His hair was now streaked with grey, yet in general society he appeared to have lost none of his usual good spirits.

"There are few," says Mrs. Shelley, “who remember him sailing paper boats and watching the navigation of his tiny craft with eagerness, or repeating the Ancient Mariner,' or Southey's 'Old Woman of Berkley;' but those who do, will recollect that it was in such, and in the creations of his own fancy, when that was most daring and ideal, that he sheltered himself from the storms and disappointments, the pain and sorrow that beset his life.”

Hitherto the study of metaphysics had engrossed much of Shelley's attention: his subtle power of reason, and his great grasp of intellect well fitted him for such a study; but his more brilliant imagination served him better for the creations of the poet.

He is said, however, at this time to have hesitated between metaphysics and poetry, nor, although he finally resolved on the latter, can it be said that he abandoned the former, since almost every page that he wrote reflects more or

less his philosophical speculations, sometimes to the great detriment of his verse.

But he had now adopted poetry as his chief study, and devoted himself to the perusal of the best authors, both ancient and modern, among whom we find particularly mentioned Eschylus, Sophocles, and Homer; Spenser, Coleridge, Wordsworth, Byron, and Moore; but Plato likewise occupied much of his attention at this period, and the study of the Symposium, of which he has left so admirable a translation, suggested to him, his own "Essay on Love," a fragment which may be regarded as the overflowing of a heart with the passion of which it

treats.

Besides these, the Bible was his constant study, more especially the Psalms, the books of Job and Isaiah, the sublime poetry of which we are told filled him with delight ;* nor did the New Testament engage less of his attention than that of many more orthodox Christians, where he sought for his Christianity in the Epistle of St. James, and in the Sermon on the Mount by Christ

* Mrs. Shelley.

himself, for whose truly divine spirit he entertained the greatest reverence.

While in the midst of other studies the sacred writings occupied a considerable share of his attention, Shelley manifested his practical Christianity in a manner that was not to be misunderstood.

Great Marlow, at the time the poet resided there, was inhabited by a very poor population. "The women," says Mrs. Shelley, “were lacemakers, and lost their health by sedentary labour, for which they were very ill paid. The poorlaws ground to the dust not only the paupers, but those who had risen just above that state, and were obliged to pay poor rates. The changes produced by peace following a long war and a bad harvest, brought with them the most heartrending evils to the poor."

To alleviate these evils to the utmost of his power Shelley particularly devoted himself, nor did he set about this great good work with any weak hand. He made himself personally acquainted with the merits and condition of those

* Leigh Hunt.

whom he assisted, and kept a regular, and, no doubt, an extensive list of industrious poor.

He visited them beneath their lowly roofs, penetrating often into the most wretched hovels; for where the gaunt image of poverty and human wretchedness presented itself in its most appalling shapes there he conceived his duty particularly called him.

In these visits he frequently met with disease and sickness, accompanied by that utter desolation which hopeless misery engenders; and having walked the hospitals for the better fulfilment of his divine mission of doing good, he was enabled often to add medical assistance to his many other acts of benevolence.

He supplied the poor with food and raiment, with money, with fuel and medicine, and warm blankets to cover themselves with in the cold winter nights; and so assiduous was he in his personal attentions to their necessities, that at one time it was likely to produce serious consequences to himself, for in the winter of this year he had a severe attack of ophthalmia, caught while visiting the poor cottages, which for some time threatened to deprive him of sight.

VOL. II.

F

On visiting Marlow some time back, I was fortunate enough to meet with Mr. Maddocks, a gentleman who knew Shelley intimately, and at whose house the poet slept some few nights before he became his neighbour; he gave me some interesting particulars concerning him, and supplied me with some manuscripts of the poet's which he happened to possess, and of which I have availed myself in this biography.

There was a narrow private footpath, which almost connected this gentleman's house with Shelley's, though they were still about a quarter of a mile distant from each other.

By this pathway the poet frequently came to visit him, always book in hand and with uncovered head, sometimes in the scorching sun,he strolled along with his characteristic stride, eagerly devouring what he read, occasionally bending down to pluck a flower by his side, but scarcely turning his eyes from his book.

Mr. Maddocks says he would stay with him by the hour, talking, in his wild, earnest way, on all kinds of topics: on the condition of the poor, and the best means of ameliorating it; on politics, on poetry, on the sublimities of the inspired