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By this time Mary Shelley had not heard from Trelawny for almost a year. He had accompanied Byron on his trip to Greece to fight for Greek independence and, after the latter’s death, had remained there and married a thirteen-year-old girl with whom he had no language in common. Mary seems eager to receive some personal news from Trelawny, for with both Byron and Shelley gone he is one of the remaining members of their Pisan circle still alive, which incites her nostalgia. Mary recounts that she went to see the actor Edmund Kean playing the lead role in Othello and adds that the play reminded her of him. The reason can be found in the left-hand margin of the letter, where Trelawny later wrote: “At Pisa, 1822 Lord Byron talked vehemently of our getting up a play in his Great Hall at the Lanfranchi it was to be Othelo [sic] he cast the characters thus. Byron Iago—Tre. Othello—Williams Cassio—Medwin Roderigo—Mrs Shelley Desdemona—Mrs William Emilia. Who is to be our audience I asked—all Pisa he rejoined—he recited a great Portion of his part with great Gusto it exactly suited him—he looked it too”. Mary seems to agree with Trelawny’s opinion, since near the end of the letter she writes: “Iago would never have found a better representative that [than] that strange & wondrous creature, whom one regrets daily more—for who here can equal him?” Percy Shelley’s name is missing from the cast list as he was the director of the drama.

Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, 1797-1851 (sender)
Trelawny, Edward John, 1792-1881 (recipient)

Kentish Town

1825 February 22

4 sheets

manuscript

paper

eng

autographs (manuscripts)
letters (correspondence)

Byron, George Gordon Byron Baron, 1788-1824
Shelley, Percy Bysshe, 1792-1822

Greece

1825

Gift of Colonel and Mrs Call,, 1912.

Mrs Call’s father was Trelawny.

KSH

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