (at least such as we have confidence in) being in the country at this season, as is usual, and the time they have bestowed in its perusal.

"We are extremely sorry, at length, after the most mature deliberation, to be under the necessity of declining the honour of being the publishers of the present poem ;-not that we doubt its success, but that it is, perhaps, better suited to the character and liberal feelings of the English, than the bigoted spirit which yet pervades many cultivated minds in this country. Even Walter Scott is assailed on all hands at present by our Scotch spiritual and Evangelical magazines and instructors, for having promulgated atheistical doctrines in the 'Lady of the Lake.'

"We beg you will have the goodness and we think its being consigned to the to advise us how it should be returned, care of some person in London would be more likely to ensure its safety than addressing it to Horsham.

"We are, sir, "Your most obedient humble servants, "JOHN BALLANTYNE & Co."

Now, had Shelley told any of his friends that the "Lady of the Lake" had been assailed in Scotland on the ground of atheism, and professed to have derived his information from the Ballantynes, the circumstance would ere this have made its appearance in print as a proof of his irresistible tendency to "hallucinations," and his "inability to "relate anything exactly as it hap"pened." Here, however, we see that he would not have spoken without au

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or insane, whichever may be the correct reading. It is needless to add that the "Wandering Jew" is quite guiltless of atheism, or any "ism" but an occasional solecism. Whatever precautions may have been taken to ensure the safety of the MS., they failed to bring it into Stockdale's hands. He never received it, and it seems to have remained peaceably at Edinburgh till its discovery in 1831, when a portion of it appeared in Fraser's Magazine, and has since been reprinted in one of the many unauthorised editions of Shelley's works. According to Captain Medwin, indeed, Shelley left it at his lodgings in Edinburgh in 1811. But the Captain evidently knew nothing of the negotiation with the Ballantynes, which affords a much more plausible explanation of the discovery of the MS. in the Scotch metropolis. He adds, indeed, that the young authors were induced to lay aside all thoughts of publication by the adverse judgment of Campbell, who returned the MS. submitted for his inspection with the remark that there were only two good lines in the whole, naming a pair of exceedingly commonplace ones. Whatever the effect on his coadjutor, it is now clear that Shelley was not to be daunted by the condemnation even of a poet he admired, though, doubtless, he would have himself admitted in after life that the quest after tolerable lines in the "Wandering Jew" might scarcely be more hopeful than that undertaken of old after righteous men in the Cities of the Plain.

Poetry like Shelley's is not to be produced except under the immediate impulse of lively emotion, or without a long preliminary epoch of mental excite

ment and fermentation. The ordinary interchange of sunshine and shower suffices for the production of mustard, cress, and such-like useful vegetables; but Nature must have been disturbed to her centre ere there can be a Stromboli for Byron to moor his bark by for a long summer's night, and meditate a new canto of "Childe Harold." Shelley's mind was never in a more excited condition than during the autumn of 1810, and, at that time, like Donna Inez, "his favourite science was the metaphysical"-he reasoned of matters abstruse and difficult, "of fate, free-will, "foreknowledge absolute," of

"Names, deeds, grey legends, dire events, rebellions,

Majesties, sovran voices, agonies,
Creations and destroyings.'

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any of the European languages, I would (being wholly so abrupt) not require thank you to send it to me.

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I am, sir, your humble servant,

"PERCY B. SHELLEY."

We have searched the Observer in vain for the notice referred to. The letter, according to Stockdale, "satisfied 46 me that he was in a situation of im"pending danger, from which the most "friendly and cautious prudence alone "could withdraw him." We shall see in due course what line of conduct the worthy bookseller considered answerable to this definition. Two days later Shelley wrote:

"UNIVERSITY COLL. Nov. 14th, 1810. "DEAR SIR,-I return you the Romance [St. Irvyne] by this day's coach. I am much obligated by the trouble you have taken to fit it for the press. I am myself by no means a good hand at correction, but I think I have obviated the principal objections which you allege.

