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In: Biographies·British Literature·History - Modern (1750+)
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #41748.
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The new Settler in George Street, Blackfriars--Mary’s earlier Story--Woman of Letters--Her Five Years’ Work--Her Attachment to Mr. Johnson--Coteries of Philosophical Radicalism-- Anti-Jacobin on the Free Contract--Godwin’s Apostasy--From Blackfriars to Store Street--The Slut become a modish Woman--Her Passion for Fuseli--Her Appeal to Mrs. Fuseli--Mr. Kegan Paul’s strange Treatment of Mr. Knowles--_Rights of Woman_--Plain Speech and Coarseness--Mary goes to Paris--She makes Imlay’s Acquaintance--Her Assignation with him at the Barrier--Their Association in Free Love--Mr. Kegan Paul speaks deliberately--His Apology for Mary’s Action--He falls between Two Stools--Wife in the eyes of God and Man--Letters to Imlay--Badness of Mary’s Temper--Her consequent Quarrels with Imlay--Her Sense of Shame at her Position--Birth of her illegitimate Child--Her Withdrawal from France--Her Norwegian Trip--Her Wretchedness and Rage--Dissolution of the Free Love Partnership--Mary’s Attempt to commit Suicide--Was she out of her Mind?--Her Union with Godwin in Free Love--Their subsequent Marriage--Their Squabbles and Differences--Their Daughter’s Birth--Mary Wollstonecraft’s Death--Mrs. Shelley’s biographical Inaccuracies.
CHAPTER III. THE SECOND MRS. WILLIAM GODWIN 60
The Blighted Being--Miss Jones’s Disappointment--The Blighted Being goes to Bath--He proposes to Miss Harriet Lee--Is rejected by Mrs. Reveley--Is accepted by Mary Jane Clairmont--Who was she?--Her Children by her first Marriage--Their Ages in 1801--Points of Resemblance in Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Jane Clairmont--The Blighted Being marries Mary Jane Clairmont--Mr. Kegan Paul’s serious Misrepresentations of Claire’s Age--The Use made of this Misrepresentation--Mr. Kegan Paul convicted by his own Evidences--Charles Clairmont’s Boyhood--Godwin’s Regard for his second Wife--Misrepresentations touching the second Mrs. Godwin--Childhood of Mary and Claire--Education of Godwin’s Children and Step-children--Charles Clairmont’s Introduction to Free Thought--Godwin’s Care to withhold Mary from Free Thought--She is reared in Ignorance of her Mother’s Story-- The Book-shop in Hanway Street--The Godwins of The Polygon-- Their Migration to the City--The Godwins of Skinner Street.
CHAPTER IV. THE IRISH CAMPAIGN, AND THE STAY AT NANTGWILLT 78
Opium and Hallucination at Keswick--Migration to Ireland-- Shelley’s Letters to Miss Hitchener--Curran’s Coldness to the Adventurer--Publication of the _Address to the Irish People_-- Measures for putting the Pamphlet in Circulation--Harriett’s Amusement--Shelley’s Seriousness--Shelley’s other Irish Tract--Public Meeting in the Fishamble Street Theatre-- Shelley’s Speech to the Sixth Resolution--Various Accounts of the Speech--Mr. MacCarthy’s bad Manners--Honest Jack Lawless--His Project for a History of Ireland--His Way of handling Shelley--William Godwin’s Alarm--Shelley’s Submission--His Intercourse with Curran--His Withdrawal from Ireland--Seizure of his Papers at the Holyhead Custom-House--Harriett’s Letter to Portia--The Shelleys in Wales--Miss Hitchener’s ‘Divine Suggestion’--Harriett and Eliza don’t think it ‘Divine’--Shelley at Nantgwillt--His Scheme for turning Farmer--His comprehensive Invitation to the Godwins--His sudden Departure from Nantgwillt--Cause of the Departure--Mr. MacCarthy again at Fault.
Mr. Eton’s Cottage near Tintern Abbey--Shelley’s Reason for not taking the Cottage--His Letter to Mr. Eton--Godwin’s expostulatory Epistle--His Grounds for thinking Shelley prodigal--Reasonableness of Godwin’s Admonitions--Hogg and MacCarthy at fault--Shelley’s Letters from Lynton to Godwin-- Miss Hitchener at Lynton--Porcia alias Portia--_Letter_ to Lord Ellenborough--Printed at Barnstaple--Mr. Chanter’s _Sketches of the Literary History of Barnstaple_--Fifty Copies of the Letter sent to London--Shelley’s Measures for the political Enlightenment of North Devon Peasants--His Irish Servant, Daniel Hill--Commotion at Barnstaple--Daniel Hill’s Arrest and Imprisonment--Mr. Syle’s Alarm--Shelley’s humiliating and perilous Position--His Flight from North Devon to Wales--William Godwin’s Trip from London to Lynton--His Surprise and Disappointment--His ‘Good News’ of the Fugitives.
