But it was not taken seriously in hand until the spring of 1812; nor was it finished and printed before 1813.

The first impression was a private issue of 250 copies, on fine paper, which Shelley distributed to people whom he wished to influence.

It was pirated soon after its appearance, and again in 1821 it was given to the public by a bookseller named Clarke.

Against the latter republication Shelley energetically protested, disclaiming in a letter addressed to "The Examiner", from Pisa, June 22, 1821, any interest in a production which he had not even seen for several years.

"I doubt not but that it is perfectly worthless in point of literary composition; and that in all that concerns moral and political speculation, as well as in the subtler discriminations of metaphysical and religious doctrine, it is still more crude and immature.