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welcome, saying that winds and waves, he hoped, would never part them more.

I shall not consider it necessary to enter upon the object of Leigh Hunt's journey to Italy, any further than it serves to illustrate that portion of the poet's life to which it relates. I may, however, remark, that Shelley already began to entertain great misgivings as to the success of the proposed alliance.

In a letter to a friend, dated only a week after Hunt's arrival, and before they had yet met, he says, "Between ourselves, I greatly fear that this alliance will not succeed; for I, who can never have been regarded as more than the link of the two thunderbolts, cannot now consent to be even that; and how long the alliance may continue I will not prophesy.

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Pray do not hint my doubts on the subject to any one, or they might do harm to Hunt; and they may be groundless."

With nothing, however, but the imaginary proceeds of the yet unborn journal to support his large family, Leigh Hunt had arrived in Italy, and with as little delay as possible he proceeded

to Leghorn to meet Byron and Shelley, there to arrange preliminaries, and to set the thing at once in motion.

Shelley was eager, after so long an absence, again to meet his friend.

"As soon as I hear that he has sailed," he says, in the letter just quoted, "I shall weigh anchor in my little schooner, and give him chase to Leghorn, when I must occupy myself in some arrangement for him with Lord Byron."

Accordingly, on receipt of this intelligence, he was impatient to depart.

It was agreed that Williams and he should go together; and on the 1st July they were up at four in the morning, to get the topsails of their little yacht altered, and to prepare for starting.

By twelve o'clock a favourable breeze sprung up from the westward, and hoisting all sail, they took leave of Casa Magni-and went bounding, with light joyous heart, over the blue waves, which since his residence at Spezia had become Shelley's playmates.

Never was he in better health or better spirits than at this period. The near prospect of meet

ing his friend, the proud and generous consciousness that he could and would be instrumental in making his fortune-all contributed to fill him to overflowing with that youthful buoyancy for which he was remarkable when perfectly free from physical suffering; and with feelings as unchequered as the bright and cloudless sky above him, he bore out of sight of that mountain retreat that he was destined never to see

more.

Mrs. Shelley has given us a faithful record of all the circumstances connected with this eventful period, as well as the strange sensations. which came over her when the poet last parted from her. She says

'During the whole of our stay at Lerici, an intense presentiment of coming evil brooded over my mind, and covered this beautiful place and genial summer with the shadow of coming misery. I had vainly struggled with these emotions; they seemed accounted for by my illness; but at this hour of separation, they recurred with renewed violence. I did not anticipate danger for them, but a vague expectation of evil shook

me to agony, and I could scarcely bring myself to let them go."

Elsewhere Mrs. Shelley says, "I was to have accompanied him (Shelley), but illness confined me to my room, and thus put the seal on my misfortune."

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CHAPTER XXVII.

Shelley's arrival at Leghorn-Critical state of Leigh Hunt's affairs-Exile of the Gambas-Proposed departure of Lord Byron-Settlement of Leigh Hunt at Pisa-Shelley at Pisa-His letter to his wife-To Mrs. Williams-Return to Leghorn-Sets sail from Leghorn-Darkness-Terrible suspense-Death of the Poet-Burning of his body.

WEIGHING anchor at twelve o'clock, they stretched across to Lerici to pick up Captain Roberts, and thence proceeded direct to Leghorn, where they arrived at half-past nine o'clock at night, having performed the whole voyage of between fifty and sixty miles in the short space of nine hours and a half.

Shelley and his companion were unable to disembark, owing to the existing regulations at the Health Office, which prohibited any one going

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