malignity
intense ill will; spite.
desolation
a state of complete emptiness or destruction.
gaolers
archaic spelling of 'jailers'.
despondency
a state characterized by lack of hope or courage.
inconsolable
unable to be comforted.
terrific
in the context of Shelley, 'terrifying'.
placid
peaceful; serene.
pertinacity
persistence.
natural philosophy
an antiquated branch of study, which encompassed a broad sense of studying how the world works. It maps most closely onto what we now call 'science', though other disciplines, such as math, were also included in this category.
charnel houses
houses for dead bodies.
physiology
in Shelley, the science of living things, and of life as a concept, in a broad sense.
indefatigable
persisting tirelessly.
peculiar
personal; particular.
science
a more general term in Shelley than it is today; it refers broadly to learning and knowledge.
imperious
urgent.
chimerical
imaginary; fanciful.
predilection
a bias in favor of something.
the philosopher's stone
an object sought by alchemists, believed to be able to turn any metal into silver or gold.
dissimilitude
diversity; dissimilarity.
syndic
chief magistrate.
