Shelley: The Pursuit

by Richard Holmes

  1811–1814: his solitude in London, 61, 64–5, 66; supported by Pilfold in quarrel with father, 61, 62, 63, 70, 81; and correspondence with Hogg, 61–2; his first visit to Leigh Hunt, 63–4; his relaxation in childhood games, 65 & n.; and dreams and sleepwalking, 65–6; his friendship with Harriet Westbrook, 66–9; proposes educational experiment, 69–70; returns to Field Place, 70; and Hogg’s visit, 71; Elizabeth Hitchener’s intellectual friendship with, 71–3, 75–6; attacks Prince Regent’s extravagance, 73; stays at Cwm Elan, 73–7; marries Harriet Westbrook in Edinburgh, 77–81; and wedding night shooting incident, 79; his financial difficulties, 80–3, 94–5; and Timothy stops allowance, 81–2; moves to York, 82, 83–91; his reproachful letters to father, 82–3; re-opens correspondence with Elizabeth Hitchener, 84–6; and relationship with Harriet, 85, 93, 115; plans founding of egalitarian community, 86, 111; his abortive visit to Field Place, 87–9; and accuses mother of adultery, 88 & n.; writes to Duke of Norfolk, 89; Hogg’s infatuation for Harriet leads to break with, 89–93, 95; and moves to Keswick, 91–116; life at Chesnut Cottage, 94–5; visits Grey-stoke, 95; local opinion against strange behaviour of, 96, 111–13; Xmas Day Letter to Miss Hitchener, 98, 99–100; seeks to publish propaganda poems, 98–9; his relationship with Southey, 99–102; and plans to write ‘Hubert Cauvin’, 102, 106; writes letter of introduction to Godwin, 102–3; and subsequent correspondence, 103–5; plans trip to Dublin, 105–6; and writes ‘The Devil’s Walk’, 106–7; and Esdaile Notebook poems, 107–9; receives allowance from father and Westbrook, 109; writes conciliatory letter to father, 109–10; his secret letter to sister Hellen discovered and break with father, 110–11; takes laudanum to cure nervous attacks, 111, 113, 115; attacked by ruffians, 111–13, 114; Harriet’s false pregnancy, 114–15; goes to Ireland, 116; in Dublin (1812), 117–32; publishes and distributes Address to the Irish People, 117, 119–22; and writes ‘To the Republicans of North America’, 118–19; addresses Catholic Committee, 120, 123, 124–6; his plan to found associations, 119, 120, 122, 123, 126–7, 128, 129–30, 131; and friendship with Catherine Nugent, 128–9; and vegetarianism, 129, 200, 220, 291; Godwin criticizes Proposals for an Association, 129–31; leaves Dublin, 131–2; in Wales (1812): 133–44; leases farm at Nantgwillt, 134–5; fails to raise money to buy stock, 135–6, 143; and Harriet ill with fever, 136; and investigation of propaganda material and activities, 136–8; and Declaration of Rights, 138–9, 142, 146–7, 148, 149; his plans for Miss Hitchener to join radical commune, 139–43; and local gossip in Sussex, 140–2; writes to Thomas Hitchener, 140–1, 142–3; is forced to leave Nantgwillt, 142; and stays with Groves at Cwm Elan, 143–5; his ill health, 143 & n.; reaffirms his loyalty to Godwin, 144–5; moves to Lynmouth, 145–7; and joined by Elizabeth Hitchener, 147–8; distributes propaganda, 148–9; and fire balloons, 149–50; his concentrated period of reading and study, 152–4; and Letter to Lord Ellenborough, 154–6; and other literary projects, 156–7; and Queen Mab, 157; Dan Healy arrested, 158; and investigation of his subversive activities, 158–60; leaves Lynmouth, 161–2; and financial difficulties, 161, 166–7, 168, 213–14; at Tan-yr-allt (Wales), 163–7, 176–97; his enthusiasm for Embankment Scheme, 165–6, 172; and speaks at Beaumaris meeting, 166; and debts, 167 & n; returns to London, 167; first meeting and friendship with Godwins, 167–70, 171; and reunion with Hogg, 172–3; and