alfred tennyson-第21节

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Pellam；　of　old　leagued　with　Lot　against　Arthur；　has　taken　to
religion；　collects　relics；　claims　descent　from　Joseph　of　Arimathea；
and　owns　the　sacred　spear　that　pierced　the　side　of　Christ。　　But
Garlon　is　with　him；　the　knight　invisible；　who　appears　to　come　from　an
Irish　source；　or　at　least　has　a　parallel　in　Irish　legend。　　This
Garlon　has　an　unknightly　way　of　killing　men　by　viewless　blows　from
the　rear。　　Balan　goes　to　encounter　Garlon。　　Balin　remains；　learning
courtesy；　modelling　himself　on　Lancelot；　and　gaining　leave　to　bear
Guinevere's　Crown　Matrimonial　for　his　cognisance；which；　of　course；
Balan　does　not　know；　…


〃As　golden　earnest　of　a　better　life。〃


But　Balin　sees　reason　to　think　that　Lancelot　and　Guinevere　love　even
too　well。


　　　〃Then　chanced；　one　morning；　that　Sir　Balin　sat
Close…bower'd　in　that　garden　nigh　the　hall。
A　walk　of　roses　ran　from　door　to　door；
A　walk　of　lilies　crost　it　to　the　bower：
And　down　that　range　of　roses　the　great　Queen
Came　with　slow　steps；　the　morning　on　her　face；
And　all　in　shadow　from　the　counter　door
Sir　Lancelot　as　to　meet　her；　then　at　once；
As　if　he　saw　not；　glanced　aside；　and　paced
The　long　white　walk　of　lilies　toward　the　bower。
Follow'd　the　Queen；　Sir　Balin　heard　her　'Prince；
Art　thou　so　little　loyal　to　thy　Queen；
As　pass　without　good　morrow　to　thy　Queen？'
To　whom　Sir　Lancelot　with　his　eyes　on　earth；
'Fain　would　I　still　be　loyal　to　the　Queen。'
'Yea　so；'　she　said；　'but　so　to　pass　me　by　…
So　loyal　scarce　is　loyal　to　thyself；
Whom　all　men　rate　the　king　of　courtesy。
Let　be：　　ye　stand；　fair　lord；　as　in　a　dream。'

　　　Then　Lancelot　with　his　hand　among　the　flowers；
'Yeafor　a　dream。　　Last　night　methought　I　saw
That　maiden　Saint　who　stands　with　lily　in　hand
In　yonder　shrine。　　All　round　her　prest　the　dark；
And　all　the　light　upon　her　silver　face
Flow'd　from　the　spiritual　lily　that　she　held。
Lo！　these　her　emblems　drew　mine　eyesaway：
For　see；　how　perfect…pure！　　As　light　a　flush
As　hardly　tints　the　blossom　of　the　quince
Would　mar　their　charm　of　stainless　maidenhood。'

　　　'Sweeter　to　me；'　she　said；　'this　garden　rose
Deep…hued　and　many…folded　sweeter　still
The　wild…wood　hyacinth　and　the　bloom　of　May。
Prince；　we　have　ridd'n　before　among　the　flowers
In　those　fair　daysnot　all　as　cool　as　these；
Tho'　season…earlier。　　Art　thou　sad？　or　sick？
Our　noble　King　will　send　thee　his　own　leech　…
Sick？　or　for　any　matter　anger'd　at　me？'

　　　Then　Lancelot　lifted　his　large　eyes；　they　dwelt
Deep…tranced　on　hers；　and　could　not　fall：　　her　hue
Changed　at　his　gaze：　　so　turning　side　by　side
They　past；　and　Balin　started　from　his　bower。

　　　'Queen？　subject？　but　I　see　not　what　I　see。
Damsel　and　lover？　hear　not　what　I　hear。
My　father　hath　begotten　me　in　his　wrath。
I　suffer　from　the　things　before　me；　know；
Learn　nothing；　am　not　worthy　to　be　knight；
A　churl；　a　clown！'　and　in　him　gloom　on　gloom
Deepen'd：　　he　sharply　caught　his　lance　and　shield；
Nor　stay'd　to　crave　permission　of　the　King；
But；　mad　for　strange　adventure；　dash'd　away。〃


