alfred tennyson-第10章

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Kubla　Khan。　　But　in　Tennyson　the　effects　were　deliberately　sought　and
secured。

　One　might　conjecture；　though　Lord　Tennyson　says　nothing　on　the
subject；　that　among　the　suggestions　for　The　Princess　was　the　opening
of　Love's　Labour's　Lost。　　Here　the　King　of　Navarre　devises　the
College　of　Recluses；　which　is　broken　up　by　the　arrival　of　the
Princess　of　France；　Rosaline；　and　the　other　ladies：…


King。　　Our　Court　shall　be　a　little　Academe；
Still　and　contemplative　in　living　art。
You　three；　Biron；　Domain；　and　Longaville；
Have　sworn　for　three　years'　term　to　live　with　me；
My　fellow…scholars；　and　to　keep　those　statutes。
*　*　*
Biron。　　That　is；　to　live　and　study　here　three　years。
But　there　are　other　strict　observances；
As；　not　to　see　a　woman　in　that　term。
*　*　*
＇Reads＇　　'That　no　woman　shalt　come　within　a　mile　of　my　Court：'　Hath
this　been　proclaimed？
Long。　　Four　days　ago。
Biron。　　Let's　see　the　penalty。　　＇Reads＇　　'On　pain　of　losing　her
tongue。'


The　Princess　then　arrives　with　her　ladies；　as　the　Prince　does　with
Cyril　and　Florian；　as　Charles　did；　with　Buckingham；　in　Spain。　　The
conclusion　of　Shakespeare　is　Tennyson's　conclusion　…


〃We　cannot　cross　the　cause　why　we　are　born。〃


The　later　poet　reverses　the　attitude　of　the　sexes　in　Love's　Labour's
Lost：　　it　is　the　women　who　make　and　break　the　vow；　and　the　women　in
The　Princess　insist　on　the　〃grand；　epic；　homicidal〃　scenes；　while　the
men　are　debarred；　more　or　less；　from　a　sportive　treatment　of　the
subject。　　The　tavern　catch　of　Cyril；　the　laughable　pursuit　of　the
Prince　by　the　feminine　Proctors；　the　draggled　appearance　of　the
adventurers　in　female　garb；　are　concessions　to　the　humour　of　the
situation。　　Shakespeare　would　certainly　have　given　us　the　song　of
Cyril　at　the　picnic；　and　comic　enough　the　effect　would　have　been　on
the　stage。　　It　may　be　a　gross　employment；　but　The　Princess；　with　the
pretty　chorus　of　girl　undergraduates；


〃In　colours　gayer　than　the　morning　mist；〃


went　reasonably　well　in　opera。　　Merely　considered　as　a　romantic
fiction；　The　Princess　presents　higher　proofs　of　original　narrative
genius　than　any　other　such　attempt　by　its　author。

The　poem　is　far　from　being　deficient　in　that　human　interest　which
Shelley　said　that　it　was　as　vain　to　ask　from　HIM；　as　to　seek　to　buy　a
leg　of　mutton　at　a　gin…shop。　　The　characters；　the　protagonists；　with
Cyril；　Melissa；　Lady　Blanche；　the　child　Aglaia；　King　Gama；　the　other
king；　Arac；　and　the　hero's　motherbeautifully　studied　from　the
mother　of　the　poetare　all　sufficiently　human。　　But　they　seem　to
waver　in　the　magic　air；　〃as　all　the　golden　autumn　woodland　reels
athwart　the　fires　of　autumn　leaves。　　For　these　reasons；　and　because
of　the　designed　fantasy　of　the　whole　composition；　The　Princess　is
essentially　a　poem　for　the　true　lovers　of　poetry；　of　Spenser　and　of
Coleridge。　　The　serious　motive；　the　question　of　Woman；　her　wrongs；
her　rights；　her　education；　her　capabilities；　was　not　〃in　the　air〃　in
1847。　　To　be　sure　it　had　often　been　〃in　the　air。〃　　The　Alexandrian
Platonists；　the　Renaissance；　even　the　age　of　Anne；　had　their
emancipated　and　learned　ladies。　　Early　Greece　had　Sappho；　Corinna；
and　Erinna；　the　first　the　chief　of　lyric　poets；　even　in　her
fragments；　the　two　others　applauded　by　all　Hellas。　　The　French
Revolution　had　begotten　Mary　Wollstonecraft　Godwin　and　her
Vindication　of　the　Rights　of　Women；　and　in　France　George　Sand　was
prominent　and　emancipated　enough　while　the　poet　wrote。　　But；　the
question　of　love　apart；　George　Sand　was　〃very；　very　woman；〃　shining
as　a　domestic　character　and　fond　of　needlework。　　England　was　not
excited　about　the　question　which　has　since　produced　so　many
disputants；　inevitably　shrill；　and　has　not　been　greatly　meddled　with
by　women　of　genius；　George　Eliot　or　Mrs　Oliphant。　　The　poem；　in　the
public　indifference　as　to　feminine　education；　came　rather
prematurely。　　We　have　now　ladies'　colleges；　not　in　haunts　remote　from
man；　but　by　the　sedged　banks　of　Cam　and　Cherwell。　　There　have　been　no
revolutionary　results：　　no　boys　have　spied　these　chaste　nests；　with
echoing　romantic　consequences。　　The　beauty　and　splendour　of　the
Princess's　university　have　not　arisen　in　light　and　colour；　and　it　is
only　at　St　Andrews　that　girls　wear　the　academic　and　becoming　costume
of　the　scarlet　gown。　　The　real　is　far　below　the　ideal；　but　the　real
in　1847　seemed　eminently　remote；　or　even　impossible。

