to him afterwards, under an assumed name, proposing to preach to his congregation; an act which, though certainly not quite justifiable, was equally undeserving of the bitter animadversion it called forth from De Quincy.

Had Shelley known that worthy man better than was possible from one visit to his chapel; had he known the struggles and self-denials of his life, the privations and indignities he had sustained; had he indeed been aware that the conscientious preacher of Christ's word had renounced the advantages of his birth, and suffered, like himself, persecution at home as abroad, in order to pursue a course which he believed to be for the welfare of his species; opposite as his principles appeared to his own, our poet would doubtless have approached him with more of

reverence.

Let then a total ignorance of the character of Rowland Hill, as well as of the customary nature of his preaching, plead in extenuation of this trifling offence against the dignity of his calling. It is as well perhaps to add that the worthy Christian did not reply to Shelley's letter, and probably thought no more of it.

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CHAPTER XVII.

Shelley's predilection for the water-Ducks and drakes

Paper boats-A rash adventure-Godwin's "Political Justice"-Its effect upon the poet's mind-Seeks the acquaintance of the author - Becomes a reader at the British Museum-Nature and variety of his studies-Eccentric habits of study-Close application -His abstract theories.

NOTWITHSTANDING the anxiety and care entailed on him at this early age, Shelley retained all that worship for the water-nymphs remarked at Oxford; for, taking frequent walks with his cousin along the banks of the Serpentine, he would stop to make "ducks and drakes," counting the bounds of some smooth stone, as it skimmed the surface of the water, or floating his paper boats, with much glee.

His collegiate friend relates an anecdote con

nected with this singular sport, as follows: 'Shelley once found himself on the north bank of the Serpentine, without the materials for indulging in those inclinations with which the sight of water invariably inspired him, having exhausted his supplies on the round pond, in Kensington Gardens.

"Not a single scrap of paper could he find, save only a bank post bill for fifty pounds. He hesitated long, but yielded at last. He twisted it into a boat, with the extreme refinement of his skill, and committed it, with the utmost dexterity, to fortune, watching its progress with intense anxiety. Fortune often favours those who frankly and fully trust her. The northeast wind gently wafted the costly skiff to the south bank, where, during the latter part of the voyage, the venturous owner had waited its arrival with patient solicitude."

The great object of his life was still study though how the unworthy treatment he had received served to disturb his notions of things will presently be seen. He now met with Godwin's "Political Justice," and seemed to breathe for the first time in an open and bright atmosphere.

A

He furthermore resolved to square all his actions by what he conceived to be the strictest justice, without any consideration for those whose small exercise of that virtue towards himself ill-fitted them, he thought, and as ill-warranted him, to defer to the opinions of the world, whom they guided.*

I shall not, however, make it a part of my consideration to discuss at any length the moral or political sentiments of William Godwin, although they exercised much influence over the mind of Shelley.

That he was a man of strong, masculine intellect, comprehensive views, and great acuteness, must be evident to all who have enjoyed a perusal of his works; while the several editions of the above-mentioned production, soon after its appearance, sufficiently attest the manner in which he was appreciated in his day.

He, like Shelley, was a nonconformist from the beginning, but rendered more so, perhaps, by birth and education, and, always unconventional in his notions, his theories sometimes were of the most startling character; but the * Leigh Hunt.

simplicity of his habits, and the ready willingness with which he practised his own precepts, left no doubt of his sincerity; and, above all, the deep religious faith he held in man's perfectability, gave such force and dignity to his style, such vigour to his thoughts, that he appeared ever the advocate of a just cause, bearing his readers delightfully onward, through new and strange regions of speculation, rendered by his genius clear and transparent as the glassy surface of a lake.

It is true, his advocacy of an intellectual republic, wherein all self-interest or consideration was to be forgotten, and only to be dealt with as it affected the general good, if attempted, would completely overturn the existing order of society, but he advocated no sudden change, and foresaw all the evils that would arise from it, and when we have said so much, the moral beauty of his sentiments remains unimpaired; and could all his readers, even in his day, have advocated hist doctrines in the same spirit in which they were advanced, doubtless the effect of such an attempt had been a blessing to his race, instead of one fraught with all kinds of license and excess, as it otherwise as undoubtedly would have been.