New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-19

~orrg.r dan ohter should contaminate herself by
waiting Mary. VINO after all had only followed her
fathers and mother's example; and when he Dor.
rowed money Of Shelley he wsuld on'V condescena
to do it through the instrumentality OF lawyer.
Shelley's patience and boundiess generosity
toward this fraudulent sophist sprang In part from
his old reverence for Godwin's political teachings,
Init MALAY from hts love for MARY. They are
oualities which shine with unfailirg brightness
mid,t the sordid scenes of his days of greatest dis
tres. and they endured to the end. Once when
Shellev ouite without resources Of bis own. raised
nonrv at ruinous rates by post-obit, 70 meet
Godwin's necessities and sent the sum by check,
the indignant philosopher replied return yoni
check because no consideration can IN duce mo to
utter check drawn by you and containing my
mama To what purpose make disclosure of this
kind to your bankerf 4 hope you WU send a dup
Ioat, of by the post which t reach me on Saturday
morning. You may make it payable to Joseph Hume
mr. James Martin or any other mama IN the whole ~
rectorup There is nothing moro ludicrous in
PecEsnif himself.
The latter half of the second volume, which de-
scrbes shelley's life in Italy with conscientious
minnteness is the richest part OF the work. To
this portion belong the poets most purely poctcal
productiveness, and his ia rest days. He was no
longer a recluse. but the brightest figure in COM
and dongs the world is not yet tired of hearing.
With the help of the diary and letters. Professor
Dowden gives q picture of his life almost from
dav to day snd he adds to it admirable series OF
character sketches of the associates by whom the
Shelleys we're surrounded. All this is mastery
but with its close detail the narrative portion offers
| few passages for quotation. We shall take as a
| closing specimen the authors re arks on the
| q Prometheus" which show very fairly his powers
some inst considerations upon Shelley's strength
| and weakness
| Critics endeavoring to find what IS of the most
yaIue IN Sheley's highest poem have analysed the
ideas which lie behind its marvellous Imagery. IL
is not here that shall discover what Is the chef
| worth in "Prometheus Unbound" She ley's ideas
| are abs ractions made from onesided and lnper-
| feet view of facts No dream or prophecy oil the
future of the human can be OF authentlc vane
winch ignores the true conditions OF human exist
| ence Humanity Is chained Titan OF lndomita-
HE virtue IL is weak and trembling thing,
which vet through error and weakness traversed
OF overcome may at last grow strong 70 represent
evil as external-th TYRANNY of a malignant God
or Fortune or as intellectual errOr-is 10 lastly
the true conception of human progress ne progress
| winch indeed concerns us Is tnat wnlcn
consists in working ont the heart, and gradually
growing to the fitness OF the stature OF the per-
feet man. Goethe's {" Faust inferior IN magma
| tive spIendor TO " PrOmetheus Unbound, expresses
! an order of IDEAS far juster and more profound he
advance of Faust from error to truth from weak,
ness 10 strength. from In warh disrnpUon ,o n~aIu
| harmony from egotism to selt-transcendng love
n Is moral and spiritual ascension, no mere de-
lverance from the tyranny of circumstance or fate
| But helIey now az alwaya. wrote as the disciple
| NJ W,Illam Goodwin All the gfterIng faIlacles OF
Political Justlce"-now sufficiently arnished-
| topethe with al its encouraging and STIMULATING
truths. may be found IN the oapM mortanm iet'
| when The critic has reduced the poetry OF tie
| "Prometheus" to a series of doc'rInaTe state
ments But fortitude. Justice. love. beauty. hope
| unouenched desIre-these indeed men for
ward toward the highest ends OF
| their existence. and these are anlmatln.
moral powers of Shelleys radiant song and the NE
| and ioy of EARTH IN her moments of rapture nav
passed rpfo hls verse that Its music sounds IKE
the voice of quIckenng pril winds. lie himsel
has spoken more truly and ha opiy of the poem thai
any of his critics "The blue sky Of Rome" Ii
writes and the effects of the vigorous awakening
of spilng IN that dIvInest climate and he new M
| wltn when il drenches the spirits even to lntoxi
| cation were the inspiration of this drama" hes
passing from the the poets spirit IN sense