alfred tennyson-第30章

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have　much　to　say；　wisdom；　little；〃　said　Sam　Wesley。　　Probably　the
talk　about　David　Dunglas　Home；　the　〃medium〃　then　in　vogue；　led　to　the
discussion　of　〃spiritualism。〃　　We　do　not　hear　that　Tennyson　ever　had
the　curiosity　to　see　Home；　whom　Mr　Browning　so　firmly　detested。

In　September　The　Holy　Grail　was　begun：　　it　was　finished　〃in　about　a
week。　　It　came　like　a　breath　of　inspiration。〃　　The　subject　had　for
many　years　been　turned　about　in　the　poet's　mind；　which；　of　course；
was　busy　in　these　years　of　apparent　inactivity。　　At　this　time　（August
1868）　Tennyson　left　his　old　publishers；　the　Moxons；　for　Mr　Strahan；
who　endured　till　1872。　　Then　he　was　succeeded　by　Messrs　H。　S。　King　&
Co。；　who　gave　place　（1879）　to　Messrs　Kegan　Paul　&　Co。；　while　in　1884
Messrs　Macmillan　became；　and　continue　to　be；　the　publishers。　　A　few
pieces；　except　Lucretius　（Macmillan's　Magazine；　May　1868）
unimportant；　appeared　in　serials。

Very　early　in　1869　The　Coming　of　Arthur　was　composed；　while　Tennyson
was　reading　Browning's　The　Ring　and　the　Book。　　He　and　his　great
contemporary　were　on　terms　of　affectionate　friendship；　though
Tennyson；　perhaps；　appreciated　less　of　Browning　than　Browning　of
Tennyson。　　Meanwhile　〃Old　Fitz〃　kept　up　a　fire　of　unsympathetic
growls　at　Browning　and　all　his　works。　　〃I　have　been　trying　in　vain　to
read　it〃　（The　Ring　and　the　Book）；　〃and　yet　the　Athenaeum　tells　me　it
is　wonderfully　fine。〃　　FitzGerald's　ply　had　been　taken　long　ago；　he
wanted　verbal　music　in　poetry　（no　exorbitant　desire）；　while；　in
Browning；　carmina　desunt。　　Perhaps；　too；　a　personal　feeling；　as　if
Browning　was　Tennyson's　rival；　affected　the　judgment　of　the　author　of
Omar　Khayyam。　　We　may　almost　call　him　〃the　author。〃

The　Holy　Grail；　with　the　smaller　poems；　such　as　Lucretius；　was
published　at　the　end　of　1869。　　FitzGerald　appears　to　have　preferred
The　Northern　Farmer；　〃the　substantial　rough…spun　nature　I　knew；〃　to
all　the　visionary　knights　in　the　airy　Quest。　　To　compare　〃〃
（obviously　Browning）　with　Tennyson；　was　〃to　compare　an　old　Jew's
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；　an