and the terrible malady, by slow and certain symptoms, became confirmed.

This early created a bond of sympathy between him and Shelley; for, probably, nothing draws us closer to each other than mutual ill-health. Shelley soon learned to love him; and his anxiety for the state of his health was mingled with the tenderest regard.

But this was far from being the only bond of union between them. Their tastes, moderate requirements, pleasures, pastimes, mostly assimilated; the water was the favourite and fatal element of both, a boat their ideal of happiness, and the same love of adventure and manly exercise distinguished them.

The shallow bed of the Arno seemed to offer but slight facility for their favourite amusement; but they overcame the difficulty by constructing a boat of laths and pitched canvas, such as the huntsmen of the Maremma carry about with them, to cross the sluggish but deep streams that intersect the forests.*

It held three persons, and was light enough to float on the shallowest waters. In this they

* Mrs. Shelley's notes.

were frequently seen on the Arno, to the horror of the Italians, who frequently exclaimed, in a prophetic voice, "Ma va per la vita." Sometimes, they even ventured out to sea in this frail boat.

On one occasion, accompanied by his friend, Mr. Reveley, Shelley undertook a voyage round the coast, as far as Leghorn. Returning by the canal, they got entangled in the weeds, and the boat upset; an accident which, happily, was attended with no worse consequences than a drenching, the severe cold of which caused Shelley afterwards to faint.

Nothing intimidated by this event, he writes the next morning to his companion.

"Our ducking last night has added fire, instead of quenching the nautical ardour which produced it; and I consider it a good omen in any enterprise, that it begins in evil, as being more probable that it will end in good."

The charm of Mrs. Williams's society was a no less desirable acquisition than her husband's ; she was a lady of various accomplishments, and was particularly fond of music. She had a sweet and well-cultivated voice, and played with

superior taste and skill on the harp and the guitar. The simple airs she delighted to play, some of which she had brought in memory from the East, often enchanted Shelley, who had an exquisite ear, and great taste for music, and the agreeable society of this elegant and accomplished lady did much to exorcise the demon of despondency from his mind.

Many of the minor pieces written this and the following year contain allusions to, or are addressed to this lady. The elegant Platonisms they mostly breathe exhibit the highly refined and elevated tone of thought and feeling with which the poet could approach a lady of spotless reputation, compatible with the warmest friendship for her husband.

CHAPTER XIX.

Il Signore Professore-His singular character-His abilities His extravagance and dissipation-Consequences upon himself-His resources for procuring money-The original of the Epipsychidion-Her extreme beauty-Her character-Her history-Shelley's introduction to her-Her marriage-Her death.

ANOTHER Singular and original character, who had gained the entrée to Shelley's house, and who did not fail to make the most liberal use of it, was a worthy Florentine, best known at Pisa as Il Signore Professore; and, if he ever possessed any other name, it had so fallen into disuse that his friends, or, perhaps, himself, would have scarcely recognized it.

He was about fifty years of age, and, in his personal appearance, is said to have represented

one of Titian's portraits stepping from its frame. Somewhat above the middle height, his figure was bony and angular, his visage dark as that of a Moor: his features were marked and regular; and his deep, gloomy, black eyes seemed peering out of the darkness.

The capacity in which he held his title was as professor of Belle Lettres, for which he received some poor emolument, and for which he gave but very poor services in return, having, we are told, mounted the Cathedra but once during the many years he retained his office.

He was also something of a divine; and officiated in many families at Pisa as their spiritual guide and confessor. He was a man of varied talent and vast erudition, which was considerably enhanced by a remarkably retentive memory.

He laid great claim to dramatic excellence, not for anything he had ever written, but for supposed quotations with which he was fond of indulging his friends from tragedies which only existed in his own imagination; and which Madame de Stael, who knew him, used to call imaginary ones.