alfred tennyson-第34节

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sensitive　exterior　he　was　thoroughly　genial　if　he　was　understood。〃
In　these　points　he　was　unlike　his　great　contemporary；　Browning；　for
instance；　Tennyson　never　（I　think）　was　the　Master's　guest　at　Balliol；
mingling；　like　Browning；　with　the　undergraduates；　to　whom　the
Master's　hospitality　was　freely　extended。　　Yet；　where　he　was
familiar；　Tennyson　was　a　gay　companion；　not　shunning　jest　or　even
paradox。　　〃As　Dr　Johnson　says；　every　man　may　be　judged　of　by　his
laughter〃：　　but　no　Boswell　has　chronicled　the　laughters　of　Tennyson。
〃He　never；　or　hardly　ever；　made　puns　or　witticisms〃　（though　one　pun；
at　least；　endures　in　tradition）；　〃but　always　lived　in　an　attitude　of
humour。〃　　Mr　Jowett　writes　（and　no　description　of　the　poet　is　better
than　his）　…


If　I　were　to　describe　his　outward　appearance；　I　should　say　that　he
was　certainly　unlike　any　one　else　whom　I　ever　saw。　　A　glance　at　some
of　Watts'　portraits　of　him　will　give；　better　than　any　description
which　can　be　expressed　in　words；　a　conception　of　his　noble　mien　and
look。　　He　was　a　magnificent　man；　who　stood　before　you　in　his　native
refinement　and　strength。　　The　unconventionality　of　his　manners　was　in
keeping　with　the　originality　of　his　figure。　　He　would　sometimes　say
nothing；　or　a　word　or　two　only；　to　the　stranger　who　approached　him；
out　of　shyness。　　He　would　sometimes　come　into　the　drawing…room
reading　a　book。　　At　other　times；　especially　to　ladies；　he　was
singularly　gracious　and　benevolent。　　He　would　talk　about　the
accidents　of　his　own　life　with　an　extraordinary　freedom；　as　at　the
moment　they　appeared　to　present　themselves　to　his　mind；　the　days　of
his　boyhood　that　were　passed　at　Somersby；　and　the　old　school　of
manners　which　he　came　across　in　his　own　neighbourhood：　　the　days　of
the　〃apostles〃　at　Cambridge：　　the　years　which　he　spent　in　London；　the
evenings　enjoyed　at　the　Cock　Tavern；　and　elsewhere；　when　he　saw
another　side　of　life；　not　without　a　kindly　and　humorous　sense　of　the
ridiculous　in　his　fellow…creatures。　　His　repertory　of　stories　was
perfectly　inexhaustible；　they　were　often　about　slight　matters　that
would　scarcely　bear　repetition；　but　were　told　with　such　lifelike
reality；　that　they　convulsed　his　hearers　with　laughter。　　Like　most
story…tellers；　he　often　repeated　his　favourites；　but；　like　children；
his　audience　liked　hearing　them　again　and　again；　and　he　enjoyed
telling　them。　　It　might　be　said　of　him　that　he　told　more　stories　than
any　one；　but　was　by　no　means　the　regular　story…teller。　　In　the
commonest　conversation　he　showed　himself　a　man　of　genius。


To　this　description　may　be　added　another　by　Mr　F。　T。　Palgrave：…


Every　one　will　have　seen　men；　distinguished　in　some　line　of　work；
whose　conversation　（to　take　the　old　figure）　either　〃smelt　too
strongly　of　the　lamp；〃　or　lay　quite　apart　from　their　art　or　craft。
What；　through　all　these　years；　struck　me　about　Tennyson；　was　that
whilst　he　never　deviated　into　poetical　language　as　such；　whether　in
rhetoric　or　highly　coloured　phrase；　yet　throughout　the　substance　of
his　talk　the　same　mode　of　thought；　the　same　imaginative　grasp　of
nature；　the　same　fineness　and　gentleness　in　his　view　of　character；
the　same　forbearance　and　toleration；　the　aurea　mediocritas　despised
by　fools　and　fanatics；　which　are　stamped　on　his　poetry；　were
constantly　perceptible：　　whilst　in　the　easy　and　as　it　were　unsought
choiceness；　the　conscientious　and　truth…loving　precision　of　his
words；　the　same　personal　identity　revealed　itself。　　What　a　strange
charm　lay　here；　how　deeply　illuminating　the　whole　character；　as　in
prolonged　intercourse　it　gradually　revealed　itself！　　Artist　and　man；
Tennyson　was　invariably　true　to　himself；　or　rather；　in　Wordsworth's
phrase；　he　〃moved　altogether〃；　his　nature　and　his　poetry　being
harmonious　aspects　of　the　same　soul；　as　botanists　tell　us　that　flower
and　fruit　are　but　transformations　of　root　and　stem　and　leafage。　　We
read　how；　in　mediaeval　days；　conduits　were　made　to　flow　with　claret。
But　this　was　on　great　occasions　only。　　Tennyson's　fountain　always　ran
wine。

