Studentsofarecentcontroversywillobservethat,followingFreeman,heretainsthefamouspalisade,sogrievouslybatteredbytheaxe-strokesofMrHoraceRound。Haroldisapiecemorecompressed,andmuchmoreinaccordancewiththetraditionsofthedrama,thanQueenMary。Thetopicistragicindeed:thesorrowbeingthatofagreatman,agreatking,thebulwarkofapeoplethatfellwithhisfall。Moreover,asthetopicistreated,theplayisrichintheironyusuallyassociatedwiththenameofSophocles。
Victorycomesbeforeafall。Harold,likeAntigone,istornbetweentwoduties——hisoathandtheclaimsofhiscountry。HisruincomesfromwhatAristotlewouldcallhis[Greektextwhichcannotbereproduced],hisfaultinswearingtheoathtoWilliam。Theherohimself;reckinglittle,afterasuperstitiousmoment,oftheconcealedrelicsoverwhichheswore,deemshisoffencetolieinswearingavowwhichhenevermeanttokeep。Thepersuasionswhichurgehimtothiscourseareadmirablypresented:England,Edith,hisbrother\'sfreedom,wereatstake。Casuistry,orevenlaw,wouldhaveabsolvedhimeasily;anoathtakenunderduresseisofnoavail。ButHarold\'s\"honourrootedindishonourstood,\"andhecannotsoreadilyabsolvehimself。BruceandthebishopswhostoodbyBrucehadnosuchscruples:theyperjuredthemselvesoften,onthemostsacredrelics,especiallythebishops。ButHaroldrisesabovethemediaevalandmagicalconceptionoftheoath,andgoestohisdoomconsciousofastainonhishonour,ofwhichonlyadeeperstain,thatoffalsenesstohiscountry,couldmakehimclean。Thisisatrulytragicstrokeofdestiny。Thehero\'scharacterisadmirablynoble,patient,andsimple。TheConfessoralsoisastrueinartastohistory,andhisvisionofthefallandriseofEnglandisanoblepassage。InAldwythwehavesomethingofVivien,withagrainofconscience,andthepartofEdithSwan\'s-neckhasarestrainedandclassicpathosincontrastwiththemelancholyofWulfnoth。Thepiece,asthepoetsaid,isa\"tragedyofdoom,\"ofdeepeninganddarkeningomens,asintheOdysseyandNjal\'sSaga。Thebattlescene,withthechorusesofthemonks,makesanobleclose。
FitzGeraldremainedloyal,butitwasto\"afairyPrincewhocamefromotherskiesthantheserainyones,\"and\"thewretchedcritics,\"
asG。H。Lewescalledthem,seemtohavebeenunfriendly。Infactbesidestheinnatewretchednessofallcritics,theygrudgedthetimeandlabourgiventothedrama,inanundramaticage。HaroldhadnotwhatFitzGeraldcalled\"theoldchampagneflavour\"ofthevintageof1842。
Becketwasbegunin1876,printedin1879,andpublishedin1884。
Beforethatdate,in1880,Tennysonproducedoneofthevolumesofpoetrywhichwasmorewelcomethanaplaytomostofhisadmirers。
TheinterveningyearspassedintheIsleofWight,atAldworth,intown,andinsummertours,wereofnomarkedbiographicalinterest。
Thepoetwascloseonthreescoreandten——hereachedthatlimitin1879。Thedaysdarkenedaroundhim,asdarkentheymust:inthespringof1879helosthisfavouritebrother,himselfapoetoforiginalgenius,CharlesTennysonTurner。InMayofthesameyearhepublishedTheLover\'sTale,whichhasbeentreatedhereamonghisearliestworks。Hishours,andtosomeextenthismeals,wereregulatedbySirAndrewClark。Heplantedtrees,walked,read,loiteredinhisgarden,andkeptuphisoldfriendships,whilehemadethatofthegreatGordon。ComplimentspassedbetweenhimandVictorHugo,whohadentertainedLionelTennysoninParis,andwrote:
\"Jelisavecemotionvosverssuperbes;c\'estunrefletdegloirequevousm\'envoyez。\"MrMatthewArnold\'scomplimentwasverylikeMrArnold\'shumour:\"Yourfatherhasbeenourmostpopularpoetforoverfortyyears,andIamofopinionthathefullydeserveshisreputation\":suchwas\"Mat\'ssublimewaggery。\"Tennysonheapedcoalsoffireontheotherpoet,biddinghim,ashelikedtobebidden,towritemorepoetry,not\"prosethings。\"TennysonlivedmuchinthesocietyofBrowningandGeorgeEliot,andmadetheacquaintanceofRenan。InDecember1879MrandMrsKendalproducedTheFalcon,whichranforsixty-sevennights;itis\"anexquisitelittlepoeminaction,\"asFannyKemblesaid。DuringaContinentaltourTennysonvisitedCatullus\'sSirmio:\"herehemadehisFraterAveatqueVale,\"andthepoetcomposedhisbeautifulsalutationtothe\"TenderestofRomanpoetsnineteenhundredyearsago。\"
