alfred tennyson-第27节

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curiosity　shop　with　the　Phidian　Marbles。〃　　Tennyson's　poems　〃being
clear　to　the　bottom　as　well　as　beautiful；　do　not　seem　to　cockney　eyes
so　deep　as　muddy　waters。〃

In　November　1870　The　Last　Tournament　was　begun；　it　was　finished　in
May　1871。　　Conceivably　the　vulgar　scandals　of　the　last　days　of　the
French　Imperial　regime　may　have　influenced　Tennyson's　picture　of　the
corruption　of　Arthur's　Court；　but　the　Empire　did　not　begin；　like　the
Round　Table；　with　aspirations　after　the　Ideal。　　In　the　autumn　of　the
year　Tennyson　entertained；　and　was　entertained　by；　Mr　Huxley。　　In
their　ideas　about　ultimate　things　two　men　could　not　vary　more　widely；
but　each　delighted　in　the　other's　society。　　In　the　spring　of　1872
Tennyson　visited　Paris　and　the　ruins　of　the　Louvre。　　He　read　Victor
Hugo；　and　Alfred　de　Musset；　whose　comedies　he　admired。　　The　little
that　we　hear　of　his　opinion　of　the　other　great　poet　runs　to　this
effect；　〃Victor　Hugo　is　an　unequal　genius；　sometimes　sublime；　he
reminds　one　that　there　is　but　one　step　between　the　sublime　and　the
ridiculous；〃　but　the　example　by　which　Tennyson　illustrated　this　was
derived　from　one　of　the　poet's　novels。　　In　these　we　meet　not　only　the
sublime　and　the　ridiculous；　but　passages　which　leave　us　in　some
perplexity　as　to　their　true　category。　　One　would　have　expected　Hugo's
lyrics　to　be　Tennyson's　favourites；　but　only　Gastibelza　is　mentioned
in　that　character。　　At　this　time　Tennyson　was　vexed　by


〃Art　with　poisonous　honey　stolen　from　France；〃


a　phrase　which　cannot　apply　to　Hugo。　　Meanwhile　Gareth　was　being
written；　and　the　knight's　song　for　The　Coming　of　Arthur。　　Gareth　and
Lynette；　with　minor　pieces；　appeared　in　1872。　　Balin　and　Balan　was
composed　later；　to　lead　up　to　Vivien；　to　which；　perhaps；　Balin　and
Balan　was　introduction　sufficient　had　it　been　the　earlier　written。
But　the　Idylls　have　already　been　discussed　as　arranged　in　sequence。
The　completion　of　the　Idylls；　with　the　patriotic　epilogue；　was
followed　by　the　offer　of　a　baronetcy。　　Tennyson　preferred　that　he　and
his　wife　〃should　remain　plain　Mr　and　Mrs；〃　though　〃I　hope　that　I　have
too　much　of　the　old…world　loyalty　not　to　wear　my　lady's　favours
against　all　comers；　should　you　think　that　it　would　be　more　agreeable
to　her　Majesty　that　I　should　do　so。〃

