CHARLES THE FIRST.

To Mr. Rossetti we owe the reconstruction of this fragmentary drama out of materials partly published by Mrs. Shelley in 1824, partly recovered from manuscript by himself.  The bracketed words are, presumably, supplied by Mr. Rossetti to fill actual lacunae in the manuscript; those queried represent indistinct writing.  Mr. Rossetti’s additions to the text are indicated in the footnotes.  In one or two instances Mr. Forman and Dr. Garnett have restored the true reading.  The list of Dramatis Personae is Mr. Forman’s.

THE TRIUMPH OF LIFE.

1. 
Lines 131-135.  This grammatically incoherent passage is thus
conjecturally emended by Rossetti:—­
Fled back like eagles to their native noon;
For those who put aside the diadem
Of earthly thrones or gems...,
Whether of Athens or Jerusalem,
Were neither mid the mighty captives seen, etc. 
In the case of an incomplete poem lacking the author’s final
corrections, however, restoration by conjecture is, to say the least of
it, gratuitous.

2.  Line 282.  The words, ‘Even as the deeds of others, not as theirs.’  And then—­are wanting in editions 1824, 1839, and were recovered by Dr. Garnett from the Boscombe manuscript.  Mrs. Shelley’s note here runs:—­’There is a chasm here in the manuscript which it is impossible to fill.  It appears from the context that other shapes pass and that Rousseau still stood beside the dreamer.’  Mr. Forman thinks that the ‘chasm’ is filled up by the words restored from the manuscript by Dr. Garnett.  Mr. A.C.  Bradley writes:  ’It seems likely that, after writing “I have suffered...pain”, Shelley meant to strike out the words between “known” [276] and “I” [278], and to fill up the gap in such a way that “I” would be the last word of the line beginning “May well be known".’

MISCELLANEOUS POEMS.

1.  TO —.  Mrs. Shelley tentatively assigned this fragment to 1817.  ’It seems not improbable that it was addressed at this time [June, 1814] to Mary Godwin.’  Dowden, “Life”, 1 422, Woodberry suggests that ’Harriet answers as well, or better, to the situation described.’

2.  ON DEATH.  These stanzas occur in the Esdaile manuscript along with others which Shelley intended to print with “Queen Mab” in 1813; but the text was revised before publication in 1816.

3.  TO —.  ’The poem beginning “Oh, there are spirits in the air,” was addressed in idea to Coleridge, whom he never knew’—­writes Mrs. Shelley.  Mr. Bertram Dobell, Mr. Rossetti and Professor Dowden, however, incline to think that we have here an address by Shelley in a despondent mood to his own spirit.

4.  LINES.  These appear to be antedated by a year, as they evidently allude to the death of Harriet Shelley in November, 1816.

5.  ANOTHER FRAGMENT TO MUSIC.  To Mr. Forman we owe the restoration of the true text here—­’food of Love.’  Mrs. Shelley printed ‘god of Love.’