self, not for his writings, and he loves her the more
for it; that, on first falling in love with her, he had written to
declare himself, but he burned the letter, fancying that she had shown
some dislike to him; that he had all his life been indifferent to money
matters, but must be chary of the resources of his friends; that he was
afraid of her "being a little inclined to the Cressid"--one of the
various passages which show that he chafed at her girlish liking for
general society and diversions. On the 10th of October 1819 he had had
"a thousand kisses" from her, and was resolved not to dispense with the
thousand and first. Early in June 1820 he speaks of her having "been in
the habit of flirting with Brown," who "did not know he was doing me to
death by inches."--It may be well to give three of the letters as
specimens:--

(I.)

"25 College Street.

"[Postmark] _13 October 1819._

"My dearest Girl,--This moment I have set myself to copy some
verses out fair. I cannot proceed with any degree of content. I
must write you a line or two, and see if that will assist in
dismissing you from my mind for ever so short a time. Upon my
soul I can think of nothing else. The time is past when I had
power to advise and warn you against the unpromising morning of
my life. My love has made me selfish. I cannot exist without you;
I am forgetful of everything but seeing you again; my life seems
to stop there--I see no further. You have absorbed me; I have a
sensation at the present moment as though I was dissolving. I
should be exquisitely miserable without the hope of soon seeing
you; I should be afraid to separate myself far from you. My sweet
Fanny, will your heart never change? My love, will it? I have no
limit now to my love.

"Your note came in just here. I cannot be 'happier' away from
you; 'tis richer than an argosy of pearls. Do not threat me, even
in jest. I have been astonished that men could die martyrs for
religion--I have shuddered at it. I shudder no more; I could be
martyred for _my_ religion. Love is my religion--I could die for
that; I could die for you. My creed is love, and you are its only
tenet. You have ravished me away by a power I cannot resist; and
yet I could resist till I saw you; and even since I have seen you
I have endeavoured often 'to reason against the reasons of my
love.' I can do that no more, the pain would be too g