Editor's Introduction xvii 



to the romantic school. It was in his blood : it 

 developed in his philosophy and in his art and 

 kindled into vivid life whatever he said, wrote, 

 and did. All his wild adventures and strange 

 visions and dreams, his love of Nature, his vague, 

 humanitarian schemes, even his somewhat high- 

 riown sentiments, expressed on all sorts of topics, 

 mark him as a type of the romantic artist. He 

 could, however, paint life with a broad and flow- 

 ing brush and at the same time with a simplicity 

 that explained perhaps why he was so keen and 

 appreciative an admirer of Mme. de Sevigne, little 

 as she had in common with the romantic school. 

 For simplicity as well as romantic fervor what 

 can be better than the following passage found 

 in one of his letters where he speaks of a lovely 

 lady dwelling obscurely in poverty in a remote 

 part of Ireland : — 



I wish I could describe this sweet and lovely being 

 to you in such a manner as to place her visibly before 

 you, certain that you, like me, would love her at first 

 glance. But I feel that all description fails short. All 

 about her is heart and soul. She was dressed in black 

 with greatest simplicity, her dress was up to the neck 

 but fitting close to her beautiful form. Her person is 

 slender and extremely youthful, full of gentle grace, and 

 not without animation and fire in her movements. 

 Her complexion is of a pure clear brown and has the 

 soft polish of marble. More beautiful and brilliant black 

 eyes, or teeth of more dazzling whiteness I have never 

 beheld. Her mouth, too, with the angelic, childlike char- 

 acter of her smile, is enchanting. Her refined, unaffected 

 good breeding, the sportive grace of her gay and witty 

 conversation were of that rare sort which are innate, and 



