alfred tennyson-第7部分

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and　musical　fantasy；　passing　from　the　Berlin…wool　work　of　the　period


（〃Take　the　broidery　frame；　and　add
A　crimson　to　the　quaint　Macaw〃）


into　the　enchanted　land　of　the　fable：　　princes　immortal；　princesses
eternally　young　and　fair。　　The　St　Agnes　and　Sir　Galahad；　companion
pieces；　contain　the　romance；　as　St　Simeon　Stylites　shows　the
repulsive　side　of　asceticism；　for　the　saint　and　the　knight　are　young；
beautiful；　and　eager　as　St　Theresa　in　her　childhood。　　It　has　been
said；　I　do　not　know　on　what　authority；　that　the　poet　had　no
recollection　of　composing　Sir　Galahad；　any　more　than　Scott　remembered
composing　The　Bride　of　Lammermoor；　or　Thackeray　parts　of　Pendennis。
The　haunting　of　Tennyson's　mind　by　the　Arthurian　legends　prompted
also　the　lovely　fragment　on　the　Queen's　last　Maying；　Sir　Launcelot
and　Queen　Guinevere；　a　thing　of　perfect　charm　and　music。　　The　ballads
of　Lady　Clare　and　The　Lord　of　Burleigh　are　not　examples　of　the　poet
in　his　strength；　for　his　power　and　fantasy　we　must　turn　to　The　Vision
of　Sin；　where　the　early　passages　have　the　languid　voluptuous　music　of
The　Lotos…Eaters；　with　the　ethical　element　superadded；　while　the
portion　beginning　…


〃Wrinkled　ostler；　grim　and　thin


is　in　parts　reminiscent　of　Burns's　Jolly　Beggars。　　In　Break；　Break；
Break；　we　hear　a　note　prelusive　to　In　Memoriam；　much　of　which　was
already　composed。

The　Poems　of　1842　are　always　vocal　in　the　memories　of　all　readers　of
English　verse。　　None　are　more　familiar；　at　least　to　men　of　the
generations　which　immediately　followed　Tennyson's。　　FitzGerald　was
apt　to　think　that　the　poet　never　again　attained　the　same　level；　and　I
venture　to　suppose　that　he　never　rose　above　it。　　For　FitzGerald's
opinion；　right　or　wrong；　it　is　easy　to　account。　　He　had　seen　all　the
pieces　in　manuscript；　they　were　his　cherished　possession　before　the
world　knew　them。　　C'est　mon　homme；　he　might　have　said　of　Tennyson；　as
Boileau　said　of　Moliere。　　Before　the　public　awoke　FitzGerald　had
〃discovered　Tennyson；〃　and　that　at　the　age　most　open　to　poetry　and
most　enthusiastic　in　friendship。　　Again；　the　Poems　of　1842　were
SHORT；　while　The　Princess；　Maud；　and　The　Idylls　of　the　King　were
relatively　long；　and；　with　In　Memoriam；　possessed　unity　of　subject。
They　lacked　the　rich；　the　unexampled　variety　of　topic；　treatment；　and
theme　which　marks　the　Poems　of　1842。　　These　were　all　reasons　why
FitzGerald　should　think　that　the　two　slim　green　volumes　held　the
poet's　work　at　its　highest　level。　　Perhaps　he　was　not　wrong；　after
all。