The　Idylls　ended；　Tennyson　in　1874　began　to　contemplate　a　drama；
choosing　the　topic；　perhaps　neither　popular　nor　in　an　Aristotelian
sense　tragic；　of　Mary　Tudor。　　This　play　was　published；　and　put　on　the
stage　by　Sir　Henry　Irving　in　1875。　　Harold　followed　in　1876；　The　Cup
in　1881　（at　the　Lyceum）；　The　Promise　of　May　（at　the　Globe）　in　1882；
Becket　in　1884；　with　The　Foresters　in　1892。　　It　seems　best　to
consider　all　the　dramatic　period　of　Tennyson's　work；　a　period　reached
so　strangely　late　in　his　career；　in　the　sequence　of　the　Plays。　　The
task　is　one　from　which　I　shrink；　as　conscious　of　entire　ignorance　of
the　stage　and　of　lack　of　enthusiasm　for　the　drama。　　Great　dramatic
authors　have；　almost　invariably；　had　long　practical　knowledge　of　the
scenes　and　of　what　is　behind　them。　　Shakespeare　and　his
contemporaries；　Moliere　and　his　contemporaries；　had　lived　their　lives
on　the　boards　and　in　the　foyer；　actors　themselves；　or　in　daily　touch
with　actors　and　actresses。　　In　the　present　day　successful　playwrights
appear　to　live　much　in　the　world　of　the　players。　　They　have　practical
knowledge　of　the　conventions　and　conditions　which　the　stage　imposes。
Neither　Browning　nor　Mr　Swinburne　（to　take　great　names）　has　had；　it
seems；　much　of　this　practical　and　daily　experience；　their　dramas　have
been　acted　but　rarely；　if　at　all；　and　many　examples　prove　that
neither　poetical　genius　nor　the　genius　for　prose　fiction　can　enable
men　to　produce　plays　which　hold　their　own　on　the　boards。　　This　may　be
the　fault　of　public　taste；　or　partly　of　public　taste；　partly　of
defect　in　practical　knowledge　on　the　side　of　the　authors。　　Of　the
stage；　by　way　of　practice；　Tennyson　had　known　next　to　nothing；　yet
his　dramas　were　written　to　be　acted；　and　acted　some　of　them　were。
〃For　himself；　he　was　aware；〃　says　his　biographer；　〃that　he　wanted
intimate　knowledge　of　the　mechanical　details　necessary　for　the　modern
stage；　although　in　early　and　middle　life　he　had　been　a　constant
playgoer；　and　would　keenly　follow　the　action　of　a　play；　criticising
the　characterisation；　incidents；　scenic　effects；　situations；
language；　and　dramatic　points。〃　　He　was　quite　prepared　to　be　〃edited〃
for　acting　purposes　by　the　players。　　Miss　Mary　Anderson　says　that　〃he
was　ready　to　sacrifice　even　his　MOST　beautiful　lines　for　the　sake　of
a　real　dramatic　effect。〃

This　proved　unusual　common…sense　in　a　poet。　　Modern　times　and　manners
are　notoriously　unfavourable　to　the　serious　drama。　　In　the　age　of　the
Greek　tragedians；　as　in　the　days　of　〃Eliza　and　our　James；〃　reading
was　not　very　common；　and　life　was　much　more　passed　in　public　than
among　ourselves；　when　people　go　to　the　play　for　light　recreation；　or
to　be　shocked。　　So　various　was　the　genius　of　Tennyson；　that　had　he
devoted　himself　early　to　the　stage；　and　had　he　been　backed　by　a
manager　with　the　enterprise　and　intelligence　of　Sir　Henry　Irving；　it
is　impossible　to　say　how　much　he　might　have　done　to　restore　the
serious　drama。　　But　we　cannot　regret　that　he　was　occupied　in　his
prime　with　other　things；　nor　can　we　expect　to　find　his　noblest　and
most　enduring　work　in　the　dramatic　experiments　of　his　latest　years。
It　is　notable　that；　in　his　opinion；　〃the　conditions　of　the　dramatic
art　are　much　more　complex　than　they　were。〃　　For　example；　we　have　〃the
star　system；〃　which　tends　to　allot　what　is；　or　was；　technically
styled　〃the　fat；〃　to　one　or　two　popular　players。　　Now；　a　poet　like
Tennyson　will　inevitably　distribute　large　quantities　of　what　is　most
excellent　to　many　characters；　and　the　consequent　difficulties　may　be
appreciated　by　students　of　our　fallen　nature。　　The　poet　added　that　to
be　a　first…rate　historical　playwright　means　much　more　work　than
formerly；　seeing　that　〃exact　history〃　has　taken　the　part　of　the
〃chance　chronicle。〃

