alfred tennyson-第17章

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been　better　appreciated　and　understood　by　the　world　than　by　the
reviewers。

In　February　1850　Tennyson　returned　to　his　old　Arthurian　themes；　〃the
only　big　thing　not　done；〃　for　Milton　had　merely　glanced　at　Arthur；
Dryden　did　not


〃Raise　the　Table　Round　again；〃


and　Blackmore　has　never　been　reckoned　adequate。　　Vivien　was　first
composed　as　Merlin　and　Nimue；　and　then　Geraint　and　Enid　was　adapted
from　the　Mabinogion；　the　Welsh　collection　of　Marchen　and　legends；
things　of　widely　different　ages；　now　rather　Celtic；　or　Brythonic；　now
amplifications　made　under　the　influence　of　mediaeval　French　romance。
Enid　was　finished　in　Wales　in　August；　and　Tennyson　learned　Welsh
enough　to　be　able　to　read　the　Mabinogion；　which　is　much　more　of　Welsh
than　many　Arthurian　critics　possess。　　The　two　first　Idylls　were
privately　printed　in　the　summer　of　1857；　being　very　rare　and　much
desired　of　collectors　in　this　embryonic　shape。　　In　July　Guinevere　was
begun；　in　the　middle；　with　Arthur's　valedictory　address　to　his　erring
consort。　　In　autumn　Tennyson　visited　the　late　Duke　of　Argyll　at
Inveraray：　　he　was　much　attached　to　the　Dukeunlike　Professor
Huxley。　　Their　love　of　nature；　the　Duke　being　as　keen…eyed　as　the
poet　was　short…sighted；　was　one　tie　of　union。　　The　Indian　Mutiny；　or
at　least　the　death　of　Havelock；　was　the　occasion　of　lines　which　the
author　was　too　wise　to　include　in　any　of　his　volumes：　　the　poem　on
Lucknow　was　of　later　composition。

Guinevere　was　completed　in　March　1858；　and　Tennyson　met　Mr　Swinburne；
then　very　young。　　〃What　I　particularly　admired　in　him　was　that　he　did
not　press　upon　me　any　verses　of　his　own。〃　　Tennyson　would　have　found
more　to　admire　if　he　had　pressed　for　a　sight　of　the　verses。　　Neither
he　nor　Mr　Matthew　Arnold　was　very　encouraging　to　young　poets：　　they
had　no　sons　in　Apollo；　like　Ben　Jonson。　　But　both　were　kept　in　a
perpetual　state　of　apprehension　by　the　army　of　versifiers　who　send
volumes　by　post；　to　whom　that　can　only　be　said　what　Tennyson　did　say
to　one　of　them；　〃As　an　amusement　to　yourself　and　your　friends；　the
writing　it〃　（verse）　〃is　all　very　well。〃　　It　is　the　friends　who　do　not
find　it　amusing；　while　the　stranger　becomes　the　foe。　　The　psychology
of　these　pests　of　the　Muses　is　bewildering。　　They　do　not　seem　to　read
poetry；　only　to　write　it　and　launch　it　at　unoffending　strangers。　　If
they　bought　each　other's　books；　all　of　them　could　afford　to　publish。

The　Master　of　Balliol；　the　most　adviceful　man；　if　one　may　use　the
term；　of　his　age；　appears　to　have　advised　Tennyson　to　publish　the
Idylls　at　once。　　There　had　been　years　of　silence　since　Maud；　and　the
Master　suspected　that　〃mosquitoes〃　（reviewers）　were　the　cause。
〃There　is　a　note　needed　to　show　the　good　side　of　human　nature　and　to
condone　its　frailties　which　Thackeray　will　never　strike。〃　　To　others
it　seems　that　Thackeray　was　eternally　striking　this　note：　　at　that
time　in　General　Lambert；　his　wife；　and　daughters；　not　to　speak　of
other　characters　in　The　Virginians。　　Who　does　not　condone　the
frailties　of　Captain　Costigan；　and　F。　B。；　and　the　Chevalier　Strong？
In　any　case；　Tennyson　took　his　own　time；　he　was　（1858）　only　beginning
Elaine。　　There　is　no　doubt　that　Tennyson　was　easily　pricked　by
unsympathetic　criticism；　even　from　the　most　insignificant　source；
and；　as　he　confessed；　he　received　little　pleasure　from　praise。　　All
authors；　without　exception；　are　sensitive。　　A　sturdier　author　wrote
that　he　would　sometimes　have　been　glad　to　meet　his　assailant　〃where
the　muir…cock　was　bailie。〃　　We　know　how　testily　Wordsworth　replied　in
defence　to　the　gentlest　comments　by　Lamb。

The　Master　of　Balliol　kept　insisting；　〃As　to　the　critics；　their　power
is　not　really　great。　。　。　。　　One　drop　of　natural　feeling　in　poetry　or
the　true　statement　of　a　single　new　fact　is　already　felt　to　be　of　more
value　than　all　the　critics　put　together。〃　　Yet　even　critics　may　be　in
the　right；　and　of　all　great　poets；　Tennyson　listened　most　obediently
to　their　censures；　as　we　have　seen　in　the　case　of　his　early　poems。
His　prolonged　silences　after　the　attacks　of　1833　and　1855　were
occupied　in　work　and　reflection：　　Achilles　was　not　merely　sulking　in
his　tent；　as　some　of　his　friends　seem　to　have　supposed。　　An　epic　in　a
series　of　epic　idylls　cannot　be　dashed　off　like　a　romantic　novel　in
rhyme；　and　Tennyson's　method　was　always　one　of　waiting　for　maturity
of　conception　and　execution。

