garded, secretly denounced him to his superiors.

It is farther stated, that after this affair, this wretched creature was rapidly enriched with the most splendid benefices, and finally became a dignitary of the Church; but the sequel is best told in the words of his friend.

They had gone on prosecuting their studies with the same bold, earnest and eager enthusiasm; and as the term was drawing to a close, and a great part of the books they were reading together still remained unfinished, they had agreed to increase their exertions, and to meet at an earlier hour. He says:

"It was a fine spring morning, on Lady-day, in the year 1811, when I went to Shelley's rooms. He was absent, but before I had collected our books he rushed in. He was terribly agitated. I anxiously inquired what had happened?

"I am expelled,' he said, as soon as he had recovered himself a little. I am expelled. I 'I was sent for suddenly a few minutes ago: I went to the common room, where I found our master, and two or three of the fellows.

"The master furnished a copy of the little syllabus, and asked me if I were the author of it. He spoke in a rude, abrupt, and insolent tone. I begged to be informed for what purpose they put the question.

"No answer was given; but the master loudly and angrily repeated "Are you the author of this book?"

"If I can judge from your manner,' I said, 'you are resolved to punish me if I should acknowledge that it is my work. If you can prove that it is, produce your evidence; it is neither just nor lawful to interrogate me in such a case, and for such a purpose. Such proceedings would become a court of Inquisitors, but not free men in a free country.'

"Do you choose to deny that this is your composition?' reiterated the master, in the same rude and angry voice.

"Shelley complained of his violent and ungentlemanlike deportment, saying:

"I have experienced tyranny and injustice before, and well know what vulgar violence is; but I never met with such unworthy treatment. I told him calmly but firmly that I was deter

mined not to answer any questions respecting the publication on the table. He immediately repeated his demand. I persisted in and he said furiously:

my

refusal ;

you will

"Then you are expelled, and I desire quit the college early to-morrow morning.' At the conclusion one of the fellows took up two papers and handed one of them to me. Here it is.' He produced a regular sentence of expulsion, drawn up in due form, under the seal of the college.

Shelley was full of spirit and courage, frank and fearless; but he was likewise shy, unpresuming, and eminently sensitive. I have been with him in many trying situations of his after-life, but I never saw him so deeply shocked, and so cruelly agitated, as on this occasion.

"He sat on the sofa, repeating with convulsive vehemence, the words, 'expelled, expelled, expelled; his hand shaking with emotion, and his whole frame quivering."

In this we see that inherent delicacy of his mind, no less than in the happiest moments of his life. However much he might despise the

mean spite of those whom an evil fortune had placed over him, he shrunk instinctively from the disgrace which their gross tyranny, by this flagrant act of injustice, would inflict upon him.

His friend, in this painful conclusion to their honourable and delightful study, did not hesitate to stand by him, and brave the rude anger of those men, who placed in a little brief authority, could only employ it in the exercise of the insolence of office, "so monstrous, and so illegal," he says, “did it seem that he held it to be impossible that any man, or any body, could dare to adhere to it."

He wrote a short note to the master and fellows, in which he briefly expressed his sorrow at the treatment his friend had experienced, and his hope that they would reconsider their sentence, since, as he justly observes, by the same course of proceeding, himself or any other person might be subjected to the same penalty, and to the imputation of equal guilt.

The note was dispatched, the conclave was still sitting, and in an instant the porter came to summon the unfortunate writer to attend, bear

ing in his countenance a promise of the reception he was about to find.

"The angry and troubled air of men," says Mr. Hogg, "assembled to commit injustice, was then new to me; but a native instinct told me, as soon as I entered the room, that it was an affair of party, that whatever could conciliate the favour of the patrons, was to be done without scruple; and whatever could tend to impede preferment, was to be pushed away without remorse."

The note was produced, and acknowledged by the writer. The little syllabus was then abruptly held forward by the angry and glowing

master.

"Did you write this?" he demanded, fiercely.

I attempted," says Hogg, " submissively to

point out to him the extreme unfairness of the question, the injustice of punishing Shelley for refusing to answer; that if it were urged upon me I must offer the like refusal, which I had no doubt every man in college would, every gentleman indeed in the University; which, if such a course were adopted with all, and there could not be any reason why it should be used with one