ADVERTISEMENT.

THE present publication is essentially a reprint of the revised edition of Shelley's Poems, put forth by his wife in November, 1839, and sufficiently described in her Preface with its Postscript.

Careful readers will not need to be informed that the text of some poems which had not been prepared for the press by Shelley's own hand is more or less defective and incorrect, the imperfections arising from the confused state and indistinct writing of the papers from which these pieces were copied. An attempt has been made to amend the text in a few cases, and for this purpose some notes of Mr. Garnett (Relics of Shelley, pp. 92-99) and of Prof. Craik (History of English Literature, vol. ii. pp. 498 – 500) have been used, besides resorting now and then to original conjecture.

February, 1865.

PREFACE.

BY THE EDITOR.

OBSTACLES have long existed to my presenting the public with a perfect edition of Shelley's Poems. These being at last happily removed, I hasten to fulfil an important duty,—that of giving the productions of a sublime genius to the world, with all the correctness possible, and of, at the same time, detailing the history of those productions, as they sprung, living and warm from his heart and brain. I abstain from any remark on the occurrences of his private life; except inasmuch as the passions which they engendered, inspired his poetry. This is not the time to relate the truth; and I should reject any colouring of the truth. No account of these events has ever been given at all approaching reality in their details, either as regards himself or others; nor shall I further allude to them than to remark, that the errors of action, committed by a man as noble and generous as Shelley, may, as far as he