Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1858-06-11
SHELLY, THE POET.

In answer to my questions, Shelly said
'In writing the Ccnci my object was t,
sec how could succeed in dcscribin,
passions have never felt, and to tell thu
most dreadful story in pure and refined
language. Tho image Of Beatrice haun
ted me after seeing her portrait. The
story is.wcll authenticated, and the de-
tails far more horrible than have paint
ed them. The Ccnci is work of art
it is not colored by my feelings, nor OBJ
scured by my metaphysics. don't think
much Of it. 1t gave me less trouble thar
anything l have written Of the same
length.
81 am now writing play for the stage
1t IS ailectation to say We write a play
for any other purpose. The subject is
from English history in style and man.
ner shall approach as near our grea,
dramatist as my feeble powers will per-
NIT. King Lear is my model, for that
is nearly perfect. / am amazed at my
presumption. Poets should be modest.
My audacity savors of madness.
"Considering the labor requisite to ex.
Fcel in composition, think it would be
better to stick to one style. Tho clam
or for novelty is leading us all astray.
Yet, at Rayenna, | urged Byron to come
out of the dismal wood OF error into
the sun, to write something new and
cheerful. Don Juan is the result. The
poetry is superior to Childo Harold, and
the plan, or rather want of plan, gives
scope to his astonishing natural powers.
My friends say my Prometheus is
too wild, ideal, and pcrplexed with ina
gerry 1t maybe so. 1t has no resem-
blance to the Greek drama. 1t is origin.
al, and cost nc severe mental labor. Au-
thors, like mothers, prefer the children
who have given them most trouble. Mil
ton preferred his Paradise Rcgaincd, Pc
trarch his Africa, and Byron his Dose
Of Venice.
~ have the vanity to write only for
poetical minds, and must be satisfied
with few readers, Byron is ambitious; he
writes for all, and all read his works
with regard to the great question,
the System of the Universe, have no Gu
riosity on the subject. am content to
see no farther into futurity than Plato
aud Bacon. My mind is tranquil l
have no fears and some hopes. In our
present gross material state our faculties
are cIouGed; when death removes our
clay coverings the mystery will be
solved"
He thought play founded on Shak
speare's .Timon' would be an excellent
mode Of discussing our present social and
political evils dramatically, and of des-
canting on them.
After we had done our business, call
ed on Scotch f.mly and lured my com.
panion In. He abhorred forcing him
self on strangsrs-p | did not mention
his name, merely observing.
AS you said ycu wanted information
about Italy, here is a friend of mine can
give it you-tor cannot
The ladics--for there was no man there
were capital specimens of Scotch wo-
men, fresh from the land of cakcs-frank,
fair, intelligent, and Of course pious.
After long and earnest talk we left
them, but not without difficulty, SO press
Ing were they for us to stop to dinner.
When | next visited them, they were
disappointed at tho absence of my com
pan;on; and when | told them it was
Shelly, the young and handsome mother
claspcd her hands, and exclaimed,
"Shelly, That bright-cycd youth:-so
gentle, so intclliscnt-so thoughtful for
US. Oh, why did you not name him."
Because he thought,you would have
been shocked"
"Shocked! why | would have knelt to
him in pcnitencc for having wrongcd him
even iu my thoughts. If he is not pure
and good, then there is no truth and
goodness in this world. His looks re-
minded me of my own blessed baby-so
innocent--so full of love and sweetness
$50 is the serpent that tempted Eve
describol,' said.
"Oh, you wicked scoilcr.!' she contin-
ued. "But | know you lovo him. |
shall have no peace of mind until you
bring him here, You remember, sister,
said his young face had lines ofcarc and
sorrow on it-when he was showing us
the road to Rome on the map and the
sun sAonc on it;-poor boy. Oh, tell Us
about his wilc-is sho worthy OF him
She must love him dcarly-and 50 must
all who know him.,
To palliate the warm-hcartcd lady's ad-
miration of the poet, as well rs my own,
| must observe, that all on knowing him
sang the same song; aud as have before
observed, even Byron in his most moody
aud cynical vein, joined in chorus. echo
ins my monotonous notes. Inc reason
was, that after having heard orread the
rancorous abuse heaped on Shelly by the
mcrcenary literature of the day-in which
he was described as monster more hid
cous than Calibaa-thc rcvulsion OF feel
ing on seeing the man was so great, that
h. seemed As Sentlo spirit as Ariel.
There ne9cr has been nor can be any true
likeness of him. Desdemona says, Il
saw Othello's vis,ge in his mind,' and
Shcllcy's "visage' as well as his mind
are to be seen in his works.-Irelalonay.
THE INK OF THE ANcIENTs.-In
letter from Mr.. Joseph Ellis, Of 3righ-
! e