CHAPTER　IV。1842…848THE　PRINCESS。



The　Poems；　and　such　criticisms　as　those　of　Spedding　and　Sterling；
gave　Tennyson　his　place。　　All　the　world　of　letters　heard　of　him。
Dean　Bradley　tells　us　how　he　took　Oxford　by　storm　in　the　days　of　the
undergraduateship　of　Clough　and　Matthew　Arnold。　　Probably　both　of
these　young　writers　did　not　share　the　undergraduate　enthusiasm。　　Mr
Arnold；　we　know；　did　not　reckon　Tennyson　un　esprit　puissant。　　Like
Wordsworth　（who　thought　Tennyson　〃decidedly　the　first　of　our　living
poets；　。　。　。　he　has　expressed　in　the　strongest　terms　his　gratitude　to
my　writings〃）；　Arnold　was　no　fervent　admirer　of　his　contemporaries。
Besides；　if　Tennyson's　work　is　〃a　criticism　of　Life；〃　the　moral
criticism；　so　far；　was　hidden　in　flowers；　like　the　sword　of
Aristogiton　at　the　feast。　　But；　on　the　whole；　Tennyson　had　won　the
young　men　who　cared　for　poetry；　though　Sir　Robert　Peel　had　never
heard　of　him：　　and　to　win　the　young；　as　Theocritus　desired　to　do；　is
more　than　half　the　battle。　　On　September　8；　1842；　the　poet　was　able
to　tell　Mr　Lushington　that　〃500　of　my　books　are　sold；　according　to
Moxon's　brother；　I　have　made　a　sensation。〃　　The　sales　were　not　like
those　of　Childe　Harold　or　Marmion；　but　for　some　twenty　years　new
poetry　had　not　sold　at　all。　　Novels　had　come　in　about　1814；　and　few
wanted　or　bought　recent　verse。　　But　Carlyle　was　converted。　　He　spoke
no　more　of　a　spoiled　guardsman。　　〃If　you　knew　what　my　relation　has
been　to　the　thing　called　'English　Poetry'　for　many　years　back；　you
would　think　such　a　fact〃　（his　pleasure　in　the　book）　〃surprising。〃
Carlyle　had　been　living　（as　Mrs　Carlyle　too　well　knew）　in　Oliver
Cromwell；　a　hero　who　probably　took　no　delight　in　Lycidas　or　Comus；　in
Lovelace　or　Carew。　　〃I　would　give　all　my　poetry　to　have　made　one　song
like　that；〃　said　Tennyson　of　Lovelace's　Althea。　　But　Noll　would　have
disregarded　them　all　alike；　and　Carlyle　was　full　of　the　spirit　of　the
Protector。　　To　conquer　him　was　indeed　a　victory　for　Tennyson；　while
Dickens；　not　a　reading　man；　expressed　his　〃earnest　and　sincere
homage。〃

But　Tennyson　was　not　successful　in　the　modern　way。　　Nobody
〃interviewed〃　him。　　His　photograph；　of　course；　with　disquisitions　on
his　pipes　and　slippers；　did　not　adorn　the　literary　press。　　His
literary　income　was　not　magnified　by　penny…a…liners。　　He　did　not
become　a　lion；　he　never　would　roar　and　shake　his　mane　in　drawing…
rooms。　　Lockhart　held　that　Society　was　the　most　agreeable　form　of　the
stage：　　the　dresses　and　actresses　incomparably　the　prettiest。　　But
Tennyson　liked　Society　no　better　than　did　General　Gordon。　　He　had
friends　enough；　and　no　desire　for　new　acquaintances。　　Indeed；　his
fortune　was　shattered　at　this　time　by　a　strange　investment　in　wood…
carving　by　machinery。　　Ruskin　had　only　just　begun　to　write；　and　wood…
carving　by　machinery　was　still　deemed　an　enterprise　at　once
philanthropic　and　aesthetic。　　〃My　father's　worldly　goods　were　all
gone；〃　says　Lord　Tennyson。　　The　poet's　health　suffered　extremely：　　he
tried　a　fashionable　〃cure〃　at　Cheltenham；　where　he　saw　miracles　of
healing；　but　underwent　none。　　In　September　1845　Peel　was　moved　by
Lord　Houghton　to　recommend　the　poet　for　a　pension　（200　pounds
annually）。　　〃I　have　done　nothing　slavish　to　get　it：　　I　never　even
solicited　for　it　either　by　myself　or　others。〃　　Like　Dr　Johnson；　he
honourably　accepted　what　was　offered　in　honour。　　For　some　reason　many
persons　who　write　in　the　press　are　always　maddened　when　such　good
fortune；　however　small；　however　well　merited；　falls　to　a　brother　in
letters。　　They；　of　course；　were　〃causelessly　bitter。〃　　〃Let　them
rave！〃

If　few　of　the　rewards　of　literary　success　arrived；　the　penalties　at
once　began；　and　only　ceased　with　the　poet's　existence。　　〃If　you　only
knew　what　a　nuisance　these　volumes　of　verse　are！　　Rascals　send　me
theirs　per　post　from　America；　and　I　have　more　than　once　been　knocked
up　out　of　bed　to　pay　three　or　four　shillings　for　books　of　which　I
can't　get　through　one　page；　for　of　all　books　the　most　insipid　reading
is　second…rate　verse。〃

Would　that　versifiers　took　the　warning！　　Tennyson　had　not　sent　his
little　firstlings　to　Coleridge　and　Wordsworth：　　they　are　only　the
hopeless　rhymers　who　bombard　men　of　letters　with　their　lyrics　and
tragedies。

