CHAPTER XXVI.

Leigh Hunt sets sail for Italy-Is driven back by a storm-Critical position of Leigh Hunt-Shelley's appeal to Byron for assistance-Leigh Hunt's arrival at Genoa-Leigh Hunt's prospects-Shelley's impatience to meet him-Departure for Leghorn.

SINCE the proposal for starting "The Liberal,” Shelley continually urged his friend to come to Italy, to undertake its management.

"Put your music and your books,' he wrote, "on board a vessel, and you will have no more trouble."

To enable him to do this, Shelley was willing to supply the means: for Leigh Hunt himself, either from improvidence, or misfortune, or both, was without them. Whether or not the poet

"made up the impudent face" to ask Horace Smith, does not transpire; but to relieve Leigh Hunt of his debts, and to supply him with money for the voyage, he contrived to raise money to the extent of £1400, so ready was he to assist. his friend.

But this undertaking was destined to commence and to end in disaster. The first attempt to leave England proved abortive.

Undertaking the voyage in the depth of winter, no sooner had they put out to sea than they were overtaken by fearful storms; and, after beating about in the Channel for upwards of a month, found themselves at last in Dartmouth harbour; where, after such experience, Leigh Hunt determined to remain till the ensuing spring.

This, of course, entailed upon him the loss of the passage-money paid for himself and family, which consisted of his wife and seven children. This unfortunate affair, and the consequent expenses of living in a country town for four months, left him again without the means of proceeding, and he was obliged once more to apply to Shelley in his need.

This application Shelley forwarded to Byron, accompanied by the following letter from himself.

"I enclose you a letter from Hunt, which

You

annoys me on more than one account. will observe the postscript, and you know me well enough to feel how painful a task is set me, in commenting upon it. Hunt has urged me more than once to ask you to lend him this money. My answer consisted in sending him all I could spare, which I have now literally done.

"Your kindness in fitting up a part of your own house for his accommodation I sensibly felt, and willingly accepted from you on his part; but, believe me, without the slightest intention of imposing, or, if I could help it, allowing to be imposed, any heavier task on your purse. As it has come to this, in spite of my exertions, I will not conceal from you the low ebb of my own money affairs in the present moment-that is, my absolute incapacity of assisting Hunt farther.

"I do not think poor Hunt's promise to pay in a given time is worth very much; but mine is less subject to uncertainty, and I should be happy to be responsible for any engagement he may have proposed to you.

"I am so much annoyed by this subject that I hardly know what to write, and much less what to say; and I have need of all your indulgence in judging both my feelings and expressions.

"I shall see you by and by.

"Believe me,

"Yours most faithfully and sincerely,

"P. B. SHELLEY."*

This generous appeal brought two hundred pounds, and enabled Leigh Hunt once more to proceed on his voyage, which he did on 13th May, 1822; and, on 20th June, it is recorded in Williams's diary, "Shelley hears from Hunt that he has arrived at Genoa."

The poet was not long in writing him a hearty

* See Moore's Life of Byron, vol. vi., p. 6.

welcome, saying that winds and waves, he hoped, would never part them more.

I shall not consider it necessary to enter upon the object of Leigh Hunt's journey to Italy, any further than it serves to illustrate that portion of the poet's life to which it relates. I may, however, remark, that Shelley already began to entertain great misgivings as to the success of the proposed alliance.

In a letter to a friend, dated only a week after Hunt's arrival, and before they had yet met, he says, "Between ourselves, I greatly fear that this alliance will not succeed; for I, who can never have been regarded as more than the link of the two thunderbolts, cannot now consent to be even that; and how long the alliance may continue I will not prophesy.

Pray do not hint my doubts on the subject to any one, or they might do harm to Hunt; and they may be groundless."

With nothing, however, but the imaginary proceeds of the yet unborn journal to support his large family, Leigh Hunt had arrived in Italy, and with as little delay as possible he proceeded