IN TWO VOLUMES
Vol. II
LONDON
RICHARD BENTLEY & SON
Publishers in Ordinary to Her Majesty the Queen
1889
CONTENTS
| PAGES | ||
| [CHAPTER XVII] | ||
| July-September 1822 | ||
| 1822 (July). | Mary and Mrs. Williams go to Pisa—They can learn nothing—Trelawny accompanies them back to Casa Magni—The bodies of Shelley and Williams are washed ashore—Trelawny brings Mary, Jane, and Clare back to Pisa—Mary’s endurance—Letters from Godwin—Mary’s letter to Mrs. Gisborne—The bodies are cremated—Dispute about Shelley’s heart—It remains with Mary—Mary’s decision to remain for a time with the Hunts, and to assist them and Byron with the Liberal—Goes to Genoa—Mrs. Williams goes to England—Letter from Mary to Mrs. Gisborne and Clare—Letters from Clare and Jane Williams—The Hunts and Byron are established at Albaro | [1-35] |
| [CHAPTER XVIII] | ||
| September 1822-July 1823 | ||
| 1822 (October). | Mary’s desolate condition—Her diary—Extracts—Discomfort with the Hunts—Byron’s antipathy to them all—Note from him to Mary—Trelawny’s presence a refreshment—Letters to and from him—Letter from Godwin—Journal—Letter to Clare—Mary’s poem “The Choice.” | |
| 1823. | Trelawny’s zealous care for Shelley’s tomb—Mary’s gratitude—She decides on returning to England—Sir Timothy Shelley’s refusal to assist her—Letter from Godwin—Correspondence between Mary and Trelawny—Letter from Godwin criticising Valperga—Byron is induced to go to Greece—Summons Trelawny to accompany him—Mrs. Hunt’s confinement—Letters from Mary to Jane Williams—She starts on her journey to England—Diary | [36-88] |
| [CHAPTER XIX] | ||
| July 1823-December 1824 | ||
| 1823. | Mary’s journey—Letters to the Leigh Hunts—Arrival in London—Jane Williams—Her attractiveness—Frankenstein on the stage—Publication of Shelley’s Posthumous Poems. | |
| 1824. | Journal—Mary’s wish to write for the stage—Godwin discourages the idea—Affairs of the Examiner newspaper—The Novellos—Mrs. Cowden Clarke’s reminiscences of Mary—Death of Byron—Profound sensation—Journal—Letters from Trelawny—Description of the “Cavern Fortress of Mount Parnassus”—Letter from Mary to Trelawny—Letter to Leigh Hunt—Negotiation with Sir T. Shelley—Allowance—Suppression of the Posthumous Poems—Journal—Medwin’s Memoirs of Byron—Asks Mary to assist him—Her feelings on the subject—Letter to Mrs. Hunt—Journal | [89-129] |
| [CHAPTER XX] | ||
| January 1825-July 1827 | ||
| 1825. | Improvement in Mary’s prospects—Letter to Miss Curran—Letter to Leigh Hunt about his article on Shelley—Shelley’s portrait arrives—Journal—Trelawny’s adventures and escape from Greece—Mary’s letter to him (February 1826). | |
| 1826. | Reminiscences of Lord Byron’s projected performance of Othello at Pisa—Clare Clairmont’s life as a governess in Russia—Description of her—Letter from her to Jane Williams—Publication of The Last Man—Hogg’s appreciation—Stoppage of Mary’s allowance—Peacock’s intervention in her behalf—Death of Charles Shelley—Mary’s letter to Leigh Hunt on the subject of Shelley’s intended legacy—Increase of allowance—Melancholy letter from Trelawny. | |
| 1827. | Mary’s reply—Letter from Clare to Jane Williams—Jane Williams’ duplicity—Mary becomes aware of it—Her misery—Journal | [130-167] |
| [CHAPTER XXI] | ||
| July 1827-August 1830 | ||
| 1827. | Letter to Mary from Frances Wright presented by Robert Dale Owen—Friendly Correspondence—Acquaintance—Fanny Wright’s history—Her personal appearance—Contrast between her and Mrs. Shelley—She returns to America—Letter from her—Letter from Godwin to Mary—Mary’s stay at Arundel—The Miss Robinsons—Letter from Trelawny—Explanation with Jane Williams—Letter from Mary—Visit to Paris—Mary catches the small-pox—Trelawny arrives in England—Letters from him. | |
| 1829. | He returns to Italy—Letter to Mary to say he is writing his own life—Asks Mary to help him with reminiscences of Shelley—She declines—He is angry—Letter from Lord Dillon—Perkin Warbeck. | |
| 1830. | Journal (January)—Mrs. Shelley’s “at homes” in Somerset Street—T. Moore—Perkin Warbeck a disappointment—Need of money—Letter from Clare—Mary writes for the Keepsake | [168-203] |