In1880BalladsandotherPoemsprovedthat,likeTitian,thegreatpoetwasnottobedefeatedbytheyears。TheFirstQuarrelwasinhismostpopularEnglishstyle。RizpahdeservedandreceivedthesplendidpanegyricofMrSwinburne。TheRevengeisprobablythefinestofthepatrioticpieces,andkeepsgreenthememoryofanexploitthemostmarvellousintheannalsofEnglishseamen。TheVillageWifeisapendantworthyofTheNorthernFarmer。ThepoemIntheChildren\'sHospitalcausedsomeirritationatthemoment,buttherewasonlyoneopinionastotheDefenceofLucknowandthebeautifulre-tellingoftheCelticVoyageofMaeldune。ThefragmentofHomerictranslationwasequallyfortunateinchoiceofsubjectandinrendering。
Intheendof1880thepoetfinishedTheCup,whichhadbeenworkedonoccasionallysincehecompletedTheFalconin1880。ThepiecewasreadbytheauthortoSirHenryIrvingandhiscompany,anditwasfoundthatthemanuscriptcopyneededfewalterationstofititforthestage。Thesceneryandtheactingoftheprotagonistsarenoteasilytobeforgotten。Theplayranforahundredandthirtynights。SirHenryIrvinghadthoughtthatBecketthenunpublished
wouldprovetooexpensive,andcouldonlybeasuccesd\'estime。
Tennysonhadfoundoutthat\"theworstofwritingforthestageis,youmustkeepsomeactoralwaysinyourmind。\"TothisnecessityauthorslikeMoliereandShakespearewere,ofcourse,resignedandfamiliar;theyknewexactlyhowtodealwithalltheirmeans。Butthispartofthebusinessofplay-writingmustalwaysbeacrosstothepoetwhoisnotatonewiththeworldofthestage。
InTheCupMissEllenTerrymadethestrongestimpression,herpartbeingnobleandsympathetic,whileSirHenryIrvinghadtheungratefulpartofthevillain。Tobesure,hewasavillainofmuchcomplexity;andTennysonthoughtthathissubtleblendofRomanrefinementandintellectuality,andbarbarian,self-satisfiedsensuality,wasnot\"hitoff。\"Synorixis,infact,half-Greek,half-Celt,withaRomaneducation,andthe\"blend\"israthertooremoteforsuccessfulrepresentation。Thetraditionalvillain,fromIagodownwards,isnotapttouttersuchpoetryasthis:-
\"OThou,thatdostinspirethegermwithlife,Thechild,athreadwithinthehouseofbirth,Andgivehimlimbs,thenair,andsendhimforthThegloryofhisfather——ThouwhosebreathIsbalmywindtorobeourbillswithgrass,Andkindleallourvaleswithmyrtle-blossom,Androllthegoldenoceansofourgrain,Andswaythelonggrape-bunchesofourvines,AndfillallheartswithfatnessandthelustOfplenty——makemehappyinmymarriage!\"
Theyear1881broughtthedeathofanotheroftheoldCambridgefriends,JamesSpedding,thebiographerofBacon;andCarlylealsodied,atruefriend,ifratherintermittentinhisappreciationofpoetry。TherealCarlyledidappreciateit,buttheCarlyleofattitudewastoomuchoftheironCovenantertoexpresswhathefelt。
ThepoemDespairirritatedtheearnestandseriousreadersof\"know-
nothingbooks。\"Thepoemexpressed,dramatically,amoodlikeanother,ahumanmoodnotsoveryuncommon。Amanruinedinthisworld\'shappinesscursesthefaithofhisyouth,andtheunfaithofhisreadingandreflection,andtriestodrownhimself。Thisisoneconclusionofthepracticalsyllogism,anditisafreecountry。
However,therewerefreethinkerswhodidnotthinkthatTennyson\'skindofthinkingoughttobefree。Otherearnestpersonsobjectedto\"Firstdrinkahealth,\"inthere-fashionedsongofHandsallRound。
