notions could not but be confused and unsteady in their character.

A celebrated poet has well taught us that

"There is more faith in honest doubt,

Believe me, than in half the creeds."

And, if there could be any blame attached to the opposite and confused nature of his studies, it could be only to reflect disgrace upon the culpable neglect of the authorities, who were receiving enormous sums to direct and assist, to the best of their ability, in the proper development of his mind.

In the college, the only course adopted was one of chartered laziness; and its members might study or not, as they pleased. The lectures were poor and uninstructive; nor were the written exercises more stimulating than the oral.

"Certain compositions were required at stated periods; but, however excellent they might be, they were never commended; however deficient, they were never censured; and, being altogether unnoticed, there was no reason to suppose they were ever read." This system was ill-suited to

the character of Shelley; and, as those who were hired at an enormous charge by his own family and the state, thought fit to neglect this, their most sacred duty, he followed, as the only resource, his own wayward and unguided inclinations.*

He did not, as might be expected, neglect the usual college exercises, though they occupied but a small share of his attention. In his Latin compositions, he was fond of indulging in a dry vein of humour, by the frequent introduction of heroic verses, for the purpose, as he used slily to tell his friend, of trying the ears of his tutors, whose dulness, it may be supposed, often let them pass unobserved. Being detected once at Eton in this kind of sport, and appearing unconscious of their existence, a worthy master was induced at that college to apply to him a line from Ovid, in which he says of himself:

"Et quod tentabam dicere, versus erat."

For the cultivation of his poetical powers, he applied himself diligently to the mechanism of his art, and, while he studied the great living authors * New Monthly.

as models of English composition, he improved his facility for writing Latin verses, an accomplishment he was fond of displaying; for he would open a volume at hazard of Livy or Sallust, and, by the rapid transposition of words, would change whole sentences from prose to heroic or elegiac verse.

This practice he neglected on quitting Oxford, perhaps designedly, says Hogg, as being suitable only to academic groves, or the banks of the Isis.

CHAPTER XIV.

Physics neglected-Metaphysics paramount-Epistolary disputation-The Necessity of Atheism-Its author vindicated Disastrous consequences ExpulsionIntercession of his friend-Cruel injustice-Close of Oxford career.

SHELLEY'S chemical operations soon fell into neglect, for want of encouragement, and the slight that his companion in study persisted in throwing upon them, and were soon altogether abandoned for the higher walks of metaphysics, which, while they offered food for the subtle faculties of his mind, as well as an extensive field for his vivid imagination, presented the additional charm of endless topics for discussion.

He read greedily all the works that have

already been named, and having so far armed himself, entered into vehement disputes with his friends.

The practice of epistolary disputation, under an assumed name, commenced at Eton, was also adopted, and very much extended at Oxford, which made the postman with him a very important personage.

That this practice was carried on with considerable ability, is evident from the fact that he succeeded in confuting men who numbered thrice his years; but the greater to facilitate this part of his system, having, in conjunction with his collegiate friend, made a careful analysis of "Hume's Essays," as was customary with those who read for their Degrees, he selected facts from the various papers, and printed them in the form of a pamphlet, believing that something in a printed form was more likely to provoke rejoinder, than written arguments from an unknown correspondent.

This he used to enclose, and forward by post, stating with modesty and simplicity, that he had met accidentally with that little tract, which appeared unhappily to be quite unanswerable.