Then vanish all the affections dear in youth, The poet feels; and thence his best resource The portraits of John, George, and Tom Keats, contained in these volumes, were made from the portraits Severn painted for George Keats when he came to America. Severn accompanied the brothers as far as Liverpool, to see George off and to put some finishing touches on the portrait of John. The silhouette of Fanny Brawne was the most satisfactory of all the likenesses preserved by her family, though Severn is quoted as having said that the draped figure in Titian's noble picture of Sacred and Profane Love, in the Borghese Palace in Rome, resembled her so greatly that he paid frequent visits to it, and on this account made a copy of it. The sketch of Keats's head is from Severn's pencildrawing, which has on it these words: "28th Jany. 3 o'clock m'g. Drawn to keep me awakea deadly sweat was on him all this night.” The most satisfactory of all the likenesses of Keats I have ever seen is Haydon's masque of his face, taken in 1818. Through the kind courtesy of Mr. Gilder, the accomplished editor of "The Century Magazine," the publishers of these books are enabled to include in one of the volumes an etching of this masque. The other sketch from life of Keats's head I've left my Her Who who could tell how much there is for madness - einel or complying. Thow sleek theme Jarry fide m day for dallame was bom feet my So without more a do my heaven anew For all the blacking of the harby by Severn, was made in 1817, and pronounced by Leigh Hunt and others to be excellent. The fac-simile of the little song beginning "Unfelt, unheard, unseen, I've left my little queen," &c., &c., I selected for reproduction, not because of any characteristic merit in the song, but because it was the only rough draft I had at hand showing the poet's corrections and emendations. MENDHAM, November, 1883. J. G. S. |