had already lent
nearly L200 to various friends--tendered him any money-aid which might
be in his power; asking merely that his friend would claim the
fulfilment of his promise only in the last resort. On January 7, 1819,
Haydon definitely accepted his offer; and Keats wrote back, hoping to
comply, and refusing to take any interest. His own money affairs were,
however, at this time almost at a deadlock, controlled by lawyers and by
his ex-guardian Mr. Abbey; and the amount which he had expected to
command as coming to him after his brother Tom's death was not
available. He had to explain as much in April 1819 to Haydon, who wrote
with some urgency. Eventually he did make a small loan to the
painter--L30; but very shortly afterwards (June 17th) was compelled to
ask for a reimbursement--"do borrow or beg somehow what you can for me."
There was a chancery-suit of old standing, begun soon after the death of
Mr. Jennings in 1805, and it continued to obstruct Keats in his money
affairs. The precise facts of these were also but ill-known to the poet,
who had potentially at his disposal certain funds which remained _perdu_
and unused until two years after his death. On September 20, 1819, he
wrote to his brother George in America that Haydon had been unable to
make the repayment; and he added, "He did not seem to care much about
it, and let me go without my money with almost nonchalance, when he
ought to have sold his drawings to supply me. I shall perhaps still be
acquainted with him, but, for friendship, that is at an end." And in
fact the hitherto very ardent cordiality between the poet and the
painter does seem to have been materially damped after this date; Keats
being somewhat reserved towards Haydon, and Haydon finding more to
censure than to extol in the conduct of Keats. We can feel with both of
them; and, while we pronounce Keats blameless and even praiseworthy
throughout, may infer Haydon to have been not greatly blameable.

Towards the end of June 1819 Keats went to Shanklin; his first
companion there being an invalid but witty and cheerful friend, James
Rice, a solicitor, and his second, Brown, who co-operated at this time
with the poet in producing the drama "Otho the Great." Next, the two
friends went to Winchester, "chiefly," wrote Keats to his sister Fanny,
"for the purpose of being near a tolerable library, which after all is
not to be found in this place. However, we like it very much; it is the
pleasantest t