CHAPTERIII——1837-1842。
In1837theTennysonslefttheoldrectory；till1840theylivedatHighBeechinEppingForest，andafterabriefstayatTunbridgeWellswenttoBoxley，nearMaidstone。
Itappearsthatatlastthepoethad\"beathismusicout，\"thoughhisfriends\"stilltriedtocheerhim。\"ButthemanwhowroteUlysseswhenhisgriefwasfreshcouldnotbesuspectedofdecliningintoahypochondriac。\"IfImeantomakemymarkatall，itmustbebyshortness，\"hesaidatthistime；\"forthemenbeforemehadbeensodiffuse，andmostofthebigthings，exceptKingArthur，hadbeendone。\"Theagehadnotlateteepique:Poehadannouncedtheparadoxthatthereisnosuchthingasalongpoem，andevenindealingwithArthur，TennysonfollowedtheexampleofTheocritusinwriting，notanepic，butepicidylls。Longpoemssuitanageoflisteners，forwhichtheywereoriginallycomposed，orofleisureandfewbooks。Atpresentepicsarereadforduty\'ssake，notfortheonlyvalidreason，\"forhumanpleasure，\"inFitzGerald\'sphrase。
Between1838and1840TennysonmadesomebrieftoursinEnglandwithFitzGerald，and，comingfromCoventry，wroteGodiva。HisengagementwithMissSellwoodseemedtobeadjournedsinedie，astheywereforbiddentocorrespond。
By1841TennysonwaslivingatMablethorpeontheLincolnshirecoast；
workingathisvolumesof1842，muchurgedbyFitzGeraldandAmericanadmirers，whohadheardofthepoetthroughEmerson。Moxonwastobethepublisher，himselfsomethingofapoet；butearlyin1842hehadnotyetreceivedtheMS。PerhapsEmersonheardofTennysonthroughCarlyle，who，saysSterling，\"saidmoreinyourpraisethaninanyone\'sexceptCromwell，andanAmericanbackwoodsmanwhohaskilledthirtyorfortypeoplewithabowie-knife。\"CarlyleatthistimewasmuchattachedtoLockhart，editoroftheQuarterlyReview，anditmayhavebeenCarlylewhoconvertedLockharttoadmirationofhisoldvictim。CarlylehadverylittlemoreappreciationofKeatsthanhadByron，or(inearlydays)Lockhart，anditwasprobablyasmuchthemanofheroicphysicalmould，\"alife-guardsmanspoiltbymakingpoetry，\"andtheunaffectedcompanionoverapipe，asthepoet，thatattractedhiminTennyson。Aswesaw，whenthetwotriumphantvolumesof1842didappear，LockhartaskedSterlingtoreviewwhateverbookhepleased(meaningthePoems)intheQuarterly。ThepraiseofSterlingmayseemlukewarmtous，especiallywhencomparedwiththatofSpeddingintheEdinburgh。ButSterling，andLockharttoo，wereobligedto\"gangwarily。\"Lockharthad，tohisconstantannoyance，\"apartner，MrCroker，\"andIhaveheardfromthelateDeanBoylethatMrCrokerwasmuchannoyedbyeventhemildapplauseyieldedintheQuarterlytotheauthoroftheMorted\'Arthur。
Whilepreparingthevolumesof1842atBoxley，Tennyson\'slifewasdividedbetweenLondonandthesocietyofhisbrother-in-law，MrEdmundLushington，thegreatGreekscholarandProfessorofGreekatGlasgowUniversity。TherewasinMrLushington\'spersonalaspect，andnoblesimplicityofmannerandcharacter，somethingthatstronglyresembledTennysonhimself。AmongtheircommonfriendswereLordHoughton(MoncktonMilnes)，MrLearoftheBookofNonsense(\"withsuchapencil，suchapen\")，MrVenables(whoatschoolmodifiedtheprofileofThackeray)，andLordKelvin。IntownTennysonmethisfriendsatTheCock，whichherenderedclassic；amongthemwereThackeray，Forster，Maclise，andDickens。Thetimeswerestirring:
