alfred tennyson-第32章

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There　is　no　contest　of　day　and　darkness；　of　Truth　and　Error。　　The
characters　are　in　that　perplexed　condition　about　creeds　which　was
their　actual　state　after　the　political　and　social　and　religious　chaos
produced　by　Henry　VIII。　　Gardiner　is　a　Catholic；　but　not　an
Ultramontane；　Lord　William　Howard　is　a　Catholic；　but　not　a　fanatic；
we　find　a　truculent　Anabaptist；　or　Socialist；　and　a　citizen　whose
pride　is　his　moderation。　　The　native　uncritical　tendency　of　the　drama
is　to　throw　up　hats　and　halloo　for　Elizabeth　and　an　open　Bible。　　In
place　of　this；　Cecil　delivers　a　well…considered　analysis　of　the
character　of　Elizabeth


　　　〃Eliz。　　God　guide　me　lest　I　lose　the　way。
＇Exit　Elizabeth。
　　　Cecil。　　Many　points　weather'd；　many　perilous　ones；
At　last　a　harbour　opens；　but　therein
Sunk　rocksthey　need　fine　steeringmuch　it　is
To　be　nor　mad；　nor　bigothave　a　mind　…
Nor　let　Priests'　talk；　or　dream　of　worlds　to　be；
Miscolour　things　about　hersudden　touches
For　him；　or　himsunk　rocks；　no　passionate　faith　…
Butif　let　bebalance　and　compromise；
Brave；　wary；　sane　to　the　heart　of　hera　Tudor
School'd　by　the　shadow　of　deatha　Boleyn；　too；
Glancing　across　the　Tudornot　so　well。〃


This　is　excellent　as　historical　criticism；　in　the　favourable　sense；
but　the　drama；　by　its　nature；　demands　something　not　critical　but
triumphant　and　one…sided。　　The　character　of　Elizabeth　is　one　of　the
best　in　the　play；　as　her　soliloquy　（Act　III。　scene　v。）　is　one　of　the
finest　of　the　speeches。　　We　see　her　courage；　her　coquetry；　her
dissimulation；　her　arrogance。　　But　while　this　is　the　true　Elizabeth；
it　is　not　the　idealised　Elizabeth　whom　English　loyalty　created；　lived
for；　and　died　for。　　Mr　Froude　wrote；　〃You　have　given　us　the　greatest
of　all　your　works；〃　an　opinion　which　the　world　can　never　accept。
〃You　have　reclaimed　one　more　section　of　English　History　from　the
wilderness；　and　given　it　a　form　in　which　it　will　be　fixed　for　ever。
No　one　since　Shakespeare　has　done　that。〃　　But　Mr　Froude　had　done　it；
and　Tennyson's　reading　of　〃the　section〃　is　mainly　that　of　Mr　Froude。
Mr　Gladstone　found　that　Cranmer　and　Gardiner　〃are　still　in　a
considerable　degree　mysteries　to　me。〃　　A　mystery　Cranmer　must　remain。
Perhaps　the　〃crowds〃　and　〃Voices〃　are　not　the　least　excellent　of　the
characters；　Tennyson's　humour　finding　an　opportunity　in　them；　and　in
Joan　and　Tib。　　His　idyllic　charm　speaks　in　the　words　of　Lady　Clarence
to　the　fevered　Queen；　and　there　is　dramatic　genius　in　her　reply：…


　　　〃Mary。　　What　is　the　strange　thing　happiness？　　Sit　down　here：
Tell　me　thine　happiest　hour。
　　　Lady　Clarence。　　I　will；　if　that
May　make　your　Grace　forget　yourself　a　little。
There　runs　a　shallow　brook　across　our　field
For　twenty　miles；　where　the　black　crow　flies　five；
And　doth　so　bound　and　babble　all　the　way
As　if　itself　were　happy。　　It　was　May…time；
And　I　was　walking　with　the　man　I　loved。
I　loved　him；　but　I　thought　I　was　not　loved。
And　both　were　silent；　letting　the　wild　brook
Speak　for　ustill　he　stoop'd　and　gather'd　one
From　out　a　bed　of　thick　forget…me…nots；
Look'd　hard　and　sweet　at　me；　and　gave　it　me。
I　took　it；　tho'　I　did　not　know　I　took　it；
And　put　it　in　my　bosom；　and　all　at　once
I　felt　his　arms　about　me；　and　his　lips　…
　　　Mary。　　O　God！　　I　have　been　too　slack；　too　slack；
There　are　Hot　Gospellers　even　among　our　guards　…
Nobles　we　dared　not　touch。　　We　have　but　burnt
The　heretic　priest；　workmen；　and　women　and　children。
Wet；　famine；　ague；　fever；　storm；　wreck；　wrath；　…
We　have　so　play'd　the　coward；　but　by　God's　grace；
We'll　follow　Philip's　leading；　and　set　up
The　Holy　Office　heregarner　the　wheat；
And　burn　the　tares　with　unquenchable　fire！〃


The　conclusion；　in　the　acting　edition；　printed　in　the　Biography；
appears　to　be　an　improvement　on　that　in　the　text　as　originally
published。　　Unhappy　as　the　drama　essentially　is；　the　welcome　which　Mr
Browning　gave　both　to　the　published　work　and　to　the　acted　play〃a
complete　success〃：　　〃conception；　execution；　the　whole　and　the　parts；
I　see　nowhere　the　shadow　of　a　fault〃offers　〃relief〃　in　actual　human
nature。　　〃He　is　the　greatest…brained　poet　in　England；〃　Tennyson　said；
on　a　later　occasion。　　〃Violets　fade；　he　has　given　me　a　crown　of
gold。〃