Balin　is　〃disillusioned；〃　his　faith　in　the　Ideal　is　shaken　if　not
shattered。　　He　rides　at　adventure。　　Arriving　at　the　half…ruined
castle　of　Pellam；　that　dubious　devotee；　he　hears　Garlon　insult
Guinevere；　but　restrains　himself。　　Next　day；　again　insulted　for
bearing　〃the　crown　scandalous〃　on　his　shield；　he　strikes　Garlon　down；
is　pursued；　seizes　the　sacred　spear；　and　escapes。　　Vivien　meets　him
in　the　woods；　drops　scandal　in　his　ears；　and　so　maddens　him　that　he
defaces　his　shield　with　the　crown　of　Guinevere。　　Her　song；　and　her
words；


　　　　　　〃This　fire　of　Heaven；
This　old　sun…worship；　boy；　will　rise　again；
And　beat　the　cross　to　earth；　and　break　the　King
And　all　his　Table；〃


might　be　forced　into　an　allegory　of　the　revived　pride　of　life；　at　the
Renaissance　and　after。　　The　maddened　yells　of　Balin　strike　the　ear　of
Balan；　who　thinks　he　has　met　the　foul　knight　Garlon；　that


〃Tramples　on　the　goodly　shield　to　show
His　loathing　of　our　Order　and　the　Queen。〃


They　fight；　fatally　wound；　and　finally　recognise　each　other：　　Balan
trying　to　restore　Balin's　faith　in　Guinevere；　who　is　merely　slandered
by　Garlon　and　Vivien。　　Balin　acknowledges　that　his　wildness　has　been
their　common　bane；　and　they　die；　〃either　locked　in　either's　arms。〃

There　is　nothing　in　Malory；　nor　in　any　other　source；　so　far　as　I　am
aware；　which　suggested　to　Tennyson　the　clou　of　the　situationthe　use
of　Guinevere's　crown　as　a　cognisance　by　Balin。　　This　device　enables
the　poet　to　weave　the　rather　confused　and　unintelligible　adventures
of　Balin　and　Balan　into　the　scheme；　and　to　make　it　a　stage　in　the
progress　of　his　fable。　　That　Balin　was　reckless　and　wild　Malory　bears
witness；　but　his　endeavours　to　conquer　himself　and　reach　the　ideal
set　by　Lancelot　are　Tennyson's　addition；　with　all　the　tragedy　of
Balin's　disenchantment　and　despair。　　The　strange　fantastic　house　of
Pellam；　full　of　the　most　sacred　things；


〃In　which　he　scarce　could　spy　the　Christ　for　Saints；〃


yet　sheltering　the　human　fiend　Garlon；　is　supplied　by　Malory；　whose
predecessors　probably　blended　more　than　one　myth　of　the　old　Cymry
into　the　romance；　washed　over　with　Christian　colouring。　　As　Malory
tells　this　part　of　the　tale　it　is　perhaps　more　strange　and　effective
than　in　the　Idyll。　　The　introduction　of　Vivien　into　this　adventure　is
wholly　due　to　Tennyson：　　her　appearance　here　leads　up　to　her　triumph
in　the　poem　which　follows；　Merlin　and　Vivien。

The　nature　and　origin　of　Merlin　are　something　of　a　mystery。　　Hints
and　rumours　of　Merlin；　as　of　Arthur；　stream　from　hill　and　grave　as
far　north　as　Tweedside。　　If　he　was　a　historical　person；　myths　of
magic　might　crystallise　round　him；　as　round　Virgil　in　Italy。　　The
process　would　be　the　easier　in　a　country　where　the　practices　of
Druidry　still　lingered；　and　revived　after　the　retreat　of　the　Romans。
The　mediaeval　romancers　invented　a　legend　that　Merlin　was　a　virgin…
born　child　of　Satan。　　In　Tennyson　he　may　be　guessed　to　represent　the
fabled　esoteric　lore　of　old　religions；　with　their　vague　pantheisms；
and　such　magic　as　the　tapas　of　Brahmanic　legends。　　He　is　wise　with　a
riddling　evasive　wisdom：　　the　builder　of　Camelot；　the　prophet；　a
shadow　of　Druidry　clinging　to　the　Christian　king。　　His　wisdom　cannot
avail　him：　　if　he　beholds　〃his　own　mischance　with　a　glassy
countenance；〃　he　cannot　avoid　his　shapen　fate。　　He　becomes　assotted
of　Vivien；　and　goes　open…eyed　to　his　doom。