socialagitation，and\"Carolphilosophy\"inDickens，withgrowlsfromCarlyle，markedtheperiod。Therewasalsoakindofoptimismintheair，apropheticoptimism，notyetfulfilled。
\"Fly，happyhappysails，andbearthePress!\"
Thatmissionnolongerstrikesusasexquisitelyfelicitous。\"ThemissionoftheCross，\"andofthemissionaries，meansinternationalcomplications；and\"themarketsoftheGoldenYear\"arepreciselythemostfruitfulcausesofwarsandrumoursofwars:-
\"SeaandairaredarkWithgreatcontrivancesofPower。\"
Tennyson\'swasnotanunmitigatedoptimism，andhadnospecialconfidencein\"Theherd，wildheartsandfeeblewingsThateverysophistercanlime。\"
Hispoliticalpoetry，infact，wasveryunlikethesocialistchantsofMrWilliamMorris，orSongsbeforeSunrise。Hehadnothingtosayabout\"ThebloodonthehandsoftheKing，AndthelieonthelipsofthePriest。\"
ThehandsofPresidentshavenotalwaysbeenunstained；norarestatementsofamythicalnatureconfinedtothelipsoftheclergy。
Thepoetwasanxiousthatfreedomshould\"broadendown，\"but\"slowly，\"notwithindelicatehaste。Personswhoaremoreinahurrywillnevercareforthepoliticalpoems，anditiscertainthatTennysondidnotfeelsympatheticallyinclinedtowardstheIberianpatriotwhosaidthathisdarlingdesirewas\"tocutthethroatsofallthecures，\"likesomeCovenantersofold。\"Maisvousconnaissezmoncoeur\"——\"andaprettyblackoneitis，\"thoughtyoungTennyson。
Socautiousinyouth，duringhisPyreneantourwithHallamin1830，Tennysoncouldnotbecomeaconvincedrevolutionarylater。Wemustaccepthimwithhislimitations:normustweconfusehimwiththeheroofhisLocksleyHall，oneofthemostpopular，andmostparodied，ofthepoemsof1842:fullofbeautifulimagesand\"confusionsofawastedyouth，\"ayouthdramaticallyconceived，andinnowayautobiographical。
Insomarvellousatreasureofpreciousthingsasthevolumesof1842，perhapsnoneismoresplendid，perfect，andperdurablethantheMorted\'Arthur。Ithadbeenwrittensevenyearsearlier，andpronouncedbythepoet\"notbad。\"Tennysonwasnever，perhaps，averydeepArthurianstudent。AlittlecheapcopyofMalorywashiscompanion。{4}HedoesnotappeartohavegonedeeplyintotheFrenchandGerman\"literatureofthesubject。\"Malory\'scompilation(1485)fromFrenchandEnglishsources，withtheMabinogionofLadyCharlotteGuest，sufficedforhimasmaterials。Thewholepoem，enshrinedinthememoryofallloversofverse，isrichlystudded，asthehiltofExcalibur，withclassicalmemories。\"AfaintHomericecho\"itisnot，noraVirgilianecho，buttheabsolutevoiceofoldromance，athingthatmighthavebeenchantedby\"ThelonelymaidenoftheLake\"
when\"Nineyearsshewroughtit，sittinginthedeeps，Uponthehiddenbasesofthehills。\"
PerhapsthemostexquisiteadaptationofallarethelinesfromtheOdyssey-
\"Wherefallsnothailnorrain，noranysnow。\"
\"SoftlythroughtheflutesoftheGrecians\"camefirsttheseElysiannumbers，thenthroughLucretius，thenthroughTennyson\'sownLucretius，theninMrSwinburne\'sAtalantainCalydon:-
\"Landsindiscoverableintheunheard-ofwestRoundwhichthestrongstreamofasacredseaRollswithoutwindforever，andthesnowThereshowsnotherwhitewingsandwindyfeet，Northundernorswiftrainsaithanything，Northesunburns，butallthingsrestandthrive。\"
Sofortunateintheirtransmissionthroughpoetshavebeenthelinesof\"theIonianfatheroftherest，\"thegreatestofthemall。