CHAPTER VI. NORTH WALES AND THE SECOND IRISH TRIP 120
William A. Madocks--The Tremadoc Embankment--Shelley’s Zeal for the People of Tremadoc--His big Subscription to the Embankment Fund--Tanyrallt Lodge--Shelley in London--Sussex Selfishness--The Reconciliation with Hogg--Miss Hitchener in Disgrace--She is banished from ‘Percy’s Little Circle’--Brown Demon and Hermaphroditical Beast--Shelley in Skinner Street-- Claire and Mary--Fanny Imlay’s Intercourse with Shelley--The Worth and Worthlessness of Claire’s Evidence-- Shelley’s Prodigality--Back at Tanyrallt--At Work on _Queen Mab_--At War with Neighbours--Embankment Annoyances--Livelier Delight in Harriett--Wheedling Letter to the Duke of Norfolk--Diet and Dyspepsia--The Hunts in Trouble--Shelley’s Contribution for their Relief--The odious Leeson--Daniel Hill’s Liberation from Prison--His Arrival at Tanyrallt Lodge--The Tanyrallt Mystery--Shelley’s marvellous and conflicting Stories-- Exhibition of the Evidence--Inquisition and Verdict-- Shelley’s ignominious Position--His virtuous Indignation at the World’s Villany--His undiminished Concern for Liberty and Virtue--His Withdrawal from Wales to Ireland--He hastens from Dublin to Killarney--Hogg in Dublin--The Shelleys back in London.
Imprint of _Queen Mab_--The Poem’s Notes--The Author’s Views touching Marriage--Places of Abode in London--Presentation Copies--Shelley ‘a Lion’--Half-Moon Street--Diet and Discomfort--Quacks and Crotchet-Mongers--‘Nakedized Children’--Cornelia Newton--Maimuna and her Salon-- Elephantiasis--‘The Hampstead Stage’--Dinner Party at Norfolk House--The Duke’s Mediation between the Father and Son-- Failure of the Negotiations--Shelley declines to be ‘a miserable Slave’--At the Pimlico Lodgings--Correspondence with Mr. Medwin, of Horsham--Birth of Ianthe Eliza--Shelley as a Father--Conflict of Evidence respecting his Parental Character--Shelley’s Kindness to Children--The Poet sets up his Carriage--His Prodigality in London--His Life at Bracknell--Maimuna at her Country-House--Last Visits to Field Place--Captain Kennedy’s Reminiscences--Medwin’s Gossip--The Trip to Scotland--Dissensions and Estrangements--Shelley and Harriett drifting apart--_Queen Mab’s_ Vegetarian Note--_Refutation of Deism_.
CHAPTER VIII. FROM THE OLD TO THE NEW LOVE 205
Shelley’s Refusal to join in the Resettlement of A and B--His Places of Residence in Two Years and Eight Months--_A Refutation of Deism_--Mr. Kegan Paul’s Inaccuracies--Discord between Shelley and Harriett--Their Remarriage--Miss Westbrook’s Withdrawal--Shelley’s Desertion of Harriett--The Desertion closes in Separation by mutual Agreement--‘Do what other Women do!’--Causes of the Separation--How Shelley’s Evidence touching them should be regarded--Peacock’s Testimony for Harriett--Shelley in Skinner Street--‘The Mask of Scorn’--Mary Godwin not bred up to mate in Free Contract--Old St. Pancras Church--At Mary Wollstonecraft’s Grave--Claire’s Part in the Wooing--Excuses for Mary Godwin--The Elopement from Skinner Street--From London to Dover--From Dover to Calais--A ‘Scene’ at Calais--The Joint Journal--Mrs. Shelley convicted of Tampering with Evidence-- The Six Weeks’ Tour--Shelley begs Harriett to come to him in Switzerland--Byron’s Hunger for Evil Fame--Shelley’s Self-Approbation and Self-Righteousness--Godwin’s Wrath with Shelley--Their subsequent Relations--Shelley’s Renewal of Intercourse with Harriett--Tiffs and Disagreements between Claire and Mary--Claire’s Incapacity for Friendship--She wants more than Friendship from Shelley.