TheymighthaverememberedaroyalhealthdrunkinwateranhourbeforethedrinkerssweptMackaydownthePassofKilliecrankie。Thepoetdidnotspecifythefluidinwhichthetoastwastobecarried,andthecupmightbethatwhich\"cheersbutnotinebriates。\"\"Thecommoncup,\"astheremonstrantshadtobeinformed,\"hasinallagesbeenthesacredsymbolofunity。\"
ThePromiseofMaywasproducedinNovember1882,andthepoetwasoncemoresounfortunateastovexthesusceptibilitiesofadvancedthinkers。Theplayisnotamasterpiece,andyetneitherthegallerygodsnortheMarquisofQueensberryneedhavefelttheirwitherswrung。Thehero,orvillain,Edgar,isaperfectlyimpossibleperson,andrepresentsnokindofpolitical,social,oreconomicalthinker。Amanwouldgiveallotherblissandallhisworldlywealthforthis,towastehiswholestrengthinonekickuponthisperfectprig。Heemploystheargumentsofevolutionandsoforthtojustifytheseductionofalittlegirloffifteen,andlater,bywayofmakingamends,proposestocommitincestbymarryinghersister。
Therehavebeenevolutionists,tobesure,whobelievedinpromiscuity,likeMrEdgar,aspreferabletomonogamy。Butthisonlyprovesthatanevolutionistmayfailtounderstandevolution。TherebealsosuchfolkasStevensoncalls\"squirradicals\"——squireswhosaythat\"thelandisthepeople\'s。\"Probablynoadvocateofpromiscuity,andnosquirradical,waspresentattheperformancesofThePromiseofMay。Butpeopleofadvancedmindshadgotitintotheirheadsthattheirdoctrinesweretobeattacked,sotheywentandmadeahubbubinthesacredcauseoffreedomofthoughtandspeech。Thetruthis,thatcontroversialtopics,politicaltopics,oughtnottobebroughtintoplays,muchlessintosermons。TennysonmeantEdgarfor\"nothingthorough,nothingsincere。\"Heisthatvenomousthing,theprig-scoundrel:hedoesnotsuitthestage,andhisplace,ifanywhere,isinthenovel。Advocatesofmarriagewithadeceasedwife\'ssistermighthaveapplaudedEdgarforwishingtomarrythesisterofamistressassumedtobedeceased,butnootherpartyintheStatewantedanythingexceptthepunchingofEdgar\'sheadbyFarmerDobson。
In1883diedEdwardFitzGerald,themostkind,loyal,and,ashesaid,crotchetyofoldanddearCambridgefriends。HedidnotlivetoseethedelightfulpoemwhichTennysonhadwrittenforhim。Inalmosthislatestletterhehadremarked,superfluously,thatwhenhecalledthetaskoftranslatingTheAgamemnon\"workforapoet,\"he\"wasnotthinkingofMrBrowning。\"
Intheautumnof1883Tennysonwastaken,withMrGladstone,bySirDonaldCurrie,foracruiseroundthewestcoastofScotland,totheOrkneys,andtoCopenhagen。ThepeopleofKirkwallconferredonthepoetandthestatesmanthefreedomoftheburgh,andMrGladstone,inaninterestingspeech,comparedtherelativechancesofposthumousfameofthepoetandthepolitician。PericlesisnotlessrememberedthanSophocles,thoughShakespeareismoreinmen\'smindsthanCecil。
Muchdepends,asfarasthestatesmenareconsidered,oncontemporaryhistorians。ItisThucydideswhoimmortalisesPericles。ButitisimprobablethatthethingswhichMrGladstonedid,andattempted,willbeforgottenmorerapidlythantheconductandcharactersof,say,BurleighorLethington。
In1884,afterthisvoyage,withitsroyalfunctionsandcelebrationsatCopenhagen,apeeragewasofferedtothepoet。He\"didnotwanttoalterhisplainMr,\"andhemusthaveknownthat,whetherheacceptedorrefused,thechorusofblamewouldbelouderthanthatofapplause。Scotthaddesired\"suchgrinninghonourasSirWalterhath\";thetitlewentwellwiththeoldname,andpleasedhisloveofoldtimes。Tennysonhadbeenblamed\"byliterarymen\"forthriceevadingabaronetcy,andhedidnotthinkthatapeeragewouldmakesmooththelivesofhisdescendants。Butheconcluded,\"WhyshouldI