Before　writing　Harold　（1876）　the　poet　〃studied　many　recent　plays；〃
and　re…read　AEschylus　and　Sophocles。　　For　history　he　went　to　the
Bayeux　tapestry；　the　Roman　de　Rou；　Lord　Lytton；　and　Freeman。
Students　of　a　recent　controversy　will　observe　that；　following
Freeman；　he　retains　the　famous　palisade；　so　grievously　battered　by
the　axe…strokes　of　Mr　Horace　Round。　　Harold　is　a　piece　more
compressed；　and　much　more　in　accordance　with　the　traditions　of　the
drama；　than　Queen　Mary。　　The　topic　is　tragic　indeed：　　the　sorrow
being　that　of　a　great　man；　a　great　king；　the　bulwark　of　a　people　that
fell　with　his　fall。　　Moreover；　as　the　topic　is　treated；　the　play　is
rich　in　the　irony　usually　associated　with　the　name　of　Sophocles。
Victory　comes　before　a　fall。　　Harold；　like　Antigone；　is　torn　between
two　dutieshis　oath　and　the　claims　of　his　country。　　His　ruin　comes
from　what　Aristotle　would　call　his　＇Greek　text　which　cannot　be
reproduced＇；　his　fault　in　swearing　the　oath　to　William。　　The　hero
himself；　recking　little；　after　a　superstitious　moment；　of　the
concealed　relics　over　which　he　swore；　deems　his　offence　to　lie　in
swearing　a　vow　which　he　never　meant　to　keep。　　The　persuasions　which
urge　him　to　this　course　are　admirably　presented：　　England；　Edith；　his
brother's　freedom；　were　at　stake。　　Casuistry；　or　even　law；　would　have
absolved　him　easily；　an　oath　taken　under　duresse　is　of　no　avail。　　But
Harold's　〃honour　rooted　in　dishonour　stood；〃　and　he　cannot　so　readily
absolve　himself。　　Bruce　and　the　bishops　who　stood　by　Bruce　had　no
such　scruples：　　they　perjured　themselves　often；　on　the　most　sacred
relics；　especially　the　bishops。　　But　Harold　rises　above　the　mediaeval
and　magical　conception　of　the　oath；　and　goes　to　his　doom　conscious　of
a　stain　on　his　honour；　of　which　only　a　deeper　stain；　that　of
falseness　to　his　country；　could　make　him　clean。　　This　is　a　truly
tragic　stroke　of　destiny。　　The　hero's　character　is　admirably　noble；
patient；　and　simple。　　The　Confessor　also　is　as　true　in　art　as　to
history；　and　his　vision　of　the　fall　and　rise　of　England　is　a　noble
passage。　　In　Aldwyth　we　have　something　of　Vivien；　with　a　grain　of
conscience；　and　the　part　of　Edith　Swan's…neck　has　a　restrained　and
classic　pathos　in　contrast　with　the　melancholy　of　Wulfnoth。　　The
piece；　as　the　poet　said；　is　a　〃tragedy　of　doom；〃　of　deepening　and
darkening　omens；　as　in　the　Odyssey　and　Njal's　Saga。　　The　battle
scene；　with　the　choruses　of　the　monks；　makes　a　noble　close。

FitzGerald　remained　loyal；　but　it　was　to　〃a　fairy　Prince　who　came
from　other　skies　than　these　rainy　ones；〃　and　〃the　wretched　critics；〃
as　G。　H。　Lewes　called　them；　seem　to　have　been　unfriendly。　　In　fact
（besides　the　innate　wretchedness　of　all　critics）；　they　grudged　the
time　and　labour　given　to　the　drama；　in　an　undramatic　age。　　Harold　had
not　what　FitzGerald　called　〃the　old　champagne　flavour〃　of　the　vintage
of　1842。

Becket　was　begun　in　1876；　printed　in　1879；　and　published　in　1884。
Before　that　date；　in　1880；　Tennyson　produced　one　of　the　volumes　of
poetry　which　was　more　welcome　than　a　play　to　most　of　his　admirers。
The　intervening　years　passed　in　the　Isle　of　Wight；　at　Aldworth；　in
town；　and　in　summer　tours；　were　of　no　marked　biographical　interest。
The　poet　was　close　on　three　score　and　tenhe　reached　that　limit　in
1879。　　The　days　darkened　around　him；　as　darken　they　must：　　in　the
spring　of　1879　he　lost　his　favourite　brother；　himself　a　poet　of
original　genius；　Charles　Tennyson　Turner。　　In　May　of　the　same　year　he
published　The　Lover's　Tale；　which　has　been　treated　here　among　his
earliest　works。　　His　hours；　and　（to　some　extent）　his　meals；　were
regulated　by　Sir　Andrew　Clark。　　He　planted　trees；　walked；　read；
loitered　in　his　garden；　and　kept　up　his　old　friendships；　while　he
made　that　of　the　great　Gordon。　　Compliments　passed　between　him　and
Victor　Hugo；　who　had　entertained　Lionel　Tennyson　in　Paris；　and　wrote：
〃Je　lis　avec　emotion　vos　vers　superbes；　c'est　un　reflet　de　gloire　que
vous　m'envoyez。〃　　Mr　Matthew　Arnold's　compliment　was　very　li