alfred tennyson-第13节

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others　because　it　leads　them　into　what　we　think　the　wrong　path。　　It
is　unfortunate　that　a　work　of　art；　like　In　Memoriam；　should　arouse
theological　or　anti…theological　passions。　　The　poet　only　shows　us　the
paths　by　which　his　mind　travelled：　　they　may　not　be　the　right　paths；
nor　is　it　easy　to　trace　them　on　a　philosophical　chart。　　He　escaped
from　Doubting　Castle。　　Others　may　〃take　that　for　a　hermitage；〃　and　be
happy　enough　in　the　residence。　　We　are　all　determined　by　our　bias：
Tennyson's　is　unconcealed。　　His　poem　is　not　a　tract：　　it　does　not　aim
at　the　conversion　of　people　with　the　contrary　bias；　it　is　irksome；　in
writing　about　a　poet；　to　be　obliged　to　discuss　a　philosophy　which；
certainly；　is　not　stated　in　the　manner　of　Spinoza；　but　is　merely　the
equilibrium　of　contending　forces　in　a　single　mind。

The　most　famous　review　of　In　Memoriam　is　that　which　declared　that
〃these　touching　lines　evidently　come　from　the　full　heart　of　the　widow
of　a　military　man。〃　　This　is　only　equalled；　if　equalled；　by　a　recent
critique　which　treated　a　fresh　edition　of　Jane　Eyre　as　a　new　novel；
〃not　without　power；　in　parts；　and　showing　some　knowledge　of　Yorkshire
local　colour。〃



CHAPTER　VI。AFTER　IN　MEMORIAM。



On　June　13　Tennyson　married；　at　Shiplake；　the　object　of　his　old；
long…tried；　and　constant　affection。　　The　marriage　was　still
〃imprudent；〃eight　years　of　then　uncontested　supremacy　in　English
poetry　had　not　brought　a　golden　harvest。　　Mr　Moxon　appears　to　have
supplied　300　pounds　〃in　advance　of　royalties。〃　　The　sum；　so
contemptible　in　the　eyes　of　first…rate　modern　novelists；　was　a
competence　to　Tennyson；　added　to　his　little　pension　and　the　epaves　of
his　patrimony。　　〃The　peace　of　God　came　into　my　life　when　I　married
her；〃　he　said　in　later　days。　　The　poet　made　a　charming　copy　of　verses
to　his　friend；　the　Rev。　Mr　Rawnsley；　who　tied　the　knot；　as　he　and　his
bride　drove　to　the　beautiful　village　of　Pangbourne。　　Thence　they　went
to　the　stately　Clevedon　Court；　the　seat　of　Sir　Abraham　Elton；　hard　by
the　church　where　Arthur　Hallam　sleeps。　　The　place　is　very　ancient　and
beautiful；　and　was　a　favourite　haunt　of　Thackeray。　　They　passed　on　to
Lynton；　and　to　Glastonbury；　where　a　collateral　ancestor　of　Mrs
Tennyson's　is　buried　beside　King　Arthur's　grave；　in　that　green　valley
of　Avilion；　among　the　apple…blossoms。　　They　settled　for　a　while　at
Tent　Lodge　on　Coniston　Water；　in　a　land　of　hospitable　Marshalls。

