1821.] CONDEMNED TO THE STAKE. 495 burnt. The Spanish ***, that has her petticoats over Lucca, had actually condemned a poor devil to the stake, for stealing the wafer box out of a church. Shelley and I, of course, were up in arms against this piece of piety, and have been disturbing every body to get the sentence changed. Taaffe is gone to see what can be done. 967.-To Percy Bysshe Shelley. B. December 12, 1821. MY DEAR SHELLEY,-Enclosed is a note for you from His reasons are all very true, I dare say, and it might and may be of personal inconvenience to us. But that does not appear to me to be a reason to allow a being to be burnt without trying to save him. To save him by any means but remonstrance is of course out of the question; but I do not see why a temperate remonstrance should hurt any one. Lord Guilford is the man, if he would undertake it. He knows the Grand Duke personally, and might, perhaps, prevail upon him to interfere. But, as he goes to-morrow, you must be quick, or it will be useless. Make any use of my name that you please. Yours ever, etc. 968.-To Thomas Moore. [Undated.] I send you the two notes,2 which will tell you the story I allude to of the Auto da Fè. Shelley's allusion. 1. The report of the intended auto da fé at Lucca was picked up by Medwin at a bookseller's shop in Pisa (Conversations, pp. 267270). The foundation for the story seems to have been a proclamation by the Duchess of Lucca, Maria Louisa, widow of Louis, King of Etruria, and daughter of Charles IV. of Spain, making her subjects liable to Spanish law. The prisoner escaped to Florence. 2. The following are the two notes which were enclosed, as printed in Moore's Life, p. 546 :- to his "fellow-serpent," is a buffoonery of mine. Goethe's Mephistofilus calls the serpent who tempted Eve "my aunt, the renowned snake;" and I always insist that Shelley is nothing but one of her nephews, walking about on the tip of his tail. To Lord Byron. "Two o'clock, Tuesday Morning. "MY DEAR LORD,—Although strongly persuaded that the story "must be either an entire fabrication, or so gross an exaggeration "as to be nearly so; yet, in order to be able to discover the truth "beyond all doubt, and to set your mind quite at rest, I have taken "the determination to go myself to Lucca this morning. Should it "prove less false than I am convinced it is, I shall not fail to exert "myself in every way that I can imagine may have any success. Be "assured of this. "P.S.-To prevent bavardage, I prefer going in person to "sending my servant with a letter. It is better for you to mention "nothing (except, of course, to Shelley) of my excursion. The "person I visit there is one on whom I can have every dependence in every way, both as to authority and truth." To Lord Byron. "Thursday Morning. "MY DEAR LORD BYRON,-I hear this morning that the design, "which certainly had been in contemplation, of burning my fellow"serpent, has been abandoned, and that he has been condemned to "the galleys. Lord Guilford is at Leghorn; and as your courier "applied to me to know whether he ought to leave your letter for "him or not, I have thought it best since this information to tell "him to take it back. I. "Ever faithfully yours, "Staub soll er fressen, und mit Lust, 1.] A LETTER FROM SHELLEY, 497 APPENDIX I. LETTERS FROM SHELLEY TO BYRON, FROM JANE CLAIRMONT TO BYRON, AND FROM SHELLEY TO JANE CLAIRMONT. (See p. 14, note 1, and p. 73, note 2.) (1) Letter from Shelley to Byron. "MY DEAR LORD BYRON,-I have no conception of what Clare's letter to you contains, and but an imperfect one of the subject of her correspondence with you at all. One or two of her letters, but not lately, I have indeed seen; but as I thought them extremely childish and absurd, and requested her not to send them, and she afterwards told me she had written and sent others in place of them, I cannot tell if those which I saw on that occasion were sent to you or not. I wonder, however, at your being provoked at what Clare writes; though that she should write what is provoking is very probable. You are conscious of performing your duty to Allegra, and your refusal to allow her to visit Clare at this distance you conceive to be part of that duty. That Clare should have wished to see her is natural. That her disappointment should vex her, and her vexation make her write absurdly, is all in the natural order of things. But, poor thing, she is very unhappy and in bad health, and she ought to be treated with as much indulgence as possible. The weak and the foolish are in this respect like kings; they can do no wrong. "I think I have said enough to excuse myself for declining to be the instrument of the communication of her wishes or sentiments to you; of course I should be always happy to convey yours to her. But at present I do not see that you need trouble yourself further than to take care that she should receive regular intelligence of Allegra's health, etc. You can write to me, or make your secretary write to her (as you do not like writing yourself), or arrange it in any manner most convenient to yourself. Of course I should be happy to hear from you on any subject. Galignani tells us that on the 17th of August you arrived in London, and immediately drove to the Queen's house with dispatches from Italy. If your wraith indited the note which I received, VOL. V. 2 K he also will receive this answer. Do you take no part in the important nothings which the most powerful assembly in the world is now engaged in weighing with such ridiculous deliberation? At least, if ministers fail in their object, shall you or not return as a candidate for any part of the power they will lose? Their successors, I hope, and you, if you will be one of them, will exert that power to other purposes than their's. As to me, I remain in Italy for the present. If you really go to England, and leave Allegra in Italy, I think you had better arrange so that Clare might see Allegra in your absence if she pleases. The objections now existing against a visit either to or from her, would be then suspended; and such a concession would prevent all future contention on the subject. People only desire with great eagerness that which is forbidden or withheld. Besides that, you should shew yourself above taking offence at any thing she has written, which of course you are. "It would give me great pleasure to hear from you, and to receive news of more cantos of Don Juan, or something else. You have starved us lately. Mrs. S. unites with me in best regards, and I remain, my dear Lord Byron, "Pisa, Sep. 17, 1820. "Your very sincere, etc., "P.S.