beselfishandnotsufferanhonourasGladstonesaystobedonetoliteratureinmyname?\"Politically,hethoughtthattheUpperHouse,whileitlasts,partlysuppliedtheplaceoftheAmerican\"referendum。\"HevotedinJuly1884fortheextensionofthefranchise,andinNovemberstatedhisviewstoMrGladstoneinverse。
InprosehewrotetoMrGladstone,\"Ihaveastrongconvictionthatthemoresimplethedealingsofmenwithmen,aswellasofmanwithman,are——thebetter,\"asentimentwhich,perhaps,didnotalwaysprevailwithhisfriend。Thepoet\'sreflectionsonthehorrorofGordon\'sdeatharenotrecorded。HeintroducedtheideaoftheGordonHomeforBoys,andlatersupporteditbyaletter,\"HaveweforgottenGordon?\"totheDailyTelegraph。TheywhocannotforgetGordonmustalwaysbegratefultoTennysonforprovidingthisopportunityofhonouringthegreatestofanillustriousclan,andofhelping,intheirdegree,aschemewhichwasdeartotheheroicleader。
Thepoet,verynaturally,wasmostaversetopersonalappearanceinpublicmatters。Mankindissofashionedthattheadviceofapoetisalwaysregardedasunpractical,andisevenapttoinjurethecausewhichheadvocates。HappilytherecannotbetwoopinionsabouttherightwayofhonouringGordon。Tennyson\'spoem,TheFleet,wasalsoinharmonywiththegeneralsentiment。
Inthelastmonthof1884Becketwaspublished。ThethemeofFairRosamundhadappealedtothepoetinyouth,andhehadwrittenpartofalyricwhichhejudiciouslyleftunpublished。ItisgiveninhisBiography。In1877hehadvisitedCanterbury,andhadtracedthestepsofBeckettohisplaceofslaughterintheCathedral。Thepoemwasprintedin1879,butnotpublishedtillsevenyearslater。In1879SirHenryIrvinghadthoughttheplaytoocostlytobeproducedwithmorethanasuccesd\'estime;butin1891heputitonthestage,whereitprovedthemostsuccessfulofmodernpoeticdramas。Aspublisheditis,obviously,fartoolongforpublicperformance。Itisnoteasytounderstandwhydramaticpoetsalwaysmaketheirworkssomuchtoolong。Thedramaseems,byitsverynature,tohavealimitalmostasdistinctasthelimitofthesonnet。Itiseasytocalculatehowlongaplayforthestageoughttobe,andwemightthinkthatapoetwouldfindthenaturallimitserviceabletohisart,foritinculcatesselection,conciseness,andconcentration。
Butdespitetheseadvantagesofthenaturalformofthedrama,modernpoets,atleast,constantlyoverflowtheirbanks。Theauthorruitprofusus,andthemanagerhastoreducethepiecetofeasibleproportions,suchasitoughttohaveassumedfromthefirst。
BeckethasbeenhighlypraisedbySirHenryIrvinghimself,forits\"momentsofpassionandpathos,……which,whentheyexist,atonetoanaudiencefortheenduranceoflongacts。\"Butwhyshouldtheaudiencehavesuchlongactstoendure?Thereader,onefears,isapttousehisprivilegeofskipping。ThelongspeechesofWalterMapandtheimmenseperiodofMargerytemptthestudenttoexercisehisagility。A\"chronicleplay\"hastheprivilegeofwandering,butBecketwanderstoofarandtoolong。ThepoliticaldetailsofthequarrelbetweenChurchandState,withitsdomesticandinternationalcomplexities,areapttofatiguetheattention。Inevitableandinsolubleasthesituationwas,neitherprotagonistisentirelysympathetic,whetherintheplayorinhistory。ThestruggleinBecketbetweenhisloveofthekingandhisdutytotheChurchorwhathetakestobehisdutyisnoblypresented,andistrulydramatic,whilethereisgrotesqueandterriblereliefinthebanquetoftheBeggars。Inthesceneoftheassassinationthepoet\"neverstoopshiswing,\"andtherearepassagesoftenderpathosbetweenHenryandRosamund,whileBecket\'skeenmemoriesofhisearlydays,justbeforehisdeath,aremoving。
\"Becket。IoncewasoutwithHenryinthedaysWhenHenrylovedme,andwecameuponAwild-fowlsittingonhernest,sostillIreach\'dmyhandandtouch\'d;shedidnotstir;
Thesnowhadfrozenroundher,andshesatStone-deaduponaheapofice-coldeggs。
Look!howthislove,thismother,runsthro\'allTheworldGodmade——eventhebeast——thebird!