Pecuniary Difficulties and Resources--Choice of a Profession-- Shelley walking a Hospital--Dropt by Acquaintances--Birth of Mary Godwin’s first Child--Sir Bysshe Shelley’s Death-- Differences and Tiffs between Mary and Claire--Characteristics of the Sisters--Trip to South Devon--At Work on _Alastor_-- Publication of the Poem--_Essay on Christianity_--Life at Bishopgate--Shelley’s Idolatry of Byron--Birth of Mary Godwin’s first-born Son--Claire and Byron--Second Trip to Switzerland--Shelley’s Pretext for leaving England--Strange Scene between Shelley and Peacock--Semi-Delusions--Another Hallucination.
Shelley’s Arrival at Geneva--Byron and Polidori--At the Sécheron Hotel--Union of the two Parties--Tattle of the Coteries--The Genevese Scandal--Its Fruit in Manfred and _Cain_--Its Fruit in _Laon and Cythna_--The Shelleys’ Return to England--Their Stay at Bath--Their Choice of a House at Great Marlow--Fanny Imlay’s Suicide--Her pitiable Story-- Harriett’s Suicide--Review of Shelley’s Treatment of her--His Responsibility for her Depravation and Ruin--Witnesses to Character and Conduct--Shelley’s Grief for Harriett--His wild Speech about her--His Marriage with Mary Godwin--Birth of Allegra.
Mr. Westbrook’s Petition to the Court of Chancery--Date of Hearing--The Edinburgh Reviewer’s Strange Misrepresentation--Lord Eldon’s Decree--Arrangements for Harriett’s Children--Lady Shelley’s strange Mistake touching those Arrangements--Lord Eldon’s Justification--Mrs. Shelley’s Regard for Social Opinion--Shelley’s keen Annoyance at the Chancellor’s Decree--Delusive Egotisms of _The Billows of the Beach_--Shelley’s Pretexts for going to Italy--His real Reasons for withdrawing from England.
The Misleading Tablet--House and Garden--Claire at Marlow-- Shelley’s Delight in Claire’s Voice--_To Constantia Singing_--Source of the Name--Trips to London--_The Marlow Pamphlets_--_Rosalind and Helen_--Other Literary Work at Marlow--Mary’s Treatment and Opinion of Claire--Shelley makes his Will--Date of Probate--The Will’s various Legacies-- Significant Legacies to Claire--Object of the Second Legacy of £6000--Did Shelley mean to leave Claire so much as £12,000?--Mr. Froude’s Indiscretion--His Ignorance of the Will.
Origin of the Free-Contract Party--Divorce in Catholic England--Nullification of Marriage--Consequences of the Reformation--Edward the Sixth’s Commissioners for the Amendment of Ecclesiastical Laws--Martin Bucer’s _Judgment touching Divorce_--John Milton on Freedom of Divorce-- Denunciations of Marriage by the Godwinian Radicals--Poetical Fruits of the Genevese Scandal--Byron’s Timidity--Shelley’s Boldness--His most extravagant Conclusions touching Liberty of Affection--Appalling Doctrine of _Laon and Cythna_-- Shelley’s Purpose in publishing the Poem--Alarm of the Olliers--Shelley’s Instructions to the frightened Publishers--Suppression of the monstrous Poem--Friends in Council--_Laon and Cythna_ manipulated into the _Revolt of Islam_--The Quarterly Review on the original Poem-- Consequences to Shelley’s Reputation--Irony of Fate.
The Hunts and the Shelleys--Their Intimacy--Pecuniary Difficulties--Dealings with Money-lenders--Leigh Hunt relieves Shelley of £1400--His Testimony to Shelley’s virtuous Manners--Shelley’s Benevolence at Marlow--At the Opera--Departure for Italy--The fated Children--Shelley’s literary Work and studious Life in Italy--Milan--Allegra sent to her Father--Elise the Swiss Nurse--Her Knowledge and Suspicions--Claire and her ‘Sister’--Their Affectionate Intercourse and Occasional Quarrels--Shelley’s Affection for Claire--Vagrants in Italy--Pisa--Leghorn--Maria Gisborne--Her Husband and Son--Claire and Shelley at Venice--Trick played on Byron--His Civilities to the Shelleys--Little Clara’s Death--Paolo the Knave--He falls in Love with Elise--Their Marriage--Paolo’s Wrath and Vengeance--Emilia Viviani-- Shelley’s Adoration of Her--The three-cornered Flirtation-- Mrs. Shelley’s Attitude and Action--Shelley’s Fault in the Affair--His subsequent Shame at the Business--The imaginary Assault at the Pisan Post Office.
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