| [CHAPTER XXII] | ||
| August 1830-October 1831 | ||
| 1830. | Trelawny’s autobiographical adventures to be entitled A Man’s Life—Correspondence with Mary respecting the preparation and publication of the book. | |
| 1831. | She negotiates the matter—Entreats for certain modifications—The title is altered to Adventures of a Younger Son—The author’s vexation—Mary’s patience—Horace Smith’s assistance—Trelawny surmises that “fate” may unite him and Mary Shelley some day—“My name will never be Trelawny”—Publication of the Adventures—Trelawny’s later Recollections of Shelley, Byron, and the Author—His rare appreciation of Shelley—Singular discrepancies between the first and second editions of the book—Complete change of tone in later life with regard to Mrs. Shelley—Conclusions | [204-232] |
| [CHAPTER XXIII] | ||
| October 1831-October 1839 | ||
| Godwin’s Thoughts on Man (1830)—Letter to Mary—Letter from Clare—Question of Percy’s going to a public school. | ||
| 1831. | Mary Shelley applies to Sir Timothy for an increase of allowance—She is refused. | |
| 1832. | Letter from Godwin asking for an idea or suggestion—Mary writes “Lives of Italian and Spanish Literary Men” for Lardner’s Cyclopædia—Clare’s tale—Cholera in London—Mary goes to Sandgate—Trelawny returns—His daughter stays with Mary at Sandgate—Death of Lord Dillon—Letter from Godwin—His son William dies of cholera—Posthumous novel, Transfusion—Clare’s letters to Jane and Mary. | |
| 1833. 1834 | Mrs. Shelley goes to live at Harrow—Letter to Mrs. Gisborne—Influenza—Solitude—Hardwork—Letter from Godwin—Letters from Mary to Trelawny and to Mrs. Gisborne—Offer of £600 for annotated edition of Shelley’s works—Difficulties. | |
| 1835. 1836 | Lodore—Its success—Reminiscences of her own experiences—Letter from Clare—Melancholy letter from Mary to Mrs. Gisborne—“A Dirge”—Trelawny returns from America—Mary’s friendship with Mrs. Norton—Letter to Mrs. Gisborne—Godwin’s death—Efforts to get an annuity for his widow—Letters from Mrs. Norton and Trelawny. | |
| 1837. | Letters from Mary to Trelawny—Death of the Gisbornes—Impediments to Mary’s undertaking the biography of her father—Her edition of Shelley’s works—Painful task. | |
| 1839. | Letter from Sir E. L. Bulwer—Fragment from Mrs. Norton—The Diplomatic Service—Journal—Bitter Vexations—Illness—Recovery | [233-291] |
| [CHAPTER XXIV] | ||
| October 1839-February 1851 | ||
| 1839. | Publication of Shelley’s prose works—Motto—Letter from Carlyle. | |
| 1840. 1841 | Journal—Brighton—Continental tour with Percy and his reading-party—Stay at Como—Mary’s enjoyment—Her son takes his degree, and receives allowance from his grandfather—Letter of congratulation from Mrs. Norton—Mary and Percy go abroad again—Kissingen; Gotha; Weimar; Leipzig; Berlin; Dresden; Prague; Linz; Salzburg; Venice—Associations—Winter at Florence—Rome—Sorrento—Home again. | |
| 1844. 1847 | Rambles in Germany and Italy—Dedication to Rogers: note from him—Death of Sir T. Shelley—Mary’s letter to Leigh Hunt—Shelley’s various legacies—Letter from Hogg—Portrait—Mrs. Shelley’s literary friendships—Letter from Walter Savage Landor—Hogg’s Shelley Papers—Subsequent Life of Shelley—Facsimile of fragment in Mary’s handwriting—Medwin’s book inaccurate and objectionable—Mary fails to write Shelley’s Life—Marriage of Sir Percy Shelley—Mary lives with her son and daughter-in-law—Her sweetness and unselfishness—Her kindness to her son’s friends—Clare’s visits to Field Place—Her excitability and eccentricity—Her death at Florence; 1878. | |
| 1851. | Mary Shelley’s health declines—Her death—Her grave in Bournemouth Churchyard—Retrospect of her history and mental development—Extract from Journal of October 1838, giving her own views—The success of her life a moral rather than an intellectual one—Her nobility of character—Her influence on Shelley—Her lifelong devotion to him | [292-325] |
THE LIFE AND LETTERS
OF
MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT SHELLEY