"Ginotti, as you will see, did not die by Wolfstein's hand, but by the influence of that natural magic which, when the secret was imparted to the latter, destroyed him. Mountfort being a character of inferior interest, I did not think it necessary to state the catastrophe of him, as it could at best be but uninteresting. Eloise and Fitzeustace are married, and happy, I suppose, and Megalena dies by the same means as Wolfstein. I do not myself see any other explanation that is required. to the method of publishing it, I think, as it is a thing which almost mechanically sells to circulating libraries, &c., I would wish it to be published on my own account.

As

"I am surprised that you have not received the Wandering Jew,' and in consequence write to Mr. Ballantyne to mention it; you will doubtlessly, therefore, receive it soon.-Should you still perceive in the romance any error of flagrant incoherency, &c. it must be altered, but I should conceive it will

1 Not a vulgarism in Shelley's day, any more than "ruinated." Both may be found in good writers of the 18th century.

No. 8.-VOL. II.

it.

"I am

"Your sincere humble servant,
"PERCY B. SHELLEY.

"Shall you make this in one or two volumes? Mr. Robinson, of Paternoster Row, published 'Zastrozzi.'"

Certainly the faults of "St. Irvyne" were of the kind best amended by una litura. Nevertheless, it is as much. better than "Zastrozzi" as one very bad book can be better than another. "Zastrozzi" is an absolute chaos; in "St. Irvyne" there is at least the trace of an effort after organisation and inner harmony. Shelley's whole literary career was, viewed in one of its aspects, a constant struggle after the symmetry and command of material which denote the artist. The exquisiteness of his later productions shows that at last he had little to learn, and worthless as "St. Irvyne" is in itself, it becomes of high interest when regarded as the first feeble step of a mighty genius on the road to consummate excellence. Considered by themselves, "Zastrozzi" and "St. Irvyne" will appear the sort of production which clever boys often indite, and from which it is impossible to arrive at any sound conclusion as to the future eminence or obscurity of the writer. Their incoherency is an attribute which should not, their prolific imagination one which often cannot, survive the period of extreme youth.

On November 20th, Shelley wrote thus :

"UNI. COLL. Monday.

"MY DEAR SIR,-I did not think it possible that the romance would make but one small volume. It will at all events be larger than 'Zastrozzi.' What I mean as ( Rosicrucian' is, the elixir of eternal life which Ginotti had obtained. Mr. Godwin's romance of 'St. Leon' turns upon that superstition. I enveloped it in mystery for the greater excitement of interest, and, on a reexamination, you will perceive that Mountfort did physically kill Ginotti,

I

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"DEAR SIR,-Will you, if you have got two copies of the Wandering Jew,' send one of them to me, as I have thought of some corrections which I wish to make? Your opinion on it will likewise much oblige me.

"When do you suppose that Southey's 'Curse of Kehama' will come out? I am curious to see it, and when does 'St. Irvyne' come out?

"I shall be in London the middle of this month, when I will do myself the pleasure of calling on you.

"Yours sincerely,

"P. B. SHELLEY."

"F[IELD] P[LACE],

December 18th, 1810.

"MY DEAR SIR,-I saw your advertisement of the Romance, and approve of it highly; it is likely to excite curiosity. I would thank you to send copies directed as follows:

Miss Marshall, Horsham, Sussex. T. Medwin, Esq., Horsham, Sussex. T. J. Hogg, Esq., Rev. - Dayrell's, Dayrell's, Lynnington Dayrell, Buckingham, and six copies to myself. In case the 'Curse of Kehama'i has yet appeared, I would thank you for that likewise. I have in preparation a novel; it is principally constructed to convey metaphysical and political opinions by way

1 It thus appears that "Kehama" cannot have been the poem with the MS. of which Southey is related to have read Shelley to sleep. To us, the whole anecdote seems to come in a very questionable shape.

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Up to this date, then, Scythrop had only found three of the seven gold candlesticks. Mr. Hogg and Captain Medwin, as is well known, continued burning and shining lights; Miss Marshall, of whom we now hear for the first time, would appear to have been speedily extinguished. Speedy extinction, too, was the fate of the MS. novel, of which the above is the first and last mention.