InthevarietyofexcellenceswhichmarksTennyson，thenewEnglishidyllsof1842holdtheirprominentplace。NothingcanbemoreexquisiteandmoreEnglishthanthepictureof\"thegardenthatI
love。\"Theocrituscannotbesurpassed；buttheidyllmatchestotheseventhofhis，whereitismostcloselyfollowed，andpossessessuchapictureofagirlastheSiciliannevertriedtopaint。
Doraisanotheridyll，resemblingtheworkofaWordsworthinaclimesofterthanthatoftheFells。ThelaysofEdwinMorrisandEdwardBullarenotamongthemoreenduringofeventheplayfulpoems。TheStSimeonStylitesappears\"madetothehand\"oftheauthorofMenandWomenratherthanofTennyson。Thegrotesquevanityoftheanchoriteissoremotefromus，thatwecanscarcelyjudgeofthetruthofthepicture，thoughtheEasthasstillherparallelstoStSimeon。Fromthealmost，perhapsquite，incredibleasceticthepoetlightlyturnsto\"societyverse\"liftedupintotheairofpoetry，inthecharmofTheTalkingOak，andthehappyflittingsketchesofactualhistory；andthencetothestrengthandpassionofLoveandDuty。Shall\"SinitselfbefoundThecloudyporchoftopeningontheSun？\"
Thatthisistheprovinceofsinisaprettypopularmodernmoral。
ButHonouristhebetterpart，andherewasapoetwhohadthecouragetosayso；though，tobesure，thewordsringstrangeinanagewhenhighlyrespectablematronsassureusthat\"passion，\"likecharity，coversamultitudeofsins。LoveandDuty，wemustadmit，is\"earlyVictorian。\"
TheUlyssesisalmostarivaltotheMorted\'Arthur。Itisofanearlydate，afterArthurHallam\'sdeath，andThackerayspeaksofthepoetchantinghis\"GreatAchilleswhomweknew，\"
asifhethoughtthatthiswasinCambridgedays。Butitislaterthanthese。Tennysonsaid，\"UlysseswaswrittensoonafterArthurHallam\'sdeath，andgavemyfeelingabouttheneedofgoingforward，andbravingthestruggleoflife，perhapsmoresimplythananythinginInMemoriam。\"Assuredlytheexpressionismoresimple，andmorenoble，andthepersonalemotionmoredignifiedfortheclassicveil。
WhentheplaintivePessimist(\"\'proudofthetitle，\'astheLivingSkeletonsaidwhentheyshowedhim\")tellsusthat\"nottohavebeenbornisbest，\"wemayanswerwithUlysses-
\"LifepiledonlifeWerealltoolittle。\"
TheUlyssesofTennyson，ofcourse，isDante\'sUlysses，notHomer\'sOdysseus，whobroughthometoIthacanotoneofhismariners。Hislastknownadventure，thejourneytothelandofmenwhoknewnotthesavourofsalt，Odysseuswastomakeonfootandalone；sospaketheghostofTiresiaswithinthepoplarpaleofPersephone。
TheTwoVoicesexpressesthecontestofdoubtsandgriefswiththespiritofenduranceandjoywhichspeaksaloneinUlysses。Themanwhoisunhappy，butdoesnotwanttoputanendtohimself，hascertainlythebetteroftheargumentwiththedespairingVoice。Theargumentsof\"thatbarrenVoice\"are，indeed，remarkablydeficientincogencyandlogic，ifwecanbringourselvestostripthediscussionofitspoetry。Theoriginaltitle，ThoughtsofaSuicide，wasinappropriate。Thesuicidalsuggestionsarepromptlyfacedandconfuted，andthemoodoftheauthoristhroughoutthatofonewhothinkslifeworthliving:-
\"Whatevercrazysorrowsaith，NolifethatbreatheswithhumanbreathHasevertrulylong\'dfordeath。
\'Tislifewhereofournervesarescant，Ohlife，notdeath，forwhichwepant；
Morelife，andfuller，thatIwant。\"
Thisappearstobeasatisfactoryreplytothepersonswhoekeoutalivelihoodbypublishingpessimisticbooks，andhooting，asthegreatAlexandreDumassays，atthegreