alfred tennyson-第40章

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old　Arabian　Moallakat。〃　　The　debt　appears　to　be　infinitesimal。　　He
seems　to　have　been　less　closely　familiar　with　Elizabethan　poetry　than
might　have　been　expected：　　a　number　of　his　obiter　dicta　on　all　kinds
of　literary　points　are　recorded　in　the　Life　by　Mr　Palgrave。　　〃Sir
Walter　Scott's　short　tale；　My　Aunt　Margaret's　Mirror　（how　little
known！）；　he　once　spoke　of　as　the　finest　of　all　ghost　or　magical
stories。〃　　Lord　Tennyson　adds；　〃The　Tapestried　Chamber　also　he
greatly　admired。〃　　Both　are　lost　from　modern　view　among　the　short
pieces　of　the　last　volumes　of　the　Waverley　novels。　　Of　the　poet's
interest　in　and　attitude　towards　the　more　obscure　pyschological　and
psychical　problemsto　popular　science　foolishnessenough　has　been
said；　but　the　remarks　of　Professor　Tyndall　have　not　been　cited：…


My　special　purpose　in　introducing　this　poem；　however；　was　to　call
your　attention　to　a　passage　further　on　which　greatly　interested　me。
The　poem　is；　throughout；　a　discussion　between　a　believer　in
immortality　and　one　who　is　unable　to　believe。　　The　method　pursued　is
this。　　The　Sage　reads　a　portion　of　the　scroll；　which　he　has　taken
from　the　hands　of　his　follower；　and　then　brings　his　own　arguments　to
bear　upon　that　portion；　with　a　view　to　neutralising　the　scepticism　of
the　younger　man。　　Let　me　here　remark　that　I　read　the　whole　series　of
poems　published　under　the　title　〃Tiresias；〃　full　of　admiration　for
their　freshness　and　vigour。　　Seven　years　after　I　had　first　read　them
your　father　died；　and　you；　his　son；　asked　me　to　contribute　a　chapter
to　the　book　which　you　contemplate　publishing。　　I　knew　that　I　had　some
small　store　of　references　to　my　interview　with　your　father　carefully
written　in　ancient　journals。　　On　the　receipt　of　your　request；　I
looked　up　the　account　of　my　first　visit　to　Farringford；　and　there；　to
my　profound　astonishment；　I　found　described　that　experience　of　your
father's　which；　in　the　mouth　of　the　Ancient　Sage；　was　made　the　ground
of　an　important　argument　against　materialism　and　in　favour　of
personal　immortality　eight…and…twenty　years　afterwards。　　In　no　other
poem　during　all　these　years　is；　to　my　knowledge；　this　experience　once
alluded　to。　　I　had　completely　forgotten　it；　but　here　it　was　recorded
in　black　and　white。　　If　you　turn　to　your　father's　account　of　the
wonderful　state　of　consciousness　superinduced　by　thinking　of　his　own
name；　and　compare　it　with　the　argument　of　the　Ancient　Sage；　you　will
see　that　they　refer　to　one　and　the　same　phenomenon。


　　　And　more；　my　son！　for　more　than　once　when　I
Sat　all　alone；　revolving　in　myself
The　word　that　is　the　symbol　of　myself；
The　mortal　limit　of　the　Self　was　loosed；
And　past　into　the　Nameless；　as　a　cloud
Melts　into　heaven。　　I　touch'd　my　limbs；　the　limbs
Were　strange；　not　mineand　yet　no　shade　of　doubt；
But　utter　clearness；　and　thro'　loss　of　Self
The　gain　of　such　large　life　as　match'd　with　ours
Were　Sun　to　sparkunshadowable　in　words；
Themselves　but　shadows　of　a　shadow…world。


Any　words　about　Tennyson　as　a　politician　are　apt　to　excite　the
sleepless　prejudice　which　haunts　the　political　field。　　He　probably；
if　forced　to　〃put　a　name　to　it；〃　would　have　called　himself　a　Liberal。
But　he　was　not　a　social　agitator。　　He　never　set　a　rick　on　fire。　　〃He
held　aloof；　in　a　somewhat　detached　position；　from　the　great　social
seethings　of　his　age〃　（Mr　Frederic　Harrison）。　　But　in　youth　he　helped
to　extinguish　some　flaming　ricks。　　He　spoke　of　the　〃many…headed
beast〃　（the　reading　public）　in　terms　borrowed　from　Plato。　　He　had　no
higher　esteem　for　mobs　than　Shakespeare　or　John　Knox　professed；　while
his　theory　of　tyrants　（in　the　case　of　Napoleon　III。　about　1852）　was
that　of　Liberals　like　Mr　Swinburne　and　Victor　Hugo。　　Though　to　modern
enlightenment　Tennyson　may　seem　as　great　a　Tory　as　Dr　Johnson；　yet　he
had　spoken　his　word　in　1852　for　the　freedom　of　France；　and　for
securing　England　against　the　supposed　designs　of　a　usurper　（now
fallen）。　　He　really　believed；　obsolete　as　the　faith　may　be；　in
guarding　our　own；　both　on　land　and　sea。　　Perhaps　no　Continental　or
American　critic　has　ever　yet　dispraised　a　poetical　fellow…countryman
merely　for　urging　the　duties　of　national　union　and　national　defence。
A　critic；　however；　writes　thus　of　Tennyson：　　〃When　our　poet　descends
into　the　arena　of　party　polemics；　in　such　things　as　Riflemen；　Form！
Hands　all　Round；　。　。　。　　The　Fleet；　and　other　topical　pieces　dear　to
the　Jingo　soul；　it　is　not　poetry　but　journalism。〃　　I　doubt　whether
the　desirableness　of　the　existence　of　a　volunteer　force　and　of　a
fleet　really　is　within　the　arena　of　PARTY　polemics。　　If　any　party
thinks　that　we　ought　to　have　no　volunteers；　and　that　it　is　our　duty
to　starve　the　fleet；　what　is　that　party's　name？　　Who　cries；　〃Down
with　the　Fleet！　　Down　with　National　Defence！　　Hooray　for　the
Disintegration　of　the　Empire！〃？

