of the poem advances towards that point at which the ravine ends and the stream tumbles over a vast height. As the ravine narrows, its rocky sides rise in height, so that the ravine grows dark below from the sheer height of its precipitous sides; but above, in the rocky heights, can be discerned openings in the crags, and caverns, amid which the voice of the stream echoes. Such is the sense I get, and I extract it from Shelley's text by considering the relative 'which' following rocks' as nominative not only to the verb 'lifted,' but also to the verb 'disclosed'; and this verb disclosed' has as its accusative or object the words 'black gulphs and yawning caves.' The words its precipice obscuring the ravine,' I take to be parenthetical, and as meaning the height of its rocky sides darkening the ravine. Pointed thus my meaning may be clearer On every side now rose Rocks, which, in unimaginable forms, I separate 'toppling stones' as governed by the preposition "mid' from 'black gulphs, &c,' which is governed by the verb 'disclosed.' 'Above' is an adverb, not a preposition, and means in the upper region." Passages like this, which to the reader seem hopelessly difficult, probably appear to their authors to be quite clear and free from ambiguity; because, knowing the genesis of their conceptions, they have a key by which all obscurities are unriddled. Writers like Shelley and Browning, of subtle and penetrating intellect, must feel continually the difficulty of translating their glowing and swift-winged conceptions into a language inadequate to express them; or which, if adequate, must yet be manipulated so as to bring down their meaning to the apprehension of the ordinary reader. This may explain why many passages in Shakespeare and other famous writers, are, in spite of innumerable commentators, still unexplained and likely to remain so. What all commentators who wish to get at the meaning of an obscure passage should first attempt is, to try to find the sense of it, not from its external peculiarities (which may lead them altogether astray), but from considering what could have been in the author's mind when the passage was written. It may be thought that it is impossible to do this, and doubtless it is so sometimes; but it will often be found that by tracking the author's ideas as they precede or follow the passage in dispute, it will be comparatively easy to solve its difficulties. The commentator, in short, should consider not what he himself would have written under the circumstances, but what the author, impelled by his peculiar genius, was likely to have meant. P. 53. "O! there are spirits of the air." This poem in all recent editions is headed "To Coleridge." The editors have the authority of Mrs. Shelley for thus heading it. In "Notes on the Early Poems," in her edition of 1839, she says:-"The poem beginning 'Oh, there are spirits in the air,'1 was addressed in idea to 1 The reader will notice that there are here two departures from the original text, Oh, for O and in for of. Mrs. Shelley probably had looser notions as to an editor's duties Coleridge, whom he never knew; and at whose character he could only guess imperfectly, through his writings, and accounts he heard of him from some who knew him well. He regarded his change of opinion as rather an act of will than conviction, and believed that in his inner heart he would be haunted by what Shelley considered the better and holier aspirations of his youth." Notwithstanding this statement, I feel convinced that the poem has no reference whatever to Coleridge, and that Mrs. Shelley must have been labouring under a misapprehension regarding it. I cannot see that the lines have the remotest application to Coleridge's character or works, while they apply clearly and strongly to Shelley himself. The stanzas are merely a variation of the theme dwelt upon in Alastor; and if, as I believe, Shelley delineates himself in that poem, then these verses are only another phase of his self-portraiture. As it might seem rather presumptuous on my part to speak thus than are now entertained; or perhaps she thought herself warranted in making what she regarded as trifling alterations. positively without having submitted the point to more competent judges, I have consulted Mr. Rossetti and Professor Dowden with regard to it. The former says: "I have always shared your opinion that the verses have no traceable application to Coleridge, and must to all appearance be personal to Shelley." Professor Dowden does not speak quite so positively; but he says, however, "Your thought that the poem had Shelley himself for subject often occurred to me." P. 56. "Stanzas:-April, 1814." Respecting these verses, Mr. Rossetti says:— The purport of these stanzas has never, so far as I know, been cleared up to the reader by any of the persons who could speak with authority. They might appear to be addressed by way of apostrophe to Shelley himself, on his then impending separation from his first wife, Harriet. If so, they are important in point of date, as the separation did not actually take place till about 17th June. A person likely to know the facts has, however, stated in writing (within my knowledge) that the stanzas have a |