have most vilely led them astray. I persuade myself that Keats's life will be a most interesting subject. If you will go on, I will send you everything I can think of, and I am sure I can supply much. If you will not, I mean to defy you, and try and write his Life myself, which I am sure will make you look about you.

Now tell me what you have to say by way of excuse. It cannot be, save that you do not know how high Keats's fame has risen-that if he is not the Poet of the million, he is more, for I would say that, judging of the talents of his admirers and their rank as scholars, that his fame is a proud one. So now, my dear Brown, I send this off Saturday eve-you'll hear Tuesday morn -and I shall receive the Tragedy Saturday.

Rome, July 13th, 1836.

I inquired about the new edition of Keats, as I was invited to embellish it to any extent, and have some nice ideas for it. Be sure you tell me what movement it makes. Many kind lovers of Keats's poetry offer to subscribe to make him a monument. Gibson made a liberal offer to do it for whatever might be subscribed, which I made known to poor Woodhouse without receiving any answer. Now I have come to the determination that I will accept these subscriptions, and let Gibson make a beautiful monument, either to be placed here or in England. Tell me what are your thoughts, but don't tell me you set your face against it, for so I will have it. I can collect a handsome sum. I am an artist myself, and a fine work I'll have. As you have call'd me an old man, I'll e'en do something to grace my years.

I am just going to write to Mr. Milnes about Keats's tomb. I feel sure that 500/. could be easily got, and this, let me tell you, would be useful and even honorable to his reputation. The present grave stone, with its inscription, is an eye sore to me and more, for as I am sought out and esteem'd as his friend something is look'd for from me, and something I will have. I have thought to have the beautiful profile of Girometti's on the upper part, surrounded with architectural flowers in the Greek style-underneath a bas-relief (the subject of which I have not determined, and will not, until you give your ideas, for I'll do nothing without you except your denial-with that I'll have nothing to do). George Keats ought to subscribe, but I have the right, as Keats's last friend, and also as an artist, to the management. After the Monument is up, I'll plant the most beautiful Laurels and Cypresses ever seen, and attend to the keeping them fresh to the extreem days of my old age, for I feel that I owe much to the name of Keats being so often linked with mine. It has given the Public an impression which has ensured me a good career, much as it was denied to him.

Now I dare say you will think all this very vain on my part, and throw cold water upon me and that; but no, I am too old to be damped by you. You may encourage me to any thing, but I won't be put down. Keats shall have a fine monument, and I will produce fine historical works, worthy of his friend.

Where is George Keats, and has he not made a handsome fortune? I was told so by an American who knew him-he spites you as to the M.S.S.

19, Brook Street, August 21st, 1838.

What are you doing about Keats's Life? If you have printed, pray let me have it. I am stirring up here for a new edition of his and Shelley's works. It is shamefully unjust that you all on the spot do not pull together and catch this nice moment for Keats. Tell me the difficulties in the way of a new and compleat edition of him. Trelawny and I talk it over, and determine on having beautiful engravings in it. I have got very pretty ideas for it. Gibson will give us many things. I assure you Keats stands so high with all the aspiring young men, particularly the aristocrats, that a book would take. I'll do anything to help it on, even for my own sake, as I am so proud of having been Keats's friend, seeing how people are disposed to caress me for his sake.

We are about a new project: Trelawny and I, of course. It is to let the good feeling go on, and have a group in marble by Gibson of Shelley and Keats together, to be placed somewhere in London. Isn't this a beautiful idea? What a subject for sculpture! What a fine tribute to the men, friends as they were, and making greater-both Greek poets, and both with fine and young poet looks. Now don't throw cold water upon it. I'll raise plenty of money to do it, and Gibson made a liberal offer. That stir in Parliament about Lord Byron's statue was my doing, and now I'll be an agitator about Keats. Tell me about George Keats, and also about Taylor, and poor Woodhouse's papers. papers. I knew he had the tragedy copied, he told me so himself-it was from the love he bore Keats, and foreseeing there might be difficulties in the way of bringing his works together for a new edition.

IX.

SOME ACCOUNT OF GEORGE KEATS

BY THE REV. JAMES FREEMAN CLARKE

published in The Dial for April 1843:

WITH EXTRACTS FROM HIS LETTERS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE DIAL.

Dear Sir,-When last at your house I mentioned to you that I had in my possession a copy of some interesting remarks upon Milton, hitherto unpublished, by John Keats the poet. According to your wish I have copied them for your periodical. But I wish, with your permission, to say here how they came in my possession; and in doing this I shall have an opportunity of giving the

The letters and extracts given at the end have been selected from a large mass of George Keats's writing with a special view to illustrate the tenacity with which he held to John's memory. There are scarcely any passages that would not illustrate equally well the manly English character of George, his sterling qualities in all the relations of life, his independence, and his unaffected capacity for affairs. His letters are good letters without the slightest pretension to be anything but means of communicating what he wants to say; and I think the extracts I have given well calculated to convince any one of George's title to that niche in the temple of his brother's fame which he owns to having coveted. All the letters beginning "My dear Sir" are to Charles Wentworth Dilke, and many which opened in that stiff manner closed with the warmer "My dear Dilke" or other such phrase. Other letters from George Keats will be found in Volume III, at pages 132-3, and in Volume IV, at pages 77-8 and 116.

imperfect tribute of a few words of remembrance to a noble-minded man and a dear friend, now no more an inhabitant of this earth.

Several years ago I went to Louisville, Ky., to take charge of the Unitarian church in that city. I was told that among those who attended the church was a brother of the poet Keats, an English gentleman, who had resided for many years in Louisville as a merchant. His appearance, and the shape of his head arrested attention. The heavy bar of observation over his eyes indicated the strong perceptive faculties of a business man, while the striking height of the head, in the region assigned by phrenology to veneration, was a sign of nobility of sentiment, and the full development behind marked firmness and practical energy. All these traits were equally prominent in his character. He was one of the most intellectual men I ever knew. I never saw him when his mind was inactive. I never knew him to acquiesce in the thought of another. It was a necessity of his nature to have his own thought on every subject; and when he assented to your opinion, it was not acquiescence but agreement. Joined with this energy of intellect was a profound intellectual modesty. He perceived his deficiency in the higher reflective faculties, especially that of a philosophical method. But his keen insight enabled him fully to appreciate what he did not himself possess. Though the tendency of his intellect was wholly critical, it was without dogmatism and full of reverence for the creative faculties. He was thoroughly versed in English literature, especially that of the Elizabethan period, a taste for which he had probably imbibed from his brother and his friends Leigh Hunt and others. This taste he preserved for years in a region, where scarcely another could be found who had so much as heard the names of his