JohnofSalisbury。Ay,stillaloverofthebeastandbird?
Butthesearm\'dmen——willyounothideyourself?
PerchancethefierceDeBrocsfromSaltwoodCastle,ToassailourHolyMotherlestshebroodToolongo\'erthishardegg,theworld,andsendHerwholeheart\'sheatintoit,tillitbreakIntoyoungangels。Prayyou,hideyourself。
Becket。Therewasalittlefair-hair\'dNormanmaidLivedinmymother\'shouse:ifRosamundisTheworld\'srose,ashernameimportsher——sheWastheworld\'slily。
JohnofSalisbury。Ay,andwhatofher?
Becket。Shediedofleprosy。\"
ButthepartofRosamund,herinnocentignoranceespecially,isnotveryreadilyintelligible,notquitepersuasive,andthereisalmostatouchoftheburlesqueinherunexpectedappearanceasamonk。Toweavethatoldandfamousstoryofloveintotheterriblycomplexpoliticalintriguewasataskalmosttoogreat。ThecharacterofEleanorisperhapsmoresuccessfullydrawnintheProloguethaninthescenewheresheoffersthechoiceofthedaggerorthebowl,andisinterrupted,inastartlinglyunexpectedmanner,bytheArchbishophimself。Theopportunitiesforsceniceffectsaremagnificentthroughout,andmusthavecontributedgreatlytothesuccessonthestage。StillonecannotbutregardthepublishedBecketasratherthemarblefromwhichthestatuemaybehewnthanasthestatueitself。Therearefinescenes,powerfulandmasterlydrawingofcharacterinHenry,Eleanor,andBecket,butthereisawantofconcentration,due,perhaps,tothelongperiodoftimecoveredbytheaction。So,atleast,itseemstoareaderwhohasadmittedhissenseofincompetencyinthedramaticregion。Theacutenessofthepoet\'spowerofhistoricalintuitionwasattestedbyMrJ。R。GreenandMrBryce。\"Onecannotimagine,\"saidMrBryce,\"amorevivid,amoreperfectlyfaithfulpicturethanitgivesbothofHenryandThomas。\"Tennyson\'sportraitsofthesetwo\"gobeyondandperfecthistory。\"Thepoet\'ssympathyought,perhaps,tohavebeen,ifnotwiththefalseandruffianlyHenry,atleastwithHenry\'ssideofthequestion。ForTennysonhadmadeHaroldleave\"ToEnglandMylegacyofwaragainstthePopeFromchildtochild,fromPopetoPope,fromagetoage,Tilltheseawashherlevelwithhershores,OrtillthePopebeChrist\'s。\"
CHAPTERIX——LASTYEARS。
Theendof1884sawthepublicationofTiresiasandotherPoems,dedicatedto\"Mygoodfriend,RobertBrowning,\"andopeningwiththebeautifulversestoonewhoneverwasMrBrowning\'sfriend,EdwardFitzGerald。ThevolumeisrichinthebestexamplesofTennyson\'slaterwork。Tiresias,themonologueoftheagedseer,blindedbyexcessoflightwhenhebeheldAtheneunveiled,andunderthecurseofCassandra,isworthyoftheauthorwho,inyouth,wroteOEnoneandUlysses。PossiblytheversesreflectTennyson\'sownsenseofpublicindifferencetothevoiceofthepoetandtheseer。Buttheyareofmuchearlierdatethantheyearofpublication:-
\"ForwhenthecrowdwouldroarForblood,forwar,whoseissuewastheirdoom,TocastwisewordsamongthemultitudeWasflingingfruittolions;nor,inhoursOfciviloutbreak,whenIknewthetwainWouldeachwasteeach,andbringonboththeyokeOfstrongerstates,wasminethevoicetocurbThemadnessofourcitiesandtheirkings。
Whoeverturn\'duponhisheeltohearMywarningthatthetyrannyofoneWaspreludetothetyrannyofall?
MycounselthatthetyrannyofallLedbackwardtothetyrannyofone?
