Chapter I: Preface

The following biography was undertaken at the request of Sir Percy and Lady Shelley, and has been compiled from the MS. journals and letters in their possession, which were entrusted to me, without reserve, for this purpose.

The earlier portions of the journal having been placed also at Professor Dowden's disposal for his _Life of Shelley_, it will be found that in my first volume many passages indispensable to a life of Mary Shelley have already appeared, in one form or another, in Professor Dowden's pages. This fact I have had to ignore, having indeed settled on the quotations necessary to my narrative before the _Life of Shelley_ appeared. They are given without comment or dilution, just as they occur; where omissions are made it is in order to avoid repetition, or because the everyday entries refer to trivial circumstances uninteresting to the general reader.

Letters which have previously been published are shortened when they are only of moderate interest; unpublished letters are given complete wherever possible.

Those who hope to find in these pages much new circumstantial evidence on the vexed subject of Shelley's separation from his first wife will be disappointed. No contemporary document now exists which puts the case beyond the reach of argument. Collateral evidence is not wanting, but even were this not beyond the scope of the present work it would be wrong on the strength of it to assert more than that Shelley himself felt certain of his wife's unfaithfulness. Of that there is no doubt, nor of the fact that all such evidence as did afterwards transpire went to prove him more likely to have been right than wrong in his belief.

My first thanks are due to Sir Percy and Lady Shelley for the use of their invaluable documents,--for the photographs of original pictures which form the basis of the illustrations,--and last, not least, for their kindly help and sympathy during the fulfilment of my task.

I wish especially to express my gratitude to Mrs. Charles Call for her kind permission to me to print the letters of her father, Mr. Trelawny, which are among the most interesting of my unpublished materials.

I have to thank Miss Stuart, from whom I obtained important letters from Mr. Baxter and Godwin; and Mr. A. C. Haden, through whom I made the acquaintance of Miss Christy Baxter.

To Professor Dowden, and, above all, to Mr. Garnett, I am indebted for much valuable help, I may say, of all kinds.

FLORENCE A. MARSHALL.

CONTENTS

PAGES

CHAPTER I

Introductory remarks--Account of William Godwin and Mary
Wollstonecraft.

1797. Their marriage--Birth of their daughter--Death of Mary
Godwin 1-11

CHAPTER II

AUGUST 1797-JUNE 1812

1797. Godwin goes to reside at the "Polygon."

1798-99. His despondency--Repeated proposals of marriage to
various ladies.

1801. Marriage with Mrs. Clairmont.

1805. Enters business as a publisher--Books for children.

1807. Removes to Skinner Street, Holborn.

1808. Aaron Burr's first visit to England.

1811. Mrs. Godwin and the children go to Margate and
Ramsgate--Mary's health improves--She remains till Christmas
at Miss Petman's.

1812. Aaron Burr's sojourn in England--Intimacy with the
Godwins--Extracts from his journal--Mary is invited to stay
with the Baxters at Dundee 12-26

CHAPTER III

JUNE 1812-MAY 1814

1812. Mary sails for Dundee--Godwin's letter to Mr. Baxter--
The Baxters--Mary stays with them five months--Returns to
London with Christy Baxter--The Shelleys dine in Skinner
Street (Nov. 11)--Christy's enjoyment of London.

1813. Godwin's letter to an anonymous correspondent
describing Fanny and Mary--Mary and Christy go back to Dundee
(June 3)--Mary's reminiscences of this time in the preface to
_Frankenstein_.

1814. Mary returns home (March 30)--Domestic trials--Want of
guidance--Mrs. Godwin's jealousy--Shelley calls on Godwin
(May 5) 27-41

CHAPTER IV

APRIL-JUNE 1814

Account of Shelley's first introduction of himself to
Godwin--His past history--Correspondence (1812)--Shelley
goes to Ireland--Publishes address to the Irish people--
Godwin disapproves--Failure of Shelley's schemes--Godwin's
fruitless journey to Lynmouth (1813)--The Godwins and
Shelleys meet in London--The Shelleys leave town (Nov. 12).

1814. Mary makes acquaintance with Shelley in May--
Description of her--Shelley's depression of spirits--His
genius and personal charm--He and Mary become intimate--Their
meetings by Mary Wollstonecraft's grave--Episode described by
Hogg--Godwin's distress for money and dependence on
Shelley--Shelley constantly at Skinner Street--He and Mary
own their mutual love--He gives her his copy of "Queen
Mab"--His inscription--Her inscription--Hopelessness 42-56

CHAPTER V

JUNE-AUGUST 1814

Retrospective history of Shelley's first marriage--
Estrangement between him and Harriet after their visit to
Scotland in 1813--Deterioration in Harriet--Shelley's deep
dejection--He is much attracted by Mrs. Boinville and her
circle--His conclusions respecting Harriet--Their effect on
him--Harriet is at Bath--She becomes anxious to hear of
him--Godwin writes to her--She comes to town and sees
Shelley, who informs her of his intentions--Godwin goes to
see her--He talks to Shelley and to Jane Clairmont--The
situation is intolerable--Shelley tells Mary everything--
They leave England precipitately, accompanied by Jane
Clairmont (July 28) 57-67

CHAPTER VI

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 1814

1814. (July).--They cross to Calais--Mrs. Godwin arrives in
pursuit of Jane--Jane thinks of returning, but changes her
mind and remains--Mrs. Godwin departs--Joint journal of
Shelley and Mary--They arrive at Paris without any money--
They procure some, and set off to walk through France with
a donkey--It is exchanged for a mule, and that for a
carriage--Journal--They arrive in Switzerland, and having
settled themselves for the winter, at once start to come
home--They arrive in England penniless, and have to obtain
money through Harriet--They go into lodgings in London 68-81

CHAPTER VII

SEPTEMBER 1814-MAY 1815

1814. (September).--Godwin's mortification at what had
happened--False reports concerning him--Keeps Shelley well
in sight, but will only communicate with him through a
solicitor--General demoralisation of the household--Mrs.
Godwin and Fanny peep in at Shelley's windows--Poverty of
the Shelleys--Harriet's creditors--Shelley's many
dependents--He has to hide from bailiffs--Jane's
excitability--Studious habits of Shelley and Mary--Extracts
from journal.

1815. Shelley's grandfather dies--Increase of income--Mary's
first baby born--It dies--Her regret--Fanny comes to see
her--Frequent change of lodgings--Hogg a constant visitor--
Peacock imprisoned for debt--He writes to the Shelleys--Jane
a source of much annoyance--She chooses to be called
"Clara"--Plans for her future--She departs to Lynmouth 82-114