After　their　return　to　London；　on　the　night　of　November　18；　Tennyson
dreamed　that　Prince　Albert　came　and　kissed　him；　and　that　he　himself
said；　〃Very　kind；　but　very　German；〃　which　was　very　like　him。　　Next
day　he　received　from　Windsor　the　offer　of　the　Laureateship。　　He
doubted；　and　hesitated；　but　accepted。　　Since　Wordsworth's　death　there
had；　as　usual；　been　a　good　deal　of　banter　about　the　probable　new
Laureate：　　examples　of　competitive　odes　exist　in　Bon　Gaultier。　　That
by　Tennyson　is　Anacreontic；　but　he　was　not　really　set　on　kissing　the
Maids　of　Honour；　as　he　is　made　to　sing。　　Rogers　had　declined；　on　the
plea　of　extreme　old　age；　but　it　was　worthy　of　the　great　and　good
Queen　not　to　overlook　the　Nestor　of　English　poets。　　For　the　rest；　the
Queen　looked　for　〃a　name　bearing　such　distinction　in　the　literary
world　as　to　do　credit　to　the　appointment。〃　　In　the　previous　century
the　great　poets　had　rarely　been　Laureates。　　But　since　Sir　Walter
Scott　declined　the　bays　in　favour　of　Southey；　for　whom；　again；　the
tale　of　bricks　in　the　way　of　Odes　was　lightened；　and　when　Wordsworth
succeeded　Southey；　the　office　became　honourable。　　Tennyson　gave　it　an
increase　of　renown；　while；　though　in　itself　of　merely　nominal　value；
it　served　his　poems；　to　speak　profanely；　as　an　advertisement。　　New
editions　of　his　books　were　at　once　in　demand；　while　few　readers　had
ever　heard　of　Mr　Browning；　already　his　friend；　and　already　author　of
Men　and　Women。

The　Laureateship　brought　the　poet　acquainted　with　the　Queen；　who　was
to　be　his　debtor　in　later　days　for　encouragement　and　consolation。　　To
his　Laureateship　we　owe；　among　other　good　things；　the　stately　and
moving　Ode　on　the　Death　of　the　Duke　of　Wellington；　a　splendid　heroic
piece；　unappreciated　at　the　moment。　　But　Tennyson　was；　of　course；　no
Birthday　poet。　　Since　the　exile　of　the　House　of　Stuart　our　kings　in
England　have　not　maintained　the　old　familiarity　with　many　classes　of
their　subjects。　　Literature　has　not　been　fashionable　at　Court；　and
Tennyson　could　in　no　age　have　been　a　courtier。　　We　hear　the
complaint；　every　now　and　then；　that　official　honours　are　not
conferred　（except　the　Laureateship）　on　men　of　letters。　　But　most　of
them　probably　think　it　rather　distinguished　not　to　be　decorated；　or
to　carry　titles　borne　by　many　deserving　persons　unvisited　by　the
Muses。　　Even　the　appointment　to　the　bays　usually　provokes　a　great
deal　of　jealous　and　spiteful　feeling；　which　would　only　be　multiplied
if　official　honours　were　distributed　among　men　of　the　pen。　　Perhaps
Tennyson's　laurels　were　not　for　nothing　in　the　chorus　of　dispraise
which　greeted　the　Ode　on　the　Duke　of　Wellington；　and　Maud。

The　year　1851　was　chiefly　notable　for　a　tour　to　Italy；　made　immortal
in　the　beautiful　poem　of　The　Daisy；　in　a　measure　of　the　poet's　own
invention。　　The　next　year；　following　on　the　Coup　d'etat　and　the　rise
of　the　new　French　empire；　produced　patriotic　appeals　to　Britons　to
〃guard　their　own；〃　which　to　a　great　extent　former　alien　owners　had
been　unsuccessful　in　guarding　from　Britons。　　The　Tennysons　had　lost
their　first　child　at　his　birth：　　perhaps　he　is　remembered　in　The
Grandmother；　〃the　babe　had　fought　for　his　life。〃　　In　August　1852　the
present　Lord　Tennyson　was　born；　and　Mr　Maurice　was　asked　to　be
godfather。　　The　Wellington　Ode　was　of　November；　and　was　met　by　〃the
almost　universal　depreciation　of　the　press；〃why；　except　because；　as
I　have　just　suggested；　Tennyson　was　Laureate；　it　is　impossible　to
imagine。　　The　verses　were　worthy　of　the　occasion：　　more　they　could
not　be。