The　enchantress；　Vivien；　is　one　of　that　dubious　company　of　Ladies　of
the　Lake；　now　friendly；　now　treacherous。　　Probably　these　ladies　are
the　fairies　of　popular　Celtic　tradition；　taken　up　into　the　more
elaborate　poetry　of　Cymric　literature　and　mediaeval　romance。　　Mr　Rhys
traces　Vivien；　or　Nimue；　or　Nyneue；　back；　through　a　series　of
palaeographic　changes　and　errors；　to　Rhiannon；　wife　of　Pwyll；　a　kind
of　lady　of　the　lake　he　thinks；　but　the　identification　is　not　very
satisfactory。　　Vivien　is　certainly　〃one　of　the　damsels　of　the　lake〃
in　Malory；　and　the　damsels　of　the　lake　seem　to　be　lake　fairies；　with
all　their　beguilements　and　strange　unstable　loves。　　〃And　always
Merlin　lay　about　the　lady　to　have　her　maidenhood；　and　she　was　ever
passing　weary　of　him；　and　fain　would　have　been　delivered　of　him；　for
she　was　afraid　of　him　because　he　was　a　devil's　son。　。　。　。　　So　by　her
subtle　working　she　made　Merlin　to　go　under　that　stone　to　let　her　wit
of　the　marvels　there；　but　she　wrought　so　there　for　him　that　he　came
never　out　for　all　the　craft　he　could　do。　　And　so　she　departed　and
left　Merlin。〃　　The　sympathy　of　Malory　is　not　with　the　enchanter。　　In
the　Idylls；　as　finally　published；　Vivien　is　born　on　a　battlefield　of
death；　with　a　nature　perverted；　and　an　instinctive　hatred　of　the
good。　　Wherefore　she　leaves　the　Court　of　King　Mark　to　make　mischief
in　Camelot。　　She　is；　in　fact；　the　ideal　minx；　a　character　not
elsewhere　treated　by　Tennyson：…


　　　〃She　hated　all　the　knights；　and　heard　in　thought
Their　lavish　comment　when　her　name　was　named。
For　once；　when　Arthur　walking　all　alone；
Vext　at　a　rumour　issued　from　herself
Of　some　corruption　crept　among　his　knights；
Had　met　her；　Vivien；　being　greeted　fair；
Would　fain　have　wrought　upon　his　cloudy　mood
With　reverent　eyes　mock…loyal；　shaken　voice；
And　flutter'd　adoration；　and　at　last
With　dark　sweet　hints　of　some　who　prized　him　more
Than　who　should　prize　him　most；　at　which　the　King
Had　gazed　upon　her　blankly　and　gone　by：
But　one　had　watch'd；　and　had　not　held　his　peace：
It　made　the　laughter　of　an　afternoon
That　Vivien　should　attempt　the　blameless　King。
And　after　that；　she　set　herself　to　gain
Him；　the　most　famous　man　of　all　those　times；
Merlin；　who　knew　the　range　of　all　their　arts；
Had　built　the　King　his　havens；　ships；　and　halls；
Was　also　Bard；　and　knew　the　starry　heavens；
The　people　call'd　him　Wizard；　whom　at　first
She　play'd　about　with　slight　and　sprightly　talk；
And　vivid　smiles；　and　faintly…venom'd　points
Of　slander；　glancing　here　and　grazing　there；
And　yielding　to　his　kindlier　moods；　the　Seer
Would　watch　her　at　her　petulance；　and　play；
Ev'n　when　they　seem'd　unloveable；　and　laugh
As　those　that　watch　a　kitten；　thus　he　grew
Tolerant　of　what　he　half　disdain'd；　and　she；
Perceiving　that　she　was　but　half