-If I were to go to the Levant or Greece, could you be of any service to me? If so, I should be very much obliged to you." (2) Letter from Jane Clairmont to Byron. "I have just received the letter which announces the putting Allegra into a convent. Before I quitted Geneva you promised me-verbally, it is true-that my child, whatever its sex, should never be away from one of its parents. This promise originated in my being afflicted at your idea of placing it under the protection of Mrs. Leigh. This promise is violated, not only slightly, but in a mode and by a conduct most intolerable to my feeling of love for Allegra. It has been my desire and my practice to interfere with you as little as possible; but were I silent now, you would adopt this as an argument against me at some future period. I therefore represent to you that the putting Allegra, at her years, into a convent, away from any relation, is to me a serious and deep affliction. Since you first gave the hint of your desire, I have been at some pains to inquire into their system, and I find that the state of the children is nothing less than miserable. I see no reason to believe that convents are better regulated at Ravenna, a secondary, out-ofthe-way town of the Roman States, than at Florence, the capital of Tuscany. Every traveller and writer upon Italy joins in condemning them, which would be alone sufficient testimony, without adverting to the state of ignorance and profligacy of the Italian women, all pupils of convents. They are bad wives, most unnatural mothers; licentious and ignorant, they are the dishonour and unhappiness of society. This then, with every advantage in your power, of wealth, 1.] A MOTHER'S APPEAL. 499 of friends, is the education you have chosen for your daughter. This step will procure to you an innumerable addition of enemies and of blame, for it can be regarded but in one light by the virtuous, of whatever sect or denomination. Allegra's misfortune, in being condemned by her father to a life of ignorance and degradation, in being deprived of the advantages which the belonging to the most enlightened country in the world entitle her to, and of the protection and friendship of her parents' friends (so essential to the well-being of a child in her desolate situation), by the adoption of a different religion and of an education known to be contemptible, will be received by the world as a perfect fulfilment on your part of all the censures passed upon you. How will Lady Byron-never yet justified for her conduct towards you-be soothed, and rejoice in the honourable safety of herself and child, and all the world be bolder to praise her prudence, my unhappy Allegra furnishing the condemning evidence! I alone, misled by love to believe you good, trusted to you, and now I reap the fruits. "I do not describe my feelings of sorrow that this is to be Allegra's destiny, because I know what an excitement it would be to you to continue and if possible to augment the burthen. But I entreat you to retract this step, if not for her sake, at least for your own. Be assured that no reasons can be found to justify this measure. If you doubt that passion may hinder my judging rightly about it, take the opinion of Mrs. Hoppner-a lady every way worthy your attention. Her great knowledge of the world will ensure you the most safe and laudable conduct to be pursued with regard to Allegra's education, and I feel so much confidence in her goodness and sound judgment, that I should submit to her decision with the greatest pleasure. I resigned Allegra to you that she might be benefitted by advantages which I could not give her. It was natural for me to expect that your daughter would become an object of affection, and would receive an education becoming the child of an English nobleman. Since, however, you are indifferent to her, or that the purity of your principles does not allow you to cherish a natural child, I entreat you, as an act of justice, to allow the following scheme to be put into execution, that Allegra may have the benefits her mother can procure to her. I propose to place her, at my own expense, in one of the very best English boardingschools, where, if she is deprived of the happiness of a home and paternal care, she at least would receive an English education, which would enable her, after many years of painful and unpro tected childhood, to be benefitted by the kindness and affection of her parents' friends. This school shall be chosen by your own friends. I will see her only so often as they shall decide, because I hope to induce you, by this sacrifice of myself, to yield the child to proper hands. By adopting this plan you will save your credit and also the expense; and the anxiety for her safety and well-being need never trouble you; you will become as free as if you had no such tie. I entreat you earnestly not to be obdurate on this point. Believe me, in putting Allegra into a convent to ease yourself of the trouble, and to hurt me in my affection for her, |