Thispowerhathwork\'dnogoodtoaughtthatlives。\"
Theconclusionwasafavouritewiththeauthor,andhisblankverseneverreachedahigherstrain:-
\"Butforme,IwouldthatIweregather\'dtomyrest,Andmingledwiththefamouskingsofold,Onwhomabouttheirocean-isletsflashThefacesoftheGods——thewiseman\'sword,Heretrampledbythepopulaceunderfoot,Therecrown\'dwithworship——andtheseeyeswillfindThemenIknew,andwatchthechariotwhirlAboutthegoalagain,andhuntersraceTheshadowylion,andthewarrior-kings,Inheightandprowessmorethanhuman,striveAgainforglory,whilethegoldenlyreIseversoundinginheroicearsHeroichymns,andeverywaythevalesWind,cloudedwiththegratefulincense-fumeOfthosewhomixallodourtotheGodsOnonefarheightinonefar-shiningfire。\"
ThenfollowsthepatheticpieceonFitzGerald\'sdeath,andtheprayer,notunfulfilled-
\"That,whenIfromhenceShallfadewithhimintotheunknown,Mycloseofearth\'sexperienceMayproveaspeacefulashisown。\"
TheAncientSage,withitslyricinterludes,isoneofTennyson\'smeditationsonthemysteryoftheworldandofexistence。Likethepoethimself,theSagefindsagleamoflightandhopeinhisownsubjectiveexperiencesofsomeunspeakablecondition,alreadyrecordedinInMemoriam。Thetopicwasoneonwhichheseemstohavespokentohisfriendswithfreedom:-
\"Andmore,myson!formorethanoncewhenI
Satallalone,revolvinginmyselfThewordthatisthesymbolofmyself,ThemortallimitoftheSelfwasloosed,AndpastintotheNameless,asacloudMeltsintoHeaven。Itouch\'dmylimbs,thelimbsWerestrangenotmine——andyetnoshadeofdoubt,Bututterclearness,andthro\'lossofSelfThegainofsuchlargelifeasmatch\'dwithoursWereSuntospark——unshadowableinwords,Themselvesbutshadowsofashadow-world。\"
Thepoet\'shabitof\"RevolvinginmyselfThewordthatisthesymbolofmyself\"-
thatis,ofdwellingonthesoundofhisownname,wasfamiliartotheArabs。M。LefeburehasdrawnmyattentiontoapassageintheworksofamediaevalArabphilosopher,IbnKhaldoun:{17}\"Toarriveatthehighestdegreeofinspirationofwhichheiscapable,thedivinershouldhaverecoursetotheuseofcertainphrasesmarkedbyapeculiarcadenceandparallelism。Thusheemancipateshismindfromtheinfluenceofthesenses,andisenabledtoattainanimperfectcontactwiththespiritualworld。\"IbnKhaldounregardsthe\"contact\"asextremely\"imperfect。\"Hedescribessimilareffortsmadebyconcentratingthegazeonamirror,abowlofwater,orthelike。Tennysonwasdoubtlessunawarethathehadstumbledaccidentallyonamethodof\"ancientsages。\"Psychologistswillexplainhisexperiencebytheword\"dissociation。\"Itisnoteverybody,however,whocanthusdissociatehimself。Thetemperamentofgeniushasoftenbeensubjecttosuchinfluence,asM。LefeburehasshowninthemoderninstancesofGeorgeSandandAlfreddeMusset:wemightaddShelley,Goethe,andevenScott。
Thepoet\'sversatilitywasdisplayedintheappearancewiththeserecordsof\"weirdseizures\",oftheIrishdialectpieceTo-morrow,thepopularSpinster\'sSweet-Arts,andtheLocksleyHallSixtyYearsAfter。Theoldfireoftheversificationisunabated,buttheherohasrelapsedonthegloomoftheheroofMaud。Herepresentshimself,ofcourse,notTennyson,oronlyoneofthemoodsofTennyson,whichweresometimesblackenough。AverydifferentmoodchantstheChargeoftheHeavyBrigade,andspeaksof\"GreenSussexfadingintoblueWithonegrayglimpseofsea。\"
ThelinesToVirgilwerewrittenattherequestoftheMantuans,bythemostVirgilianofallthesuccessorsofthe\"Wielderofthestateliestmeasureevermouldedbythelipsofman。\"
NeverwasTennysonmoreVirgilianthaninthisunmatchedpanegyric,thesumandflowerofcriticismofthat\"Goldenbranchamidtheshadows,kingsandrealmsthatpasstorisenomore。\"
