The New York herald., 1879-02-03

Shelley Byron and the Author scribner 4 welfordl.
he gives preface and appendix that contain
much Of fresh interest about Shelley In his style of
writing Trelawney reminds somewhat of Walt
Whitman There is downright manner i'll his state
ment OF facts that carries conviction He says:-
Shelley never was boy in mind: while they of his
age We're playing marbles he was reading: His men
tai munger for knowledge was Unsuitable. No one
ever saw him without book in his hand or pocket.
Al Eaton. after an Illness the doctor who attended
him took a liking to him. and Shelley borrowed his
medical books and deeply interested in chemistry
from that time, and, unlike doctors. he experinented
with some OF the drugs on himself The power OF
laudanum to soothe pain and give rest especially de-
lighted him; he was cautioned and knew 1t was
wrong; the seductive power of that drug retained
extreme caution at first and at long intervals People
who take to opiates are enslaved and never
of shelley's flights of imagination and fancies
OF supernatural appearances. On one occasion IN
London. and again in Italy he SO overdosed himself
that his life only saved by those measures that
used to councract the drug. But it must not be
thought that. like De Quincy and many Others, he
habitnay used it, he only took it rare occasions
and when in deep detection. He was impatient of
remonstrance. and so made mystery Of It,
The effect of opiates. on Shelley was to throw him
into spasms. Professor Nacca, of Pisa prohibited
his using medicine any form. and said that Shelley
was of healthy and vigorous frame and recon-
mended his varying his diet Trelawney wrtes:-
often saw him in state OF nudity, and he always
reminded me OF young Indian, strong limbed and
vigorous, and there few men who would walk on
broken ground at the pace he kept up he beat US all
in walking and, barring drugs and accidents, he
might have lived as long as his father-to n4nety
Mr.. Trelawney recommends Jefferson Hogg's book
to all who really want to know Shelley ne He
says that it is the "only true likeness. His crti.
cism of Shelleys poetry he pronounces of no value,
but what he says of the is perfectly true. Mr..
Trelawney contnues:-
Leigh Hunt often said that he was the dearest
friend Shelley had; believe that he was the most
costly. His theory that between friends every
thing should be in common; he said you could not
do your friend greater favor than constitute him
pleasure than answering your drafts. AS Leigh
Hunt had an ailing wife and seven children those
drafts were frequent Mrs. Shelleys father, Goodwin.
was another dear friend His theory was that a man
laboring as he did for the advancement of knowledge
should be supported by those who agreed with the
justness of his views.
Hunt and Goodwin being heavily in debt the worldly
philosopher prevailed upon his son-in-law to raise
money upon post o6I bonds This Shelley did until
his son and heir born; then. doubling his right
to pauperize him, he stopped the ruinous system.
Shelley preferred his "Prometheus' unbound to any
of his poems f that is not durable poetry tried by
the severest test, do not know what is. 1t is a
lofty subject not inadequately treated and should
not perish with me-" he said one day to Trelawney
Shelley rarely read any book through; he eager
get at the matter stripped Of the verbiage Novels
totally uninteresting to him, but he retained
soms of his early fondness for romances. After
glancing at old Italian romance. in which Knight
of Malta throws down the gauntlet defying all inf
dels, he remarked 81 should have picked it up
All our knowledge is derived from infdels." Says
Trelawney:-
There a marked individuality in Shelley,
He took no notice of what other people did, brave,
frank and outspoken, like we'll conditioned boy !;
well bred and consderate tor others, because he
totally devoid of selfshness and vanity. He did not
laugh or even smile; he was always in earnest. He
had observed that people laughed at the misadven-
lures of Others and therefore thought it cruel but
his eyes and face expressive that you could
see all the workings of his mind i'll joy sorrow.
u have met men similar to Byron, but never
to Shelley he the ideal of what poet should be.
OF Mrs. Shelley, Trelawney says she of "a soft.
lymphatlc temperament. the exact opposite to Shell
ley in everything; she was moping and miserable
when alone and yearning for society," Ireawney
prints the particulars of the burning of Shelley's
body, written down by him at the time, but they
differ but little from his former published account.
The volume of Keats found in his pocket when his
body was washed ashore had been loaned to him
by Leigh Hunt The copy of Eschylus in his other
pocket in Trelawneys possession for thirty years
and finally given by him to Shelleys Sir Percy.
He denies that Shelley's heart in Rome. He
gave it to Mrs Shelley, who gave it, in turn. to the
Hunts, and they gave it to Sir Percy Shelley some
years ago.