Sir (then Mr.) Timothy Shelley, the poet's uncongenial father, now appears upon the scene. At the date of the next letter, he had already several times called at Stockdale's shop in the company of his son, and thus afforded the publisher an opportunity of contributing the result of his own observation to the universal testimony respecting the dispositions of the two, and the relation in which they stood to each other. Percy Shelley captivated all hearts; the roughest were subdued by his sweetness, the most reserved won by his affectionate candour. No man ever made more strange or unsympathetic friends, and they who may seem to have dealt most hardly with his memory since his death are chiefly the well-meaning people whose error it has been to mistake an accidental intimacy with a remarkable character for the power of appreciating it. Among these, Stockdale cannot be refused a place, for it would be unjust not to recognise, amid all his pomposity and blundering, traces of a sincere affection for the young author whose acquaintance was certainly anything but advantageous to him in a pecuniary point of view.

An equal unanimity of sentiment prevails respecting Sir Timothy; he undoubtedly meant well, but had scarcely a single prominent trait of character which would not of itself have unfitted him to be the father of such a son. Stockdale had frequent opportunities of observing the uneasy terms on which the two stood towards each other, and unhesitatingly throws the entire blame upon the father, whom he represents as narrow-minded and wrong-headed, behaving with extreme niggardliness in money matters, and at the same time continually fretting Shelley by harsh and unnecessary interference with his most indifferent actions. According to the bookseller, he ineffectually tried his best at once to dispose Sir Timothy to a more judicious line of conduct, and to put him on his guard against his son's speculative rashness. The following note is probably in answer to some communication of this character.

"FIELD PLACE, 23d December, 1810. "SIR,-I take the earliest opportunity of expressing to you my best thanks for the very liberal and handsome manner in which you imparted to me the sentiments you hold towards my son, and the open and friendly communication.

"I shall ever esteem it, and hold it in remembrance. I will take an opportunity of calling on you again, when the call at St. Stephen's Chapel enforces my attendance by a call of the House. "My son begs to make his compli

ments to you.

"I have the honour to be, sir, "Your obedient humble servant,

very

"T. SHELLEY."

On January 11th, 1811, Shelley wrote as follows:

"DEAR SIR,-I would thank you to send a copy of St. Irvyne' to Miss Harriet Westbrook, 10, Chapel Street, Grosvenor Square. In the course of a fortnight I shall do myself the pleasure of calling on you. With respect to the printer's bill, I made him explain the

distinctions of the costs, which I hope are intelligible.

"Do you find that the public are captivated by the title-page of St. Irvyne?' "Your sincere

"P. B. SHELLEY."

This is interesting, in so far as it assists us in determining the date of Shelley's first acquaintance with Harriet Westbrook. Had he known her on December 18th, he would probably have included her among those to whom he on that day desired that copies of his novel should be sent. It may then be inferred with confidence, that he first became interested in her between December 18th, and January 11th, and as there appears no trace of his having visited town during that period, his knowledge. of her, when he wrote the second of these letters, was most likely merely derived from the accounts of his sisters, her schoolfellows. This accords with the assertion, made in an interesting but unpublished document in the writer's possession, that he first saw her in January, 1811. Whenever this and similar MSS. are made public, it will for the first time be clearly understood how slight was the acquaintance of Shelley with Harriet, previous to their marriage; what advantage was taken of his chivalry of sentiment, and her compliant disposition, and the inexperience of both; and how little entitled or disposed she felt herself to complain of his behaviour.

This was the last friendly communication between Shelley and his publisher. Three days later we find him writing thus to his friend Hogg (Hogg's "Life of Shelley," vol. I. p. 171):

"S [Stockdale] has behaved infamously to me: he has abused the confidence I reposed in him in sending him my work; and he has made very free with your character, of which he knows nothing, with my father. I shall call on S-on my way [to Oxford], that he may explain."

The work alluded to was either the

unlucky pamphlet which occasioned Shelley's expulsion from Oxford, or something of a very similar description. After

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