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Feb 24, 1812: Publication of An Address, to the Irish People

On February 24, 1812, Percy Shelley published An Address, to the Irish People. The introduction to this work by T.W. Rolleston describes the publication as follows:
It was published on February 24th, and although Shelley wrote a couple of days later "that it had excited a sensation of wonder in Dublin," it seems to have had absolutely no success. Shelley's methods of getting his pamphlet into circulation were certainly likely enough to excite sensations of wonder, and perhaps, too, of  ridicule, in those to whom apostolic ardour and faith are ridiculous. No bookseller would dare to publish it — so  he wrote to a friend some months afterwards — and an  Irish servant was employed to distribute it by hand, while he himself stood in he balcony of his lodgings, (No. 7, Lower Sackville St.,) watching the stream of passers: when a man "who looked likely " appeared among the crowd of commonplace figures, a copy of the gospel of philosophy descended at his feet.  "We throw them out of window," wrote Harriet to Miss Hitchener, " and give them to men that we pass in the streets. For myself I am ready to die of laughter when it  is done, and Percy looks so grave. Yesterday he put one into a woman's hood of a cloak ; she knew nothing of it and we passed her. I could hardly get on, my muscles were so irritated."


The complete address can be found here.

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