In　the　autumn　of　1853　the　poet　visited　Ardtornish　on　the　Sound　of
Mull；　a　beautiful　place　endeared　to　him　who　now　writes　by　the
earliest　associations。　　It　chanced　to　him　to　pass　his　holidays　there
just　when　Tennyson　and　Mr　Palgrave　had　left〃Mr　Tinsmith　and　Mr
Pancake；〃　as　Robert　the　boatman；　a　very　black　Celt；　called　them。
Being　then　nine　years　of　age；　I　heard　of　a　poet's　visit；　and　asked；
〃A　real　poet；　like　Sir　Walter　Scott？〃　with　whom　I　then　supposed　that
〃the　Muse　had　gone　away。〃　　〃Oh；　not　like　Sir　Walter　Scott；　of
course；〃　my　mother　told　me；　with　loyalty　unashamed。　　One　can　think　of
the　poet　as　Mrs　Sellar；　his　hostess；　describes　him；　beneath　the　limes
of　the　avenue　at　Acharn；　planted；　Mrs　Sellar　says；　by　a　cousin　of
Flora　Macdonald。　　I　have　been　told　that　the　lady　who　planted　the
lilies；　if　not　the　limes；　was　the　famed　Jacobite；　Miss　Jennie
Cameron；　mentioned　in　Tom　Jones。　　An　English　engraving　of　1746　shows
the　Prince　between　these　two　beauties；　Flora　and　Jennie。

〃No　one；〃　says　Mrs　Sellar；　〃could　have　been　more　easy；　simple；　and
delightful；〃　and　indeed　it　is　no　marvel　that　in　her　society　and　that
of　her　husband；　the　Greek　professor；　and　her　cousin；　Miss　Cross；　and
in　such　scenes；　〃he　blossomed　out　in　the　most　genial　manner；　making
us　all　feel　as　if　he　were　an　old　friend。〃

In　November　Tennyson　took　a　house　at　Farringford；　〃as　it　was
beautiful　and　far　from　the　haunts　of　men。〃　　There　he　settled　to　a
country　existence　in　the　society　of　his　wife；　his　two　children　（the
second；　Lionel；　being　in　1854　the　baby）；　and　there　he　composed　Maud；
while　the　sound　of　the　guns；　in　practice　for　the　war　of　the　Crimea；
boomed　from　the　coast。　　In　May　Tennyson　saw　the　artists；　of　schools
oddly　various；　who　illustrated　his　poems。　　Millais；　Rossetti；　and
Holman　Hunt　gave　the　tone　to　the　art；　but　Mr　Horsley；　Creswick；　and
Mulgrave　were　also　engaged。　　While　Maud　was　being　composed　Tennyson
wrote　The　Charge　of　the　Light　Brigade；　a　famous　poem；　not　in　a　manner
in　which　he　was　born　to　excelat　least　in　my　poor　opinion。　　〃Some
one　HAD　blundered；〃　and　that　line　was　the　first　fashioned　and　the
keynote　of　the　poem；　but；　after　all；　〃blundered〃　is　not　an　exquisite
rhyme　to　〃hundred。〃　　The　poem；　in　any　case；　was　most　welcome　to　our
army　in　the　Crimea；　and　is　a　spirited　piece　for　recitation。

In　January　1855　Maud　was　finished；　in　April　the　poet　copied　it　out
for　the　press；　and　refreshed　himself　by　reading　a　very　different
poem；　The　Lady　of　the　Lake。　　The　author；　Sir　Walter；　had　suffered；
like　the　hero　of　Maud；　by　an　unhappy　love　affair；　which　just　faintly
colours　The　Lady　of　the　Lake　by　a　single　allusion；　in　the　description
of　Fitz…James's　dreams：…


〃Then；from　my　couch　may　heavenly　might
Chase　that　worst　phantom　of　the　night！　…
Again　returned　the　scenes　of　youth；
Of　confident　undoubting　truth；
Again　his　soul　he　interchanged
With　friends　whose　hearts　were　long　estranged。
They　come；　in　dim　procession　led；
The　cold；　the　faithless；　and　the　dead；
As　warm　each　hand；　each　brow　as　gay；
As　if　they　parted　yesterday。
And　doubt　distracts　him　at　the　view　…
Oh；　were　his　senses　false　or　true？
Dreamed　he　of　death；　or　broken　vow；
Or　is　it　all　a　vision　now？〃


We　learn　from　Lady　Louisa　Stuart；　to　whom　Scott　read　these　li