HardlylessadmirableisthetributetoCatullus,andtheoldpoetisyoungagaininthebird-songofEarlySpring。ThelinesonPoetsandtheirBibliographies,withTheDeadProphet,expressTennyson\'slifelongabhorrenceofthecriticsandbiographers,whosejoyisinthefutileandtheunimportant,inpersonalgossipandthesweepingsofthestudio,thesalvageofthewastepaperbasket。ThePrefatoryPoemtomyBrother\'sSonnetsisnotonlytouchinginitself,butprovesthatthepoetcan\"turntofavourandtoprettiness\"suchanafflictionastheruinoussummerof1879。
Theyear1880broughtdeeperdistressinthedeathofthepoet\'ssonLionel,whoseillness,beguninIndia,endedfatallyintheRedSea。
Theinterestofthefollowingyearswasmainlydomestic。Thepoet\'shealth,hithertorobust,wassomewhatimpairedin1888,buthisvividinterestinaffairsandinletterswasunabated。HeconsoledhimselfwithVirgil,Keats,Wordsworth,Gibbon,Euripides,andMrLeaf\'sspeculationsonthecompositenatureoftheIliad,inwhichColeridge,perhapsaloneamongpoets,believed。\"Youknow,\"saidTennysontoMrLeaf;\"Ineverlikedthattheoryofyoursaboutthemanypoets。\"ItwouldbeatleastaseasytoprovethatthereweremanyauthorsofIvanhoe,orperhapsitwouldbeagooddealmoreeasy。However,headmittedthatthreelineswhichoccurbothintheEighthandtheSixteenthBooksoftheIliadaremoreappropriateinthelaterbook。Similarexamplesmightbefoundinhisownpoems。
Hestillwrote,intheintervalsofamaladywhichbroughthim\"asneardeathasamancouldbewithoutdying。\"Hewasanexampleofthegreatphysicalstrengthwhich,onthewhole,seemsusuallytoaccompanygreatmentalpower。Thestrengthmaybedissipatedbypassion,orbyunduelabour,asincaseseasilyrecalledtomemory,butneithercausehadimpairedthevigourofTennyson。LikeGoethe,helivedoutallhislife;andhiseightiethbirthdaywascheeredbothbypublicandprivateexpressionsofreverenceandaffection。
OfTennyson\'slastthreeyearsonearthwemaythink,inhisownwords,thathis\"Life\'slatesteveenduredNorsettledintohuelessgrey。\"
Naturewasasdeartohimandasinspiringasofold;menandaffairsandletterswerenotslurredbyhisintactandenergeticmind。HisDemeterandotherPoems,withthededicationtoLordDufferin,appearedintheDecemberoftheyear。ThededicationwasthelamentforthedeadsonandthesalutationtotheViceroyofIndia,apieceofresignedandmanlyregret。TheDemeterandPersephoneisamodernandtenderstudyofthethemeofthemostbeautifulHomericHymn。
TheancientpoethadnosuchthoughtoftherestoredPersephoneasthatwhichimpelsTennysontodescribeher\"Faintasaclimate-changingbirdthatfliesAllnightacrossthedarkness,andatdawnFallsonthethresholdofhernativeland。\"
Thespring,therestoredPersephone,comesmorevigorousandjoyoustotheshoresoftheAEgeanthantoours。AllTennyson\'sownisDemeter\'saweofthose\"imperialdisimpassionedeyes\"ofherdaughter,comefromthebedandthethroneofHades,theLordofmanyguests。Thehymn,happyinitsending,hasnothoughtofthegreyheadsoftheFates,andtheiranswertothegoddessconcerning\"fatebeyondtheFates,\"andthebreakingofthebondsofHades。TheballadofOwdRoaisoneofthemostspiritedoftheessaysindialecttowhichTennysonhadoflateyearsinclined。Vastnessmerelyexpresses,intermsofpoetry,Tennyson\'sconvictionthat,withoutimmortality,lifeisaseriesofworthlesscontrasts。Anoppositeopinionmaybeentertained,butamanhasarighttoexpresshisown,which,comingfromsogreatamind,isnotundeservingofattention;or,atleast,ishardlydeservingofreproof。Thepoet\'sideaisalsostatedthusinTheRing,intermswhichperhapsdonotfallbelowthepoetical;or,atleast,donotdropinto\"theutterlyunpoetical\":-
