Chapter VIII: From the Old to the New Love 205

Shelley’s Refusal to join in the Resettlement of A and B--His
Places of Residence in Two Years and Eight Months--_A
Refutation of Deism_--Mr. Kegan Paul’s Inaccuracies--Discord
between Shelley and Harriett--Their Remarriage--Miss
Westbrook’s Withdrawal--Shelley’s Desertion of Harriett--The
Desertion closes in Separation by mutual Agreement--‘Do what
other Women do!’--Causes of the Separation--How Shelley’s
Evidence touching them should be regarded--Peacock’s
Testimony for Harriett--Shelley in Skinner Street--‘The Mask
of Scorn’--Mary Godwin _not_ bred up to mate in Free
Contract--Old St. Pancras Church--At Mary Wollstonecraft’s
Grave--Claire’s Part in the Wooing--Excuses for Mary
Godwin--The Elopement from Skinner Street--From London to
Dover--From Dover to Calais--A ‘Scene’ at Calais--The Joint
Journal--Mrs. Shelley convicted of Tampering with Evidence--
The Six Weeks’ Tour--Shelley begs Harriett to come to him in
Switzerland--Byron’s Hunger for Evil Fame--Shelley’s
Self-Approbation and Self-Righteousness--Godwin’s Wrath with
Shelley--Their subsequent Relations--Shelley’s Renewal of
Intercourse with Harriett--Tiffs and Disagreements between
Claire and Mary--Claire’s Incapacity for Friendship--She
wants more than Friendship from Shelley.

CHAPTER IX. BISHOPGATE 257

Pecuniary Difficulties and Resources--Choice of a Profession--
Shelley walking a Hospital--Dropt by Acquaintances--Birth of
Mary Godwin’s first Child--Sir Bysshe Shelley’s Death--
Differences and Tiffs between Mary and Claire--Characteristics
of the Sisters--Trip to South Devon--At Work on _Alastor_--
Publication of the Poem--_Essay on Christianity_--Life at
Bishopgate--Shelley’s Idolatry of Byron--Birth of Mary
Godwin’s first-born Son--Claire and Byron--Second Trip to
Switzerland--Shelley’s Pretext for leaving England--Strange
Scene between Shelley and Peacock--Semi-Delusions--Another
Hallucination.

CHAPTER X. THE GENEVESE EPISODE 287

Shelley’s Arrival at Geneva--Byron and Polidori--At the
Sécheron Hotel--Union of the two Parties--Tattle of the
Coteries--The Genevese Scandal--Its Fruit in _Manfred_ and
_Cain_--Its Fruit in _Laon and Cythna_--The Shelleys’ Return
to England--Their Stay at Bath--Their Choice of a House at
Great Marlow--Fanny Imlay’s Suicide--Her pitiable Story--
Harriett’s Suicide--Review of Shelley’s Treatment of her--His
Responsibility for her Depravation and Ruin--Witnesses to
Character and Conduct--Shelley’s Grief for Harriett--His wild
Speech about her--His Marriage with Mary Godwin--Birth of
Allegra.

CHAPTER XI. THE CHANCERY SUIT 304

Mr. Westbrook’s Petition to the Court of Chancery--Date of
Hearing--The _Edinburgh_ Reviewer’s Strange
Misrepresentation--Lord Eldon’s Decree--Arrangements for
Harriett’s Children--Lady Shelley’s strange Mistake touching
those Arrangements--Lord Eldon’s Justification--Mrs.
Shelley’s Regard for Social Opinion--Shelley’s keen Annoyance
at the Chancellor’s Decree--Delusive Egotisms of _The Billows
of the Beach_--Shelley’s Pretexts for going to Italy--His
real Reasons for withdrawing from England.

CHAPTER XII. GREAT MARLOW 317

The Misleading Tablet--House and Garden--Claire at Marlow--
Shelley’s Delight in Claire’s Voice--_To Constantia
Singing_--Source of the Name--Trips to London--_The Marlow
Pamphlets_--_Rosalind and Helen_--Other Literary Work at
Marlow--Mary’s Treatment and Opinion of Claire--Shelley makes
his Will--Date of Probate--The Will’s various Legacies--
Significant Legacies to Claire--Object of the Second Legacy
of £6000--Did Shelley mean to leave Claire so much as
£12,000?--Mr. Froude’s Indiscretion--His Ignorance of the
Will.

CHAPTER XIII. LAON AND CYTHNA 329

Origin of the Free-Contract Party--Divorce in Catholic
England--Nullification of Marriage--Consequences of the
Reformation--Edward the Sixth’s Commissioners for the
Amendment of Ecclesiastical Laws--Martin Bucer’s _Judgment
touching Divorce_--John Milton on Freedom of Divorce--
Denunciations of Marriage by the Godwinian Radicals--Poetical
Fruits of the Genevese Scandal--Byron’s Timidity--Shelley’s
Boldness--His most extravagant Conclusions touching Liberty
of Affection--Appalling Doctrine of _Laon and Cythna_--
Shelley’s Purpose in publishing the Poem--Alarm of the
Olliers--Shelley’s Instructions to the frightened
Publishers--Suppression of the monstrous Poem--Friends in
Council--_Laon and Cythna_ manipulated into the _Revolt of
Islam_--The _Quarterly Review_ on the original Poem--
Consequences to Shelley’s Reputation--Irony of Fate.