Tennyson　was　not　a　party　man；　but　he　certainly　would　have　opposed　any
such　party。　　If　to　defend　our　homes　and　this　England　be　〃Jingoism；〃
Tennyson；　like　Shakespeare；　was　a　Jingo。　　But；　alas！　I　do　not　know
the　name　of　the　party　which　opposes　Tennyson；　and　which　wishes　the
invader　to　trample　down　Englandany　invader　will　do　for　so
philanthropic　a　purpose。　　Except　when　resisting　this　unnamed　party；
the　poet　seldom　or　never　entered　〃the　arena　of　party　polemics。〃
Tennyson　could　not　have　exclaimed；　like　Squire　Western；　〃Hurrah　for
old　England！　　Twenty　thousand　honest　Frenchmen　have　landed　in　Kent！〃
He　undeniably　did　write　verses　（whether　poetry　or　journalism）　tending
to　make　readers　take　an　unfavourable　view　of　honest　invaders。　　If　to
do　that　is　to　be　a　〃Jingo；〃　and　if　such　conduct　hurts　the　feelings　of
any　great　English　party；　then　Tennyson　was　a　Jingo　and　a　partisan；
and　was；　so　far；　a　rhymester；　like　Mr　Kipling。　　Indeed　we　know　that
Tennyson　applauded　Mr　Kipling's　The　English　Flag。　　So　the　worst　is
out；　as　we　in　England　count　the　worst。　　In　America　and　on　the
continent　of　Europe；　however；　a　poet　may　be　proud　of　his　country's
flag　without　incurring　rebuke　from　his　countrymen。　　Tennyson　did　not
reckon　himself　a　party　man；　he　believed　more　in　political　evolution
than　in　political　revolution；　with　cataclysms。　　He　was　neither　an
Anarchist　nor　a　Home　Ruler；　nor　a　politician　so　generous　as　to　wish
England　to　be　laid　defenceless　at　the　feet　of　her　foes。

If　these　sentiments　deserve　censure；　in　Tennyson；　at　least；　they
claim　our　tolerance。　　He　was　not　born　in　a　generation　late　enough　to
be　truly　Liberal。　　Old　prejudices　about　〃this　England；〃　old　words
from　Henry　V。　and　King　John；　haunted　his　memory　and　darkened　his
vision　of　the　true　proportions　of　things。　　We　draw　in　prejudice　with
our　mother's　milk。　　The　mother　of　Tennyson　had　not　been　an　Agnostic
or　a　Comtist；　his　father　had　not　been　a　staunch　true…blue　anti…
Englander。　　Thus　he　inherited　a　certain　bias　in　favour　of　faith　and
fatherland；　a　bias　from　which　he　could　never　emancipate　himself。　　But
tout　comprendre　c'est　tout　pardonner。　　Had　Tennyson's　birth　been
later；　we　might　find　in　him　a　more　complete　realisation　of　our　poetic
idealmight　have　detected　less　to　blame　or　to　forgive。

With　that　apology　we　must　leave　the　fame　of　Tennyson　as　a　politician
to　the　clement　consideration　of　an　enlightened　posterity。　　I　do　not
defend　his　narrow　insularities；　his　Jingoism；　or　the　appreciable
percentage　of　faith　which　blushing　analysis　may　detect　in　his　honest
doubt：　　these　things　I　may　regret　or　condemn；　but　we　ought　not　to　let
them　obscure　our　view　of　the　Poet。　　He　was　led　away　by　bad　examples。
Of　all　Jingoes　Shakespeare　is　the　most　unashamed；　and　next　to　him　are
Drayton；　Scott；　and　Wordsworth；　with　his


〃Oh；　for　one　hour　of　that　Dundee！〃


In　the　years　which　followed　the　untoward　affair　of　Waterloo　young
Tennyson　fell　much　under　the　influence　of　Shakespeare；　Wordsworth；
and　the　other　offenders；　and　these　are　extenuating　circumstances。　　By
a　curious　practical　paradox；　where　the　realms　of　poetry　and　politics
meet；　the　Tory　critics　seem　milder　of　mood　and　more　Liberal　than　the
Liberal　critics。　　Thus　Mr　William　Morris　was　certainly　a　very
advanced　political　theorist；　and　in　theology　Mr　Swinburne　has　written
things　not　easily　reconcilable　with　orthodoxy。　　Yet　we　find　Div