friendship with Peacock, 173–4; and John Frank Newton, 174–5; Elizabeth Hitchener leaves, 175; and his callous attitude to her, 175–6; and offensive manner to Evans, 178; and bad relations with Leeson, 178, 180; his work for Embankment Fund, 178, 180, 181; and support for labourers, 180–1, 182–3; his intensive period of studies under guidance of Godwin, 181–2; and happiness, 183–4; displays radical sympathies and distributes pamphlets, 185, 186; and Leeson faction’s hostility, 185–7; and Tan-yr-allt shooting incident, 187–8, 190–7; moves to Ellis-Nanney’s house, 188–9; returns to Ireland, 189, 197; Hitchener’s letters of recrimination to, 189–90; end of his political activism, 197–8; returns to London (1813), 199–200; Queen Mab published, 200–11; and Harriet’s pregnancy, 211, 212, 213, 214–15; reconciliation attempt with father falls through, 211–13, 222; and inheritance prospects, 213; and debts incurred by, 213–14, 218, 220, 223, 229; encourages friendship between Hogg and Harriet, 214–15; birth of daughter, Eliza Ianthe, 215–16; his dislike of Eliza Westbrook, 216, 225; and inheritance in Chancery, 216, 218, 222, 225, 226; stays with Boinvilles in Bracknell, 216–19; Peacock’s view of, 217, 221; worried about his health, 218, 220–1; obtains loan for £500, 219 & n., 229; moves to Edinburgh, 219–23; praises Hogg’s novel, 221; meets Joachim Pereira, 222; returns alone to London, 222–3; his filial dependence on Godwin, 223; and deteriorating relations with Harriet, 223, 224; takes house at Windsor, 224; leaves Harriet and stays with Boinvilles, 224–5; 2nd marriage ceremony with Harriet, 226 & n.; negotiates loan with Nash brothers, 226, 229, 230, 232–3, 236, 238 n.; separation from Harriet, 226, 229–30, 231; and transient passion for Cornelia Boinville, 227–8

  1814–1818: meets and falls in love with Mary Godwin, 230–2; and William Godwin’s opposition, 232–4; tells Harriet of his love for Mary, 233–4; elopes with Mary and Claire, 234, 235; and Mrs Godwin follows them to Calais, 235–6; and journey through France to Switzerland, 236–43; his relationship with Claire Clairmont, 241, 242, 247–8, 257–61, 263–5, 269–70, 275, 277; writes The Assassins, 243–7; returns to London, 247–9; and financial difficulties, 250, 251, 252, 253–4; seeks reconciliation with Harriet, 250–3; and final break, 253–6; moves to Church Terrace, 254; Peacock renews friendship with, 254–5; writes to Hogg about Mary, 256–7; and horror sessions with Claire, 257–61; hides from bailiffs, 265–6; and strain of separation from Mary, 266, 267–8; negotiates loan of money, 266–7, 269; moves to Nelson Square, 269; his personal responsibilities, 270–1; Hogg’s regular visits, 271, 277; reviews Prince Alexy Haimatoff, 271–2; birth of son Charles to Harriet, 273–4; his attitude to Wordsworth, 274–5; horror sessions revived, 275; death of grandfather, 275–6; and settlement of will, 276, 277, 281, 283–5, 313, 314–15, 319, 320; moves to Hans Place, 276; destruction of journal pages, 276–7; and experimental ‘shared household’, 277–9; and talks with Cannon, 279–80; birth of baby girl to Mary, 280; moves to Pimlico, 280–1; and death of baby, 281; discusses legal arrangements with Harriet, 281; takes Mary on Berkshire holiday, 281–2; moves to Bloomsbury, 282; and Claire leaves, 282–3; takes Mary to Torquay, 285, 286; his illness, 286, 290; goes house-hunting, 286–7; his scheme to enter Church, 287–8; Mary joins him at Bishopsgate, 290; and river expedition, 291–4, 296; and creative work, 294–9; and writes Alastor, 300–6; his financial responsibilities, 307; and indifference to Harriet’s children, 307; Alastor published, 307–11; birth of son William, 310–11; continues financial aid to Godwin but fails to regain his favour, 311–15; takes lodgings in Norfolk St, 314, 315; involved in Claire’s campaign to win Byron, 317, 320; writes to Godwin from Dover, 320–2; goes to Geneva with Mary and Claire, 322–4; takes rooms at the Hotel d’Angleterre, 323; and Byron’s arrival, 324–5; and 1st meeting and friendship with Byron, 325–7, 337–8; moves to Montalègre, 327; Claire’s pregnancy and, 327 & n.; his hallucinations in Villa Diodati, 328–30; and tour of lake, 330, 334–8; Mary’s Frankenstein and, 331–4, 344; visits Chamounix valley, 339–43; and his scandalous entries in hotel registers, 342, 404; offers to look after Claire during pregnancy, 343; launches fire balloon, 344; and discusses ghosts with M. G. Lewis, 344; returns to England, 344–6; and settles in Bath, 346, 347–8; his Will, 346 n.; effect of Fanny’s suicide on, 347–8; renewed interest in political reform, 349–50, 363; and friendship with Leigh Hunt, 350–2; Harriet’s suicide, 352–9; and marries Mary, 355; birth of Claire’s daughter Allegra, 356; seeks custody of Harriet’s children, 356–7, 359, 363; stays with Hunts and meets Hampstead set, 359–63; stays with Peacock in Marlow, 363–4; writes A Proposal for Putting Reform to the Vote, 364–6; at Marlow (1817), 367–408: leases Albion House, 367; his letter to
Byron about Claire, 369–70; fears prosecution of Queen Mab, 369 & n.; writes Laon and Cythna, 370, 377; and ‘To Constantia Singing’, 371–2; recurrence of illness, 372–3, 376, 377, 378, 391–2; invites Polly Rose to visit Albion House, 373; and games and terror treatment, 372–3; Peacock bases Nightmare Abbey on Shelley household, 374–6; birth of daughter Clara, 377; stays with Hunt in London, 377; and financial problems, 377, 378, 379; decides to sell Albion House, 377–8; and Mary’s nagging, 378–9; drafts Rosalind and Helen, 379–80; and Preface to Laon and Cythna completed, 380–3; his political pamphlet on the Death of Princess Charlotte, 384–8; distributes Xmas blankets in Marlow, 388, 389, 405; rebuffed by Baxter, 388–9; Laon and Cythna republished as The Revolt of Islam, 389–405; takes laudanum, 392; worried about Allegra, 405–6; writes ‘Prince Athanase’, 406–7; sells Albion House, 407; and moves back to London, 407–12; and round of social pleasures, 408–9, 410; and sonnet competition at Hunts, 410; writes sonnet ‘Ozymandias’, 410–11; deteriorating relations between Godwin and, 411–12; and christening of William, Clara and Allegra, 412; leaves England for Italy, 412–13

  Italy, 1818–1822: journey out, 414–16; Elise’s future role in his life, 415–16; arrival in Milan, 416–17; and pistol incident at Lake Como, 417–18, 472, 481; corresponds with Byron about collection of Allegra, 418–20, 421; and Elise accompanies Allegra to Venice, 421–2; journey to Livorno, 421–2; and meets Gisbornes, 423–4; rents Casa Bertini in Bagni di Lucca, 424; and expatriate life in Livorno, 424; drafts ‘Tasso’ scenes, 425; and reads ‘Cenci Manuscript’, 425–6; at Casa Bertini, 426–30; his love for waters of Italy, 427, 460; and landscapes and sky, 427–8, 443; goes riding to Lucca, 429–30; his translation of Plato’s Symposium, 430–8; goes to Venice with Claire, 439–41; and meets Byron again, 441–2; invited to stay at Este, 442–4; begins work on Prometheus Unbound, 444; illness and death of Clara, 444–7; his views on Venice, 448–9; and writes ‘Julian and Maddalo’, 449–57; journeys south, 458–60; drafts ‘The Colosseum’ in Rome, 460–1; takes lodgings at 250 Riviera di Chiaia in Naples, 461–2; his illness, 462, 463, 464 & n.; and sightseeing, 462–3, 477; his period of crisis, 463–5, 474–5; Elena affair, 465–74, 481–4; renewed interest in politics, 475–6; and writes ‘Lines Written During Castlereagh Administration’, 476–7; and letter to Peacock on Neapolitan tombs, 477–8; his expedition to Paestum, 478–9; and leaves Naples, 479–80; in Rome (1819), 485–518: takes rooms at Palazzo Verospi, 485; and sightseeing, 485; visits Marianna Dioniga’s salon, 486; and moonlight walks, 487; impressed by reliefs in Forum, 488, 503–4; and Baths of Caracalla, 489–90; writes Prometheus Unbound Acts I–III, 490–508; and its publication, 509–10 & n.; friendship with Aemilia Curran, 510–11; attacked by stranger in Post Office, 511; moves to Via Sestina, 511–12; Aemilia’s portrait of, 512 & n., 516–17; his interest in Renaissance Rome, 512–13; and begins writing The Cenci, 513, 514–17; his illness, 513, 514; and illness and death of William, 517–18; leaves Rome, 518; and unhappy summer at Monte Nero, 519–20; uses tower of Villa Valsovano as his study, 521, 523, 528, 529; and continues work on The Cenci, 521, 523–5; his physical and spiritual recuperation, 521–3; and Mary’s pregnancy, 526, 538–9, 550, 551, 556, 558; backs Reveley’s steamboat project, 527, 550; dedicates The Cenci to Hunt, 528; his reaction to news of Peterloo, 529–32; and writes The Mask of Anarchy, 532–40; moves to Florence, 541–2; visits Uffizi Gallery, 542; writes series of political poems, 542; and his open letter to Examiner, 542; and J. T. Coleridge’s personal attack in Quarterly on, 543–6; writes ‘Ode to the West Wind’, 546–50; his business activities, 550–1; and writes Peter Bell the Third, 551–6; and his open letter to Examiner on Carlile, 556–8; birth of son Percy Florence, 560; and ‘calderonizing’ game, 560–1; Mary against his going to England, 562; writes ballad about mother and child, 562–4; his friendship with Sophia Stacey, 564–5, 568; and ‘Notes on Sculpture in Florence’, 565–8; begins writing A Philosophical View of Reform, 569; and his sonnet ‘England in 1819’, 569–70; his rheumatism, 571, 572; invites Tom Medwin to Italy, 572–3; moves to Pisa (1820), 572, 573–5; his friendship with Masons, 575, 576–7; and agricultural notes, 576; and his friendship with Andrea Vaccà, 577; ill again, 578; Elena affair, 578–9; and brush with Colonel Finch, 579; and letter to Sophia Stacey, 579; Cato Street conspiracy and, 580; and news of Republican insurrection in Madrid, 581; aimless violence expressed in his writing, 581–3; and his nervous attacks, 583; finishes A Philosophical View of Reform, 583–93; and his ‘Popular Songs’ not published, 593–4, 596; publication of The Cenci, 595; and Ollier contracts to publish Prometheus and collection of short poems, 595; Elena dies and Paolo’s blackmail, 596; moves to Casa Ricci, Livorno, and consults del Rosso, 596–7; and Godwin’s demands for money, 597, 598; Claire’s anxiety over Allegra and, 598–9; and Byron’s letter, 599; writes ‘The Skylark’ and ‘The Cloud’, 599–600; and Claire leaves, 600–1; invites Keats to Italy, 601; and news of insurrection in Naples, 601; moves to Casa Prinni in Bagni di Pisa, 601, 602–3; writes to Godwin about money, 603–4; and pilgrimage to Monte San Pelegrino, 604; writes ‘The Witch of Atlas’, 604–7; and break with Southey, 607–8; St Bartholomew’s day festivities, 608–9; peaceful life with Mary, 609–10, 614; completes ‘Ode to Naples’, 610; and Swellfoot the Tyrant, 610–11; and other poems and translations, 611–12; brings Claire back from Livorno, 612; and correspondence with Byron about Allegra, 612–13; his scheme to visit Near East, 613, 619; impact of Keats’s poetry on, 613–14; breach with Gisbornes, 614–15; 619; Claire leaves for Florence, 615–16; and Tom Medwin stays with them, 616, 617; moves to Casa Galetti, Pisa, for winter, 617; recurrence of nephritis, 617–18, 622, 626, 627; his letters to Claire, 618–19, 621, 628–9; is glad of Medwin’s company, 619–20; writes ‘The Tower of Famine’, 620–1; his reading aloud of poetry, 621; Claire returns to Pisa, 621–2; and introduced to Pisan circle, 622–3; and Sgricci, 623–4, 627–8; and John Taaffe, 624; and Prince Mavrocordato, 624, 641; meets Emilia Viviani, 625–6; experiments in mesmerism, 626–7; his dread of lithotomy, 627 & n.; and bad health, 628, 629, 654; his relationship with Emilia Viviani, 628–31, 639–40, 641; and writes verse letters, 629–30; and Epipsychidion, 631–9; his friendship with Williams, 640; moves to Casa Aulla, 641; and his article in defence of Poetry, 641–6; buys boat in Livorno, 646–7; and nearly drowns in Canal, 647; learns of death of Keats, 647; and his letter to Byron, 647–8; and financial crisis, 648–9 & n.; writes elegy ‘Ginevra’ for Emilia, 649–50; his boating expeditions, 650, 651, 652, 655; moves back to San Giuliano, 651–2; writes verse-journal of trip down Serchio, 651–2; and peaceful days with Mary, 652–3; invites Byron to Bagni di Pisa, 654; and Claire uses Allegra to put pressure on, 654–5; writes Adonais, 655–60; and pirate edition of Queen Mab, 660–1; Gisbornes leave for England and, 661, 662; visits Claire in Pisa, 662; his plan for literary community in Pisa, 662–3, 671–2; visits Byron in Ravenna, 663–73; and Elena affair, 666–9; and Byron decides to go to Pisa, 669–70; visits Allegra at Bagnacavallo, 670–1; referred to as the ‘Snake’ by Byron, 672–3; negotiates lease of Palazzo Lanfranchi for Byron, 673, 676; his scheme for joint publishing venture in Pisa, 673–5, 682–3; and letter to Ollier about Valperga, 675–6; disappointed at Smiths’ decision to stay in Paris, 676–7; and visits Spezia, 677; writes Hellas, 677–81; and Claire returns to San Giuliano, 678; moves to Tre Palazzi di Chiesa in Pisa, 681–2; and his Eastern scheme, 682–3; writes ‘Evening: Ponte Al Mare’, 683–4; and Byron’s arrival in Pisa, 685; and afternoon shooting expeditions, 686, 687, 690; proposes rescuing prisoner from Lucca, 687–8; Byron’s presence acts as challenge to, 688; and dinner-table conversations and jokes, 688–90; his despondent letters to Claire, 690–1; translates 2 scenes from Faust, 691–4; Hunt’s visit to Pisa postponed, 694–5; meets Trelawny, 696; and plans for building new boat, 696; and the ‘Spezia Plan’, 696–7; his poem appealing for help ‘To Edward Williams’, 698–700; and his new relationship with Jane Williams, 700–1; co
mmitted to help Claire, 702–3; and river sailing, 702–3, 704; secures loan for Hunt from Byron, 703–4; his new sailing boat launched at Livorno, 704; and ‘Fragments of an Unfinished Drama’, 704–5; and Charles I, 705–6; dragoon incident and, 706–8, 709, 710; dissuades Claire from kidnapping Allegra, 709–10; financial problems, 710–11; and death of Allegra, 712; and moves to Lerici, 712–14; and his visions, 714–15, 727; his new sailing boat arrives, 715–17; writes ‘The Triumph of Life’, 717–24; Bolivar sails into Lerici, 724; and Mary’s miscarriage, 724–5; his lyrics and ariettes to Jane, 726; sailing trip to meet Hunt postponed, 726, 727; and sets sail on Don Juan on 1st July, 728; and reunion with Hunt in Livorno, 728; and plans for the Liberal discussed in Pisa, 728; his last letters to Jane and Mary, 728–9; and drowned in storm in Gulf of Spezia (7 July 1822), 729, 787; funeral and burial of, 730; and reactions to his death, 730