THE REAL SHELLEY. VOL. II THE REAL SHELLEY. NEW VIEWS OF THE POET’S LIFE. BY JOHN CORDY JEAFFRESON, AUTHOR OF ‘THE REAL LORD BYRON,’ ‘A BOOK ABOUT DOCTORS,’ ‘A BOOK ABOUT LAWYERS,’ &c. &c. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. II. LONDON: HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS, 13 GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 1885. _All Rights reserved._ LONDON: PRINTED BY STRANGEWAYS AND SONS, Tower Street, Upper St. Martin’s Lane. CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME. PAGE CHAPTER I. WILLIAM GODWIN 1 Mr. Kegan Paul’s Inaccuracies--Godwin’s Early Story--From Socinianism to Deism--In the Service of Publishers-- Hack-Work--_Political Justice_--_Caleb Williams_--Temperance and Frugality--Godwin’s two imprudent Marriages--His consequent Impoverishment--His personal Appearance--His Speech and Manner--His morbid Vanity--His Sensitiveness for his Dignity--His Benevolence and Honesty--Good Husband and good Father--Looking out for a suitable Young Woman--Mary Wollstonecraft--Godwin’s Regard for her--Mary in Heaven--A Blighted Being. CHAPTER II. MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT 12 The new Settler in George Street, Blackfriars--Mary’s earlier Story--Woman of Letters--Her Five Years’ Work--Her Attachment to Mr. Johnson--Coteries of Philosophical Radicalism-- _Anti-Jacobin_ on the Free Contract--Godwin’s Apostasy--From Blackfriars to Store Street--The Slut become a modish Woman--Her Passion for Fuseli--Her Appeal to Mrs. Fuseli--Mr. Kegan Paul’s strange Treatment of Mr. Knowles--_Rights of Woman_--Plain Speech and Coarseness--Mary goes to Paris--She makes Imlay’s Acquaintance--Her Assignation with him at the Barrier--Their Association in Free Love--Mr. Kegan Paul speaks deliberately--His Apology for Mary’s Action--He falls between Two Stools--Wife in the eyes of God and Man--Letters to Imlay--Badness of Mary’s Temper--Her consequent Quarrels with Imlay--Her Sense of Shame at her Position--Birth of her illegitimate Child--Her Withdrawal from France--Her Norwegian Trip--Her Wretchedness and Rage--Dissolution of the Free Love Partnership--Mary’s Attempt to commit Suicide--Was she out of her Mind?--Her Union with Godwin in Free Love--Their subsequent Marriage--Their Squabbles and Differences--Their Daughter’s Birth--Mary Wollstonecraft’s Death--Mrs. Shelley’s biographical Inaccuracies. CHAPTER III. THE SECOND MRS. WILLIAM GODWIN 60