studies, these earnest readings, and high aspirations-fully, however, comprehending their strictly spiritual tendency-let us follow the events of his life, and we shall soon have an opportunity of seeing how they served him in the capacity of authorship.

CHAPTER XX.

Harriett Westbrook-Shelley's precipitate marriage— Its prospects-Anger of his father-The poet's mother again His destitute condition-Timely relief from Captain Pilford-His arrival at Keswick-Kindness of the Duke of Norfolk-Becomes acquainted with Southey -Anecdote of Shelley's wife-Southey's account of Shelley.

Ar the period of Shelley's residence in London, one of his sisters was pupil at a second-rate boarding-school at Balham Hill. This, it may be remarked, was in strict keeping with Sir Timothy's niggardly system of educating his children.

On a visit to this sister, as he was walking in the garden of the seminary, a young lady, a beautiful blonde of scarcely sixteen, passed by them: Shelley was immediately struck by the

beauty of her appearance, and ascertaining from his sister that she likewise was a boarder at the school, induced her to become the medium of comunication between him and his fair charmer.

He was not long in addressing her in an elegant epistle, nor was an intimacy long in ripening, for a boarding-school miss may not be considered loth to be wooed.

The name of this young lady was Harriett Westbrook, the daughter of a retired innkeeper, and therefore, as society is at present constituted, far beneath him in birth and station; but, however much to be desired by the parents of the one, to connect themselves with the heir to a rich baronetcy, or however much to be deprecated by those of the other, the youthful lovers discovered no intention of consulting any other than their own inclinations.

It is impossible to tell what were the secret workings of Shelley's heart throughout this affair. Medwin is of opinion, that beyond the personal endowments of the young lady, there might have been some magic in the name of Harriett, while a reviewer, in coupling this with the cruel disappointment of his first dream

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of love, asks the question, "Was it revenge for his slight that set Shelley a marrying?"

So mysteriously are the springs of our nature played upon, that both these circumstances might have had their due effect-passion and wounded pride may receive an impulse from the fortuitous association of a name, or a chance resemblance, which may lead a youth of ardent temperament to the commission of an error that may entail upon him a life-long misery and repentance.

However, a reconciliation about this period was effected between our poet and his father, and probably, from the time of its occurrence, advantage was taken of the Midsummer holidays to accompany his sister to Castle Goring, where he was again received coldly into the bosom of his family.

He was not long in discovering the hollow insincerity of the reconciliation; and after submitting impatiently for some five or six weeks to the uneasy restraint under which he found himself placed, he suddenly left the paternal mansion, where, with one brief exception, he never afterwards entered.

He borrowed some money of Medwin's father before quitting Horsham, but gave no clue to his ultimate intentions. All his movements on this momentous occasion were enveloped in considerable mystery, and the only thing that remains certain is, that after some half-dozen stolen meetings, which extended over an intimacy of as many weeks, Shelley, by a species of knight errantry, carried off his youthful mistress from her father's residence in Chapel Street, Grosvenor Square, whence the young couple proceeded with all dispatch to Gretna Green, where they were united at the end of August, 1811.

Continuing their route on to Edinburgh, they mained there a short time to pass the honeymoon. They next directed their steps back to Cuckfield, in Sussex, where they resided in the house of Shelley's maternal uncle, Captain Pilford, who now supplied the plaee of a father; for Sir Timothy entertaining high notions of the dignity of his family, though he added little lustre to it himself, grew furious when the news of his son's mesalliance came to his ears, and sternly