\"TheGhostinMan,theGhostthatoncewasMan,ButcannotwhollyfreeitselffromMan,Arecallingtoeachotherthro\'adawnStrangerthanearthhaseverseen;theveilIsrending,andtheVoicesofthedayAreheardacrosstheVoicesofthedark。
Nosuddenheaven,norsuddenhell,forman,Butthro\'theWillofOnewhoknowsandrules-
Andutterknowledgeisbututterlove-
AEonianEvolution,swiftorslow,Thro\'alltheSpheres——aneveropeningheight,Aneverlesseningearth。\"
TheRingis,infact,aghoststorybasedonalegendtoldbyMrLowellaboutahousenearwherehehadoncelived;oneofthosehousesvexedby\"Afootstep,alowthrobbinginthewalls,Anoiseoffallingweightsthatneverfell,Weirdwhispers,bellsthatrangwithoutahand,Door-handlesturn\'dwhennonewasatthedoor,Andbolteddoorsthatopen\'dofthemselves。\"
Thesephenomenaweredoubtlesscausedbyratsandwater-pipes,buttheydonotdestroythepityandthepassionofthetale。ThelinestoMaryBoyleareallofthenormalworld,andworthyofapoet\'syouthandofthespring。MerlinandtheGleamisthespiritualallegoryofthepoet\'sowncareer:-
\"Arthurhadvanish\'dIknewnotwhither,Thekingwholovedme,Andcannotdie。\"
Soatlast\"AllbutinHeavenHoversTheGleam,\"
whitherthewayfarerwassoontofollow。Thereisamarvelloushopeandpathosinthemelancholyoftheseallbutthelatestsongs,reminiscentofyouthandlove,andevenofthedimhauntingmemoriesanddreamsofinfancy。NootherEnglishpoethasthusroundedallhislifewithmusic。Tennysonwasinhiseighty-firstyear,whenthere\"cameinamoment\"thecrownofhiswork,theimmortallyric,CrossingtheBar。ItishardlylessmajesticandmusicalintheperfectGreekrenderingbyhisbrother-in-law,MrLushington。Foronceatleastapoemhasbeen\"pouredfromthegoldentothesilvercup\"withoutthespillingofadrop。Thenewbook\'sappearancewascoincidentwiththedeathofMrBrowning,\"solovingandappreciative,\"asLadyTennysonwrote;afriend,notarival,howeverthepartisansofeitherpoetmightstrivetostiremulationbetweentwomenofsuchloftyandsuchvariousgenius。
CHAPTERX——1890。
Intheyear1889thepoet\'shealthhadpermittedhimtotakelongwalksonthesea-shoreandalongthecliffs,oneofwhich,byreasonofitswhiteness,hehadnamed\"Taliessin,\"\"thesplendidbrow。\"HismindranonapoemfoundedonanEgyptianlegendofwhichthesourceisnotmentioned,tellinghow\"despairanddeathcameuponhimwhowasmadenoughtotrytoprobethesecretoftheuniverse。\"HealsothoughtofadramaonTristram,who,intheIdylls,istreatedwithbrevity,andnotwiththesympathyoftheoldwriterwhocries,\"GodblessTristramtheknight:hefoughtforEngland!\"Butearlyin1890Tennysonsufferedfromasevereattackofinfluenza。InMayMrWattspaintedhisportrait,and\"Divinelythroughallhindrancefoundtheman。\"
TennysonwasagreatadmirerofMissAusten\'snovels:\"Therealismandlife-likenessofMissAusten\'sDramatisPersonaecomenearesttothoseofShakespeare。Shakespeare,however,isasuntowhichJaneAusten,thoughabrightandtruelittleworld,isbutanasteroid。\"
Hewasthereforepleasedtofindapple-blossomsco-existingwithripestrawberriesonJune28,asMissAustenhasbeenblamed,byminutephilosophers,forintroducingthiscombinationinthegardenpartyinEmma。Thepoet,likemostofthegoodandgreat,readnovelseagerly,andexcitedhimselfovertheconfirmationofanadultmaleinastorybyMissYonge。OfScott,\"themostchivalrousliteraryfigureofthecentury,andtheauthorwiththewidestrangesinceShakespeare,\"hepreferredOldMortality,anditisagoodchoice。
Hehated\"morbidandintrospectivetales,withtheiroceansofshamphilosophy。\"Atthistime,withcatholictaste,hereadMrStevensonandMrMeredith,MissBraddonandMrHenryJames,OuidaandMrThomasHardy;MrHallCaineandMrAnstey;MrsOliphantandMissEdnaLyall。