Once　more：　　In　Mme。　Recamier's　salon；　I　have　read；　at　the　time　when
conversation　was　yet　a　fine　art　in　Paris；　guests　famous　for　esprit
would　sit　in　the　twilight　round　the　stove；　whilst　each　in　turn　let
fly　some　sparkling　anecdote　or　bon…mot；　which　rose　and　shone　and　died
out　into　silence；　till　the　next　of　the　elect　pyrotechnists　was　ready。
Good　things　of　this　kind；　as　I　have　said；　were　plentiful　in
Tennyson's　repertory。　　But　what；　to　pass　from　the　materials　to　the
method　of　his　conversation；　eminently　marked　it　was　the　continuity　of
the　electric　current。　　He　spoke；　and　was　silent；　and　spoke　again：
but　the　circuit　was　unbroken；　there　was　no　effort　in　taking　up　the
thread；　no　sense　of　disjunction。　　Often　I　thought；　had　he　never
written　a　line　of　the　poems　so　dear　to　us；　his　conversation　alone
would　have　made　him　the　most　interesting　companion　known　to　me。　　From
this　great　and　gracious　student　of　humanity；　what　less；　indeed；　could
be　expected？　　And　if；　as　a　converser；　I　were　to　compare　him　with
Socrates；　as　figured　for　us　in　the　dialogues　of　his　great　disciple；　I
think　that　I　should　have　the　assent　of　that　eminently　valued　friend
of　Tennyson's；　whose　long　labour　of　love　has　conferred　English
citizenship　upon　Plato。


We　have　called　him　shy　and　sensitive　in　daily　intercourse　with
strangers；　and　as　to　criticism；　he　freely　confessed　that　a　midge　of
dispraise　could　sting；　while　applause　gave　him　little　pleasure。　　Yet
no　poet　altered　his　verses　so　much　in　obedience　to　censure　unjustly
or　irritatingly　stated；　yet　in　essence　just。　　He　readily　rejected
some　of　his　〃Juvenilia〃　on　Mr　Palgrave's　suggestion。　　The　same　friend
tells　how　well　he　took　a　rather　fierce　attack　on　an　unpublished
piece；　when　Mr　Palgrave　〃owned　that　he　could　not　find　one　good　line
in　it。〃　　Very　few　poets；　or　even　versifiers　（fiercer　they　than　poets
are）；　would　have　continued　to　show　their　virgin　numbers　to　a　friend
so　candid；　as　Tennyson　did。　　Perhaps　most　of　the　genus　irritabile
will　grant　that　spoken　criticism；　if　unfavourable；　somehow　annoys　and
stirs　opposition　in　an　author；　probably　because　it　confirms　his　own
suspicions　about　his　work。　　Such　criticism　is　almost　invariably　just。
But　Campbell；　when　Rogers　offered　a　correction；　〃bounced　out　of　the
room；　with　a　'Hang　it！　　I　should　like　to　see　the　man　who　would　dare
to　correct　me。'〃

Mr　Jowett　justly　recognised　in　the　life　of　Tennyson　two　circumstances
which　made　him　other　than；　but　for　these；　he　would　have　been。　　He　had
intended　to　do　with　the　Arthurian　subject　what　he　never　did；　〃in　some
way　or　other　to　have　represented　in　it　the　great　religions　of　the
world。　。　。　。　It　is　a　proof　of　Tennyson's　genius　that　he　should　have
thus　early　grasped　the　great　historical　aspect　of　religion。〃　　His
intention　was　foiled；　his　early　dream　was　broken；　by　the　death　of
Arthur　Hallam；　and　by　the　coldness　and　contempt　with　which；　at　the
same　period；　his　early　poems　were　received。

Mr　Jowett　（who　had　a　firm　belief　in　the　〃great　work〃）　regretted　the
change　of　plan　as　to　the　Arthurian　topic；　regretted　it　the　more　from
his　own　interest　in　the　History　of　Religion。　　But　we　need　not　share
the　regrets。　　The　early　plan　for　the　Arthur　（which　Mr　Jowett　never
saw）　has　been　published；　and　certainly　the　scheme　could　not　have　been
executed　on　these　lines。　｛18｝　　Moreover；　as　the　Master　observed；　the
work　would　have　been　premature　in　Tennyson's　youth；　and；　indeed；　it
would　still　be　premature。　　The　comparative　science　of　religious
evolution　is　even　now　very　tentative；　and　does　not　yield　materials　of
sufficient　stability　for　an　epic；　even　if　such　an　epic　could　be
forced　into　the　mould　of　the　Arthur　legends；　a　feat　perhaps
impossible；　and　certainly　undesirable。　　A　truly　fantastic　allegory
must　have　been　the　result；　and　it　is　fortunate　that　the　poet
abandoned　the　idea　in　favour　of　more　human　themes。　　Moreover；　he
recognised　very　early　that　his　was　not　a　Muse　de　longue　haleine；　that
he　must　be　〃short。〃　　We　may　therefore　feel　certain　that　his　early
sorrow　and　discouragement　were　salutary　to　him　as　a　poet；　and　as　a
man。　　He　became　more　sympathetic；　more　tender；　and　was　obliged　to　put
forth　that　stoical　self…control；　and　strenuous　courage　and　endurance；
through　which　alone　his　poetic　career　was　rendered　possible。　　〃He　had
the　susceptibility　of　a　child　or　a　woman；〃　says　his　friend；　〃he　had
also〃　（it　was　a　strange　combination）　〃the　strength　of　a　giant　or　of　a
god。〃　　Without　these　qualities　he　must　have　broken　down　between　1833
and　1842　into　a　hypochondriac；　or　a　morose；　if　majestic；　failure。
Poor；　obscure；　and　unhappy；　he　overcame　the　world；　and　passed　from
darkness　into　light。　　The　〃poetic　temperament〃　in　another　not　gifted
with　his　endurance　and　persistent　strength　would　have　achieved　ruin。

Most　of　us　remember　Taine's　parallel　between　Tennyson　and　Alfred　de
Musset。　　The　French　critic　has　no　high　approval　of　Tennyson's
〃respectability〃　and　long　peaceful　life；　as　compared　with　the　wrecked
life　and　genius　of　Musset；　l'enfant　perdu　of　love；　wine；　and　song。
This　is　a　theory　like　another；　and　is　perhaps　attractive　to　the
young。　　The　poet　must　have　strong　passions；　or　how　can　he　sing　of
them：　　h