The　learned　Princess　herself　was　not　on　our　level　as　to　knowledge　and
the　past　of　womankind。　　She　knew　not　of　their　masterly　position　in
the　law　of　ancient　Egypt。　　Gynaeocracy　and　matriarchy；　the　woman　the
head　of　the　savage　or　prehistoric　group；　were　things　hidden　from　her。
She　〃glanced　at　the　Lycian　custom；〃　but　not　at　the　Pictish；　a　custom
which　would　have　suited　George　Sand　to　a　marvel。　　She　maligned　the
Hottentots。


〃The　highest　is　the　measure　of　the　man；
And　not　the　Kaffir；　Hottentot；　Malay。〃


The　Hottentots　had　long　ago　anticipated　the　Princess　and　her　shrill
modern　sisterhood。　　If　we　take　the　Greeks；　or　even　ourselves；　we　may
say；　with　Dampier　（1689）；　〃The　Hodmadods；　though　a　nasty　people；　yet
are　gentlemen　to　these〃　as　regards　the　position　of　women。　　Let　us
hear　Mr　Hartland：　　〃In　every　Hottentot's　house　the　wife　is　supreme。
Her　husband；　poor　fellow；　though　he　may　wield　wide　power　and
influence　out　of　doors；　at　home　dare　not　even　take　a　mouthful　of
sour…milk　out　of　the　household　vat　without　her　permission　。　。　。　The
highest　oath　a　man　can　take　is　to　swear　by　his　eldest　sister；　and　if
he　abuses　this　name　he　forfeits　to　her　his　finest　goods　and　sheep。〃

However；　in　1847　England　had　not　yet　thought　of　imitating　the
Hodmadods。　　Consequently；　and　by　reason　of　the　purely　literary　and
elaborately　fantastical　character　of　The　Princess；　it　was　not　of　a
nature　to　increase　the　poet's　fame　and　success。　　〃My　book　is　out；　and
I　hate　it；　and　so　no　doubt　will　you；〃　Tennyson　wrote　to　FitzGerald；
who　hated　it　and　said　so。　　〃Like　Carlyle；　I　gave　up　all　hopes　of　him
after　The　Princess；〃　indeed　it　was　not　apt　to　conciliate　Carlyle。
〃None　of　the　songs　had　the　old　champagne　flavour；〃　said　Fitz；　and
Lord　Tennyson　adds；　〃Nothing　either　by　Thackeray　or　by　my　father　met
FitzGerald's　approbation　unless　he　had　first　seen　it　in　manuscript。〃
This　prejudice　was　very　human。　　Lord　Tennyson　remarks；　as　to　the
poet's　meaning　in　this　work；　born　too　early；　that　〃the　sooner　woman
finds　out；　before　the　great　educational　movement　begins；　that　'woman
is　not　undeveloped　man；　but　diverse；'　the　better　it　will　be　for　the
progress　of　the　world。〃

But　probably　the　〃educational　movement〃　will　not　make　much　difference
to　womankind　on　the　whole。　　The　old　Platonic　remark　that　woman　〃does
the　same　things　as　man；　but　not　so　well；〃　will　eternally　hold　good；
at　least　in　the　arts；　and　in　letters；　except　in　rare　cases　of　genius。
A　new　Jeanne　d'Arc；　the　most　signal　example　of　absolute　genius　in
history；　will　not　come　again；　and　the　ages　have　waited　vainly　for　a
new　Sappho　or　a　new　Jane　Austen。　　Literature；　poetry；　painting；　have
always　been　fields　open　to　woman。　　But　two　names　exhaust　the　roll　of
women　of　the　highest　rank　in　lettersSappho　and　Jane　Austen。　　And
〃when　did　woman　ever　yet　invent？〃　　In　〃arts　of　government〃　Elizabeth
had　courage；　and　just　saving　sense　enough　to　yield　to　Cecil　at　the
eleventh　hour；　and　escape　the　fate　of　〃her　sister　and　her　foe；〃　the
beautiful　unhappy　queen　who　told　her　ladies　that　she　dared　to　look　on
whatever　men　dared　to　do；　and　herself　would　do　it　if　her　strength　so
served　her。〃　｛6｝　　〃The　foundress　of　the　Babylonian　walls〃　is　a　myth；
〃the　Rhodope　that　built　the　Pyramid〃　is　not　a　creditable　myth；　for
exceptions　to　Knox's　〃Monstrous　Regiment　of　Women〃　we　must　fall　back
on　〃The　Palmyrene　that　fought　Aurelian；〃　and　the　revered　name　of　the
greatest　of　English　queens；　Victoria。　　Thus　history　does　not
encourage　the　hope　that　a　man…like　education　will　raise　many　women　to
the　level　of　the　highest　of　their　sex　in　the　past；　or　even　that　the
enormous　majority　of　women　will　take　advantage　of　the　opportunity　of
a　man…like　education。　　A　glance　at　the　numerous　periodicals　designed
for　the　reading　of　women　depresses　optimism；　and　the　Princess's
prophecy　of