alfred tennyson-第37章

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　　　　　　Quintus　Calaber
Somewhat　lazily　handled　of　old。〃


Quintus　Calaber；　more　usually　called　Quintus　Smyrnaeus；　is　a　writer
of　perhaps　the　fourth　century　of　our　era。　　About　him　nothing；　or　next
to　nothing；　is　known。　　He　told；　in　so　late　an　age；　the　conclusion　of
the　Tale　of　Troy；　and　（in　the　writer's　opinion）　has　been　unduly
neglected　and　disdained。　　His　manner；　I　venture　to　think；　is　more
Homeric　than　that　of　the　more　famous　and　doubtless　greater
Alexandrian　poet　of　the　Argonautic　cycle；　Apollonius　Rhodius；　his
senior　by　five　centuries。　　His　materials　were　probably　the　ancient
and　lost　poems　of　the　Epic　Cycle；　and　the　story　of　the　death　of
OEnone　may　be　from　the　Little　Iliad　of　Lesches。　　Possibly　parts　of
his　work　may　be　textually　derived　from　the　Cyclics；　but　the　topic　is
very　obscure。　　In　Quintus；　Paris；　after　encountering　evil　omens　on
his　way；　makes　a　long　speech；　imploring　the　pardon　of　the　deserted
OEnone。　　She　replies；　not　with　the　Tennysonian　brevity；　she　sends　him
back　to　the　helpless　arms　of　her　rival；　Helen。　　Paris　dies　on　the
hills；　never　did　Helen　see　him　returning。　　The　wood…nymphs　bewail
Paris；　and　a　herdsman　brings　the　bitter　news　to　Helen；　who　chants　her
lament。　　But　remorse　falls　on　OEnone。　　She　does　not　go


　　　　　　〃Slowly　down
By　the　long　torrent's　ever…deepened　roar；〃


but　rushes　〃swift　as　the　wind　to　seek　and　spring　upon　the　pyre　of　her
lord。〃　　Fate　and　Aphrodite　drive　her　headlong；　and　in　heaven　Selene；
remembering　Endymion；　bewails　the　lot　of　her　sister　in　sorrow。
OEnone　reaches　the　funeral　flame；　and　without　a　word　or　a　cry　leaps
into　her　husband's　arms；　the　wild　Nymphs　wondering。　　The　lovers　are
mingled　in　one　heap　of　ashes；　and　these　are　bestowed　in　one　vessel　of
gold　and　buried　in　a　howe。　　This　is　the　story　which　the　poet
rehandled　in　his　old　age；　completing　the　work　of　his　happy　youth　when
he　walked　with　Hallam　in　the　Pyrenean　hills；　that　were　to　him　as　Ida。
The　romance　of　OEnone　and　her　death　condone；　as　even　Homer　was　apt　to
condone；　the　sins　of　beautiful　Paris；　whom　the　nymphs　lament；　despite
the　evil　that　he　has　wrought。　　The　silence　of　the　veiled　OEnone；　as
she　springs　into　her　lover's　last　embrace；　is　perhaps　more　affecting
and　more　natural　than　Tennyson's


　　　〃She　lifted　up　a　voice
Of　shrill　command；　'Who　burns　upon　the　pyre？'〃


The　St　Telemachus　has　the　old　splendour　and　vigour　of　verse；　and；
though　written　so　late　in　life；　is　worthy　of　the　poet's　prime：…


　　　〃Eve　after　eve　that　haggard　anchorite
Would　haunt　the　desolated　fane；　and　there
Gaze　at　the　ruin；　often　mutter　low
'Vicisti　Galilaee'；　louder　again；
Spurning　a　shatter'd　fragment　of　the　God；
'Vicisti　Galilaee！'　butwhen　now
Bathed　in　that　lurid　crimsonask'd　'Is　earth
On　fire　to　the　West？　or　is　the　Demon…god
Wroth　at　his　fall？'　and　heard　an　answer　'Wake
Thou　deedless　dreamer；　lazying　out　a　life
Of　self…suppression；　not　of　selfless　love。'
And　once　a　flight　of　shadowy　fighters　crost
The　disk；　and　once；　he　thought；　a　shape　with　wings
Came　sweeping　by　him；　and　pointed　to　the　West；
And　at　his　ear　he　heard　a　whisper　'Rome；'
And　in　his　heart　he　cried　'The　call　of　God！'
And　call'd　arose；　and；　slowly　plunging　down
Thro'　that　disastrous　glory；　set　his　face
By　waste　and　field　and　town　of　alien　tongue；
Following　a　hundred　sunsets；　and　the　sphere
Of　westward…wheeling　stars；　and　every　dawn
Struck　from　him　his　own　shadow　on　to　Rome。
　　　Foot…sore；　way…worn；　at　length　he　touch'd　his　goal；
The　Christian　city。〃


Akbar's　Dream　may　be　taken；　more　or　less；　to　represent　the　poet's　own
theology　of　a　race　seeking　after　God；　if　perchance　they　may　find　Him；
and　the　closing　Hymn　was　a　favourite　with　Tennyson。　　He　said；　〃It　is
a　magnificent　metre〃：…


〃HYMN。

I。

Once　again　thou　flamest　heavenward；　once　again　we　see　thee　rise。
Every　morning　is　thy　birthday　gladdening　human　hearts　and　eyes。
　　　Every　morning　here　we　greet　it；　bowing　lowly　down　before　thee；
Thee　the　Godlike；　thee　the　changeless　in　thine　ever…changing　skies。

