alfred tennyson-第14章

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　　　In　matter…moulded　forms　of　speech；
　　　Or　ev'n　for　intellect　to　reach
Thro'　memory　that　which　I　became。〃


Experiences　like　this；　subjective；　and　not　matter　for　argument；　were
familiar　to　Tennyson。　　Jowett　said；　〃He　was　one　of　those　who；　though
not　an　upholder　of　miracles；　thought　that　the　wonders　of　Heaven　and
Earth　were　never　far　absent　from　us。〃　　In　The　Mystic；　Tennyson；　when
almost　a　boy；　had　shown　familiarity　with　strange　psychological　and
psychical　conditions。　　Poems　of　much　later　life　also　deal　with　these；
and；　more　or　less　consciously；　his　philosophy　was　tinged；　and　his
confidence　that　we　are　more　than　〃cunning　casts　in　clay〃　was
increased；　by　phenomena　of　experience；　which　can　only　be　evidence　for
the　mystic　himself；　if　even　for　him。　　But　this　dim　aspect　of　his
philosophy；　of　course；　is　〃to　the　Greeks　foolishness。〃

His　was　a　philosophy　of　his　own；　not　a　philosophy　for　disciples；　and
〃those　that　eddy　round　and　round。〃　　It　was　the　sum　of　his　reflection
on　the　mass　of　his　impressions。　　I　have　shown；　by　the　aid　of　dates；
that　it　was　not　borrowed　from　Huxley；　Mr　Stopford　Brooke；　or　the　late
Duke　of　Argyll。　　But；　no　doubt；　many　of　the　ideas　were　〃in　the　air；〃
and　must　have　presented　themselves　to　minds　at　once　of　religious
tendency；　and　attracted　by　the　evolutionary　theories　which　had　always
existed　as　floating　speculations；　till　they　were　made　current　coin　by
the　genius　and　patient　study　of　Darwin。　　That　Tennyson's　opinions
between　1830　and　1840　were　influenced　by　those　of　F。　D。　Maurice　is
reckoned　probable　by　Canon　Ainger；　author　of　the　notice　of　the　poet
in　The　Dictionary　of　National　Biography。　　In　the　Life　of　Maurice；
Tennyson　does　not　appear　till　1850；　and　the　two　men　were　not　at
Cambridge　together。　　But　Maurice's　ideas；　as　they　then　existed；　may
have　reached　Tennyson　orally　through　Hallam　and　other　members　of　the
Trinity　set；　who　knew　personally　the　author　of　Letters　to　a　Quaker。
However；　this　is　no　question　of　scientific　priority：　　to　myself　it
seems　that　Tennyson　〃beat　his　music　out〃　for　himself；　as　perhaps　most
people　do。　　Like　his　own　Sir　Percivale；　〃I　know　not　all　he　meant。〃

Among　the　opinions　as　to　In　Memoriam　current　at　the　time　of　its
publication　Lord　Tennyson　notices　those　of　Maurice　and　Robertson。
They　〃thought　that　the　poet　had　made　a　definite　step　towards　the
unification　of　the　highest　religion　and　philosophy　with　the
progressive　science　of　the　day。〃　　Neither　science　nor　religion　stands
still；　neither　stands　now　where　it　then　did。　　Conceivably　they　are
travelling　on　paths　which　will　ultimately　coincide；　but　this　opinion；
of　course；　must　seem　foolishness　to　most　professors　of　science。
Bishop　Westcott　was　at　Cambridge　when　the　book　appeared：　　he　is　one
of　Mr　Harrison's　possible　sources　of　Tennyson's　ideas。　　He　recognised
the　poet's　〃splendid　faith　（in　the　face　of　every　difficulty）　in　the
growing　purpose　of　the　sum　of　life；　and　in　the　noble　destiny　of　the
individual　man。〃　　Ten　years　later　Professor　Henry　Sidgwick；　a　mind
sufficiently　sceptical；　found　in　some　lines　of　In　Memoriam　〃the
indestructible　and　inalienable　minimum　of　faith　which　humanity　cannot
give　up　because　it　is　necessary　for　life；　and　which　I　know　that　I；　at
least　so　far　as　the　man　in　me　is　deeper　than　the　methodical　thinker；
cannot　give　up。〃　　But　we　know　that　many　persons　not　only　do　not　find
an　irreducible　minimum　of　faith　〃necessary　for　life；〃　but　are　highly
indignant　and　contemptuous　if　any　one　else　ventures　to　suggest　the
logical　possibility　of　any　faith　at　all。

