Obstacles have lo long existed to my presenting the public with a perfect edition of Shelley's Poems. These being at last happily removed I hasten to fulfil an important duty that of giving the productions of a sublime genius to the world with all the correctness possible and of at the same time detailing the history of those productions as they sprang living and warm from his heart and brain. I abstain from any remark on the occurrences of his private life except inasmuch as the passions which they engendered inspired his poetry. This is not the time to relate the truth; and I should reject any colouring of the truth.