This　is　a　misfortune。　　The　dramas　of　the　Attic　stage；　with　one　or　two
exceptions；　are　based　on　myth　and　legend；　not　on　history；　and　even　in
the　Persae；　grounded　on　contemporary　events；　AEschylus　introduced　the
ghost　of　Darius；　not　vouched　for　by　〃exact　history。〃　　Let　us　conceive
Shakespeare　writing　Macbeth　in　an　age　of　〃exact　history。〃　　Hardly　any
of　the　play　would　be　left。　　Fleance　and　Banquo　must　go。　　Duncan
becomes　a　young　man；　and　far　from　〃gracious。〃　　Macbeth　appears　as　the
defender　of　the　legitimist　prince；　Lulach；　against　Duncan；　a　usurper。
Lady　Macbeth　is　a　pattern　to　her　sex；　and　her　lord　is　a　clement　and
sagacious　ruler。　　The　witches　are　ruled　out　of　the　piece。
Difficulties　arise　about　the　English　aid　to　Malcolm。　　History；　in
fact；　declines　to　be　dramatic。　　Liberties　must　be　taken。　　In　his
plays　of　the　Mary　Stuart　cycle；　Mr　Swinburne　telescopes　the　affair　of
Darnley　into　that　of　Chastelard；　which　was　much　earlier。　　He　makes
Mary　Beaton　（in　love　with　Chastelard）　a　kind　of　avenging　fate；　who
will　never　leave　the　Queen　till　her　head　falls　at　Fotheringay；
though；　in　fact；　after　a　flirtation　with　Randolph；　Mary　Beaton
married　Ogilvy　of　Boyne　（really　in　love　with　Lady　Bothwell）；　and　not
one　of　the　four　Maries　was　at　Fotheringay。　　An　artist　ought　to　be
allowed　to　follow　legend；　of　its　essence　dramatic；　or　to　manipulate
history　as　he　pleases。　　Our　modern　scrupulosity　is　pedantic。　　But
Tennyson　read　a　long　list　of　books　for　his　Queen　Mary；　though　it　does
not　appear　that　he　made　original　researches　in　MSS。　　These　labours
occupied　1874　and　1875。　　Yet　it　would　be　foolish　to　criticise　his
Queen　Mary　as　if　we　were　criticising　〃exact　history。〃　　〃The　play's
the　thing。〃

The　poet　thought　that　〃Bloody　Mary〃　〃had　been　harshly　judged　by　the
verdict　of　popular　tradition。〃　　So　have　most　characters　to　whom
popular　dislike　affixes　the　popular　epithet〃Bloody　Claverse；〃
〃Bloody　Mackenzie；〃　〃Bloody　Balfour。〃　　Mary　had　the　courage　of　the
Tudors。　　She　〃edified　all　around　her　by　her　cheerfulness；　her　piety；
and　her　resignation　to　the　will　of　Providence；〃　in　her　last　days
（Lingard）。　　Camden　calls　her　〃a　queen　never　praised　enough　for　the
purity　of　her　morals；　her　charity　to　the　poor〃　（she　practised　as　a
district　visitor）；　〃and　her　liberality　to　the　nobles　and　the　clergy。〃
She　was　〃pious；　merciful；　pure；　and　ever　to　be　praised；　if　we
overlook　her　erroneous　opinions　in　religion；〃　says　Godwin。　　She　had
been　grievously　wronged　from　her　youth　upwards。　　In　Elizabeth　she　had
a　sister　and　a　rival；　a　constant　intriguer　against　her；　and　a
kinswoman　far　from　amiable。　　Despite　〃the　kindness　and　attention　of
Philip〃　（Lingard）；　affairs　of　State　demanded　his　absence　from
England。　　The　disappointment　as　to　her　expected　child　was　cruel。　　She
knew　that　she　had　become　unpopular；　and　she　could　not　look　for　the
success　of　her　Church；　to　which　she　was　sincerely　attached。　　M。
Auguste　Filon　thought　that　Queen　Mary　might　secure　dramatic　rank　for
Tennyson；　〃if　a　great　actress　arose　who　conceived　a　passion　for　the
part　of　Mary。〃　　But　that　was　not　to　be　expected。　　Mary　was　middle…
aged；　plain；　and　in　aspect　now　terrible；　now　rueful。　　No　great
actres