II。

Shadow…maker；　shadow…slayer；　arrowing　light　from　clime　to　clime；
Hear　thy　myriad　laureates　hail　thee　monarch　in　their　woodland　rhyme。
　　　Warble　bird；　and　open　flower；　and；　men；　below　the　dome　of　azure
Kneel　adoring　Him　the　Timeless　in　the　flame　that　measures　Time！〃


In　this　final　volume　the　poet　cast　his　handful　of　incense　on　the
altar　of　Scott；　versifying　the　tale　of　Il　Bizarro；　which　the　dying
Sir　Walter　records　in　his　Journal　in　Italy。　　The　Churchwarden　and　the
Curate　is　not　inferior　to　the　earlier　peasant　poems　in　its　expression
of　shrewdness；　humour；　and　superstition。　　A　verse　of　Poets　and
Critics　may　be　taken　as　the　poet's　last　word　on　the　old　futile
quarrel：…


〃This　thing；　that　thing　is　the　rage；
Helter…skelter　runs　the　age；
Minds　on　this　round　earth　of　ours
Vary　like　the　leaves　and　flowers；
　　　Fashion'd　after　certain　laws；
Sing　thou　low　or　loud　or　sweet；
All　at　all　points　thou　canst　not　meet；
　　　Some　will　pass　and　some　will　pause。

What　is　true　at　last　will　tell：
Few　at　first　will　place　thee　well；
Some　too　low　would　have　thee　shine；
Some　too　highno　fault　of　thine　…
　　　Hold　thine　own；　and　work　thy　will！
Year　will　graze　the　heel　of　year；
But　seldom　comes　the　poet　here；
　　　And　the　Critic's　rarer　still。〃


Still　the　lines　hold　good　…


〃Some　too　low　would　have　thee　shine；
Some　too　highno　fault　of　thine。〃


The　end　was　now　at　hand。　　A　sense　of　weakness　was　felt　by　the　poet　on
September　3；　1892：　　on　the　28th　his　family　sent　for　Sir　Andrew　Clark；
but　the　patient　gradually　faded　out　of　life；　and　expired　on　Thursday；
October　6；　at　1。35　A。M。　　To　the　very　last　he　had　Shakespeare　by　him；
and　his　windows　were　open　to　the　sun；　on　the　last　night　they　were
flooded　by　the　moonlight。　　The　description　of　the　final　scenes　must
be　read　in　the　Biography　by　the　poet's　son。　　〃His　patience　and　quiet
strength　had　power　upon　those　who　were　nearest　and　dearest　to　him；　we
felt　thankful　for　the　love　and　the　utter　peace　of　it　all。〃　　〃The　life
after　death；〃　Tennyson　had　said　just　before　his　fatal　illness；　〃is
the　cardinal　point　of　Christianity。　　I　believe　that　God　reveals
Himself　in　every　individual　soul；　and　my　idea　of　Heaven　is　the
perpetual　ministry　of　one　soul　to　another。〃　　He　had　lived　the　life　of
heaven　upon　earth；　being　in　all　his　work　a　minister　of　things
honourable；　lovely；　consoling；　and　ennobling　to　the　souls　of　others；
with　a　ministry　which　cannot　die。　　His　body　sleeps　next　to　that　of
his　friend　and　fellow…poet；　Robert　Browning；　in　front　of　Chaucer's
monument　in　the　Abbey。



CHAPTER　XI。LAST　CHAPTER。



〃O；　that　Press　will　get　hold　of　me　now；〃　Tennyson　said　when　he　knew
that　his　last　hour　was　at　hand。　　He　had　a　horror　of　personal　tattle；
as　even　his　early　poems　declare　…


〃For　now　the　Poet　cannot　die；
　　　Nor　leave　his　music　as　of　old；
　　　But　round　him　ere　he　scarce　be　cold
Begins　the　scandal　and　the　cry。〃


But　no　〃carrion…vulture〃　has　waited


〃To　tear　his　heart　before　the　crowd。〃


About　Tennyson；　doubtless；　there　is　much　anecdotage：　　most　of　the
anecdotes　turn　on　his　shyness；　his　really　exaggerated　hatred　of
personal　notoriety；　and　the　odd　and　brusque　things　which　he　would　say
when　alarmed　by　effusive　strangers。　　It　has　not　seemed　worth　while　to
repeat　more　than　one　or　two　of　these　legends；　nor　have　I　sought
outside　the　Biography　by　his　son　for　more　than　the　biographer　chose
to　tell。　　The　readers　who　are　least　interested　in　poetry　are　most
interested　in　tattle　about　the　poet。　　It　is　the　privilege　of　genius
to　retain　the　freshness　and　simplicity；　with　some　of　the　foibles；　of
the　child。　　When　Tennyson　read　his　poems　aloud　he　was　apt　to　be　moved
by　them；　and　to　express　frankly　his　approbation　where　he　thought　it
deserved。　　Only　very　rudimentary　psychologists　recognised　conceit　in
this　freedom；　and　only　the　same　set　of　persons　mistook　shyness　for
arrogance。　　Effusiveness　of　praise　or　curiosity　in　a　stranger　is　apt
to　produce　bluntness　of　reply　in　a　Briton。　　〃Don't　talk　d…d　nonsense；
sir；〃　said　the　Duke　of　Wellington　to　the　gushing　person　who　piloted
him；　in　his　old　age；　across　Piccadilly。　　Of　Tennyson　Mr　Palgrave
says；　〃I　have　known　him　silenced；　almost　frozen；　be