The　mass　of　mankind　will　probably　never　be　convinced　unbelievers
nay；　probably　the　backward　or　forward　swing　of　the　pendulum　will
touch　more　convinced　belief。　　But　there　always　have　been；　since　the
Rishis　of　India　sang；　superior　persons　who　believe　in　nothing　not
materialwhatever　the　material　may　be。　　Tennyson　was；　it　is　said；
〃impatient〃　of　these　esprits　forts；　and　they　are　impatient　of　him。
It　is　an　error　to　be　impatient：　　we　know　not　whither　the　logos　may
lead　us；　or　later　generations；　and　we　ought　not　to　be　irritated　with
others　because　it　leads　them　into　what　we　think　the　wrong　path。　　It
is　unfortunate　that　a　work　of　art；　like　In　Memoriam；　should　arouse
theological　or　anti…theological　passions。　　The　poet　only　shows　us　the
paths　by　which　his　mind　travelled：　　they　may　not　be　the　right　paths；
nor　is　it　easy　to　trace　them　on　a　philosophical　chart。　　He　escaped
from　Doubting　Castle。　　Others　may　〃take　that　for　a　hermitage；〃　and　be
happy　enough　in　the　residence。　　We　are　all　determined　by　our　bias：
Tennyson's　is　unconcealed。　　His　poem　is　not　a　tract：　　it　does　not　aim
at　the　conversion　of　people　with　the　contrary　bias；　it　is　irksome；　in
writing　about　a　poet；　to　be　obliged　to　discuss　a　philosophy　which；
certainly；　is　not　stated　in　the　manner　of　Spinoza；　but　is　merely　the
equilibrium　of　contending　forces　in　a　single　mind。

The　most　famous　review　of　In　Memoriam　is　that　which　declared　that
〃these　touching　lines　evidently　come　from　the　full　heart　of　the　widow
of　a　military　man。〃　　This　is　only　equalled；　if　equalled；　by　a　recent
critique　which　treated　a　fresh　edition　of　Jane　Eyre　as　a　new　novel；
〃not　without　power；　in　parts；　and　showing　some　knowledge　of　Yorkshire
local　colour。〃



CHAPTER　VI。AFTER　IN　MEMORIAM。



On　June　13　Tennyson　married；　at　Shiplake；　the　object　of　his　old；
long…tried；　and　constant　affection。　　The　marriage　was　still
〃imprudent；〃eight　years　of　then　uncontested　supremacy　in　English
poetry　had　not　brought　a　golden　harvest。　　Mr　Moxon　appears　to　have
supplied　300　pounds　〃in　advance　of　royalties。〃　　The　sum；　so
contemptible　in　the　eyes　of　first…rate　modern　novelists；　was　a
competence　to　Tennyson；　added　to　his　little　pension　and　the　epaves　of
his　patrimony。　　〃The　peace　of　God　came　into　my　life　when　I　married
her；〃　he　said　in　later　days。　　The　poet　made　a　charming　copy　of　verses
to　his　friend；　the　Rev。　Mr　Rawnsley；　who　tied　the　knot；　as　he　and　his
bride　drove　to　the　beautiful　village　of　Pangbourne。　　Thence　they　went
to　the　stately　Clevedon　Court；　the　seat　of　Sir　Abraham　Elton；　hard　by
the　church　where　Arthur　Hallam　sleeps。　　The　place　is　very　ancient　and
beautiful；　and　was　a　favourite　haunt　of　Thackeray。　　They　passed　on　to
Lynton；　and　to　Glastonbury；　where　a　collateral　ancestor　of　Mrs
Tennyson's　is　buried　beside　King　Arthur's　grave；　in　that　green　valley
of　Avilion；　among　the　apple…blossoms。　　They　settled　for　a　while　at
Tent　Lodge　on　Coniston　Water；　in　a　land　of　hospitable　Marshalls。

After　their　return　to　London；　on　the　night　of　November　18；　Tennyson
dreamed　that　Prince　Albert　came　and　kissed　him；　and　that　he　himself
said；　〃Very　kind；　but　very　German；〃　which　was　very　like　him。　　Next
day　he　received　from　Windsor　the　offer　of　the　Laureateship。　　He
doubted；　and　hesitated；　but　accepted。　　Since　Wordsworth's　death　there
had；　as　usual；　been　a　good　deal　of　banter　about　the　probable　new
Laureate：　　examples　of　competitive　odes　exist　in　Bon　Gaultier。　　That
by　Tennyson　is　Anacreontic；　but　he　was　not　really　set　on　kissing　the
Maids　of　Honour；　as　he　is　made　to　sing。　　Rogers　had　declined；　on　the
plea　of　extreme　old　age；　but　it　was　worthy　of　the　great　and　good
Queen　not　to　overlook　the　Nestor　of　English　poets。　　For　the　rest；　the
Queen　looked　for　〃a　name　bearing　such　distinction　in　the　literary
world　as　to　do　credit　to　the　appointment。〃　　In　the　previous　century
the　great　poets　had　rarely　been　Laureates。　　But　since　Sir　Walter
Scott　declined　the　bays　in　favour　of　Southey；　for　whom；　again；　the
tale　of　bricks　in　the　way　of　Odes　was　lightened；　and　when　Wordsworth
succeeded　Southey；　the　office　became　honourable。　　Tennyson　gave　it　an
increase　of　renown；　while；　though　in　itself　of　merely　nominal　value；
it　served　his　poems；　to　speak　profanely；　as　an　advertisement。　　New
editions　of　his　books　were　at　once　in　demand；　while　few　readers　had
ever　heard　of　Mr　Browning；　already　his　friend；　and　already　author　of
Men　and　Women。

The　Laureateship　brought　the　poet　acquainted　with　the　Queen；　who　was
to　be　his　debtor　in　later　days　for　encouragement　and　consolation。　　To
his　Laureateship　we　owe；　among　other　good　things；　the　stately　and
moving　Ode　on　the　Death　of　the　Duke　of　Wellington；　a　splend