Mr　Browning　was　a　sufferer。　　To　one　young　twitterer　he　replied　in　the
usual　way。　　The　bard　wrote　acknowledging　the　letter；　but　asking　for　a
definite　criticism。　　〃I　do　not　think　myself　a　Shakespeare　or　a
Milton；　but　I　KNOW　I　am　better　than　Mr　Coventry　Patmore　or　Mr　Austin
Dobson。〃　　Mr　Browning　tried　to　procrastinate：　　he　was　already　deeply
engaged　with　earlier　arrivals　of　volumes　of　song。　　The　poet　was　hurt；
not　angry；　he　had　expected　other　things　from　Mr　Browning：　　HE　ought
to　know　his　duty　to　youth。　　At　the　intercession　of　a　relation　Mr
Browning　now　did　his　best；　and　the　minstrel；　satisfied　at　last；
repeated　his　conviction　of　his　superiority　to　the　authors　of　The
Angel　in　the　House　and　Beau　Brocade。　　Probably　no　man；　not　even　Mr
Gladstone；　ever　suffered　so　much　from　minstrels　as　Tennyson。　　He　did
not　suffer　them　gladly。

In　1846　the　Poems　reached　their　fourth　edition。　　Sir　Edward　Bulwer
Lytton　（bitten　by　what　fly　who　knows？）　attacked　Tennyson　in　The　New
Timon；　a　forgotten　satire。　　We　do　not　understand　the　ways　of　that
generation。　　The　cheap　and　spiteful　genre　of　satire；　its　forged
morality；　its　sham　indignation；　its　appeal　to　the　ape…like　passions；
has　gone　out。　　Lytton　had　suffered　many　things　（not　in　verse）　from
Jeames　Yellowplush：　　I　do　not　know　that　he　hit　back　at　Thackeray；　but
he　〃passed　it　on〃　to　Thackeray's　old　college　companion。　　Tennyson；
for　once；　replied　（in　Punch：　　the　verses　were　sent　thither　by　John
Forster）；　the　answer　was　one　of　magnificent　contempt。　　But　he　soon
decided　that


〃The　noblest　answer　unto　such
Is　perfect　stillness　when　they　brawl。〃


Long　afterwards　the　poet　dedicated　a　work　to　the　son　of　Lord　Lytton。
He　replied　to　no　more　satirists。　｛5｝　　Our　difficulty；　of　course；　is
to　conceive　such　an　attack　coming　from　a　man　of　Lytton's　position　and
genius。　　He　was　no　hungry　hack；　and　could；　and　did；　do　infinitely
better　things　than　〃stand　in　a　false　following〃　of　Pope。　　Probably
Lytton　had　a　false　idea　that　Tennyson　was　a　rich　man；　a　branch　of　his
family　being　affluent；　and　so　resented　the　little　pension。　　The　poet
was　so　far　from　rich　in　1846；　and　even　after　the　publication　of　The
Princess；　that　his　marriage　had　still　to　be　deferred　for　four　years。

On　reading　The　Princess　afresh　one　is　impressed；　despite　old
familiarity；　with　the　extraordinary　influence　of　its　beauty。　　Here
are；　indeed；　the　best　words　best　placed；　and　that　curious　felicity　of
style　which　makes　every　line　a　marvel；　and　an　eternal　possession。　　It
is　as　if　Tennyson　had　taken　the　advice　which　Keats　gave　to　Shelley；
〃Load　every　rift　with　ore。〃　　To　choose　but　one　or　two　examples；　how
the　purest　and　freshest　impression　of　nature　is　re…created　in　mind
and　memory　by　the　picture　of　Melissa　with


　　　〃All　her　thoughts　as　fair　within　her　eyes；
As　bottom　agates　seen　to　wave　and　float
In　crystal　currents　of　clear　morning　seas。〃


The　lyric；　〃Tears；　idle　tears；〃　is　far　beyond　praise：　　once　read　it
seems　like　a　thing　that　has　always　existed　in　the　world　of　poetic
archetypes；　and　has　now　been　not　so　much　composed　as　discovered　and
revealed。　　The　many　pictures　and　similitudes　in　The　Princess　have　a
magical　gorgeousness：…


　　　　　　〃From　the　illumined　hall
Long　lanes　of　splendour　slanted　o'er　a　press
Of　snowy　shoulders；　thick　as　herded　ewes；
And　rainbow　robes；　and　gems　and　gem…like　eyes；
And　gold　and　golden　heads；　they　to　and　fro
Fluctuated；　as　flowers　in　storm；　some　red；　some　pale。〃