Mrs　Tennyson；　doubtless　by　her　lord's　desire；　asked　the　Master　（then
tutor　of　Balliol）　to　suggest　themes。　　Old　age　was　suggested；　and　is
treated　in　The　Grandmother。　　Other　topics　were　not　handled。　　〃I　hold
most　strongly；〃　said　the　Master；　〃that　it　is　the　duty　of　every　one
who　has　the　good　fortune　to　know　a　man　of　genius　to　do　any　trifling
service　they　can　to　lighten　his　work。〃　　To　do　every　service　in　his
power　to　every　man　was　the　Master's　life…long　practice。　　He　was　not
much　at　home；　his　letters　show；　with　Burns；　to　whom　he　seems　to　have
attributed　John　Anderson；　my　jo；　John；　while　he　tells　an　anecdote　of
Burns　composing　Tam　o'　Shanter　with　emotional　tears；　which；　if　true
at　all；　is　true　of　the　making　of　To　Mary　in　Heaven。　　If　Burns　wept
over　Tam　o'　Shanter；　the　tears　must　have　been　tears　of　laughter。

The　first　four　Idylls　of　the　King　were　prepared　for　publication　in
the　spring　of　1859；　while　Tennyson　was　at　work　also　on　Pelleas　and
Ettarre；　and　the　Tristram　cycle。　　In　autumn　he　went　on　a　tour　to
Lisbon　with　Mr　F。　T。　Palgrave　and　Mr　Craufurd　Grove。　　Returning；　he
fell　eagerly　to　reading　an　early　copy　of　Darwin's　Origin　of　Species；
the　crown　of　his　own　early　speculations　on　the　theory　of　evolution。
〃Your　theory　does　not　make　against　Christianity？〃　he　asked　Darwin
later　（1868）；　who　replied；　〃No；　certainly　not。〃　　But　Darwin　has
stated　the　waverings　of　his　own　mind　in　contact　with　a　topic　too　high
for　a　priori　reasoning；　and　only　to　be　approached；　if　at　all；　on　the
strength　of　the　scientific　method　applied　to　facts　which　science；　so
far；　neglects；　or　denies；　or　〃explains　away；〃　rather　than　explains。

The　Idylls；　unlike　Maud；　were　well　received　by　the　press；　better　by
the　public；　and　best　of　all　by　friends　like　Thackeray；　the　Duke　of
Argyll；　the　Master　of　Balliol；　and　Clough；　while　Ruskin　showed　some
reserve。　　The　letter　from　Thackeray　I　cannot　deny　myself　the　pleasure
of　citing　from　the　Biography：　　it　was　written　〃in　an　ardour　of　claret
and　gratitude；〃　but　posted　some　six　weeks　later：…


FOLKESTONE；　September。
36　ONSLOW　SQUARE；　October。

My　Dear　Old　Alfred；I　owe　you　a　letter　of　happiness　and　thanks。
Sir；　about　three　weeks　ago；　when　I　was　ill　in　bed；　I　read　the　Idylls
of　the　King；　and　I　thought；　〃Oh；　I　must　write　to　him　now；　for　this
pleasure；　this　delight；　this　splendour　of　happiness　which　I　have　been
enjoying。〃　　But　I　should　have　blotted　the　sheets；　'tis　ill　writing　on
one's　back。　　The　letter　full　of　gratitude　never　went　as　far　as　the
post…office；　and　how　comes　it　now？

D'abord；　a　bottle　of　claret。　　（The　landlord　of　the　hotel　asked　me
down　to　the　cellar　and　treated　me。）　　Then　afterwards　sitting　here；　an
old　magazine；　Fraser's　Magazine；　1850；　and　I　come　on　a　poem　out　of
The　Princess　which　says；　〃I　hear　the　horns　of　Elfland　blowing；
blowing；〃no；　it's　〃the　horns　of　Elfland　faintly　blowing〃　（I　have
been　into　my　bedroom　to　fetch　my　pen　and　it　has　made　that　blot）；　and；
reading　the　lines；　which　only　one　man　in　the　world　could　write；　I
thought　about　the　other　horns　of　Elfland　blowing　in　full　strength；
and　Arthur　in　gold　armour；　and　Guinevere　in　gold　hair；　and　all　those
knights　and　heroes　and　beauties　and　purple　landscapes　and　misty　gray
lakes　in　which　you　have　made　me　live。　　They　seem　like　facts　to　me；
since　about　three　weeks　ago　（three　weeks　or　a　month　was　it？）　when　I
read　the　book。　　It　is　on　the　table　yonder；　and　I　don't　like；　somehow；
to　disturb　it；　but　the　delight　and　gratitude！　　You　have　made　me　as
happy　as　I　was　as　a　child　with　the　Arabian　Nights；every　step　I　have
walked　in　Elfland　has　been　a　sort　of　Paradise　to　me。　　（The　landlord
gave　TWO　bottles　of　his　claret　and　I　think　I　drank　the　most）　and　here
I　have　been　lying　back　in　the　chair　and　thinking　of　those　delightful
Idylls；　my　thoughts　being　turned　to　you：　　what　could　I　do