after this forbidden tryst Percy moved on to Eton at age 12.

The move to Eton was not to Percy's liking either, although it was here in 1809 that he was first blinded by love or romance, or indeed both, for the fairer sex. He embarked on a love affair with his cousin Harriet Grove. This was encouraged by the family in the first instance, but in the end following a brief engagement it was all called off. Percy's forthright views regarding the Irish problem and his opposition to Christianity tipped Harriet's parents against the match. Their engagement was forbidden and their romance died an unnatural death in 1810, just as Percy was making the move to Oxford to complete his education. In the six years he attended Eton he felt stifled and unable to expand on his developing philosophies and idealism but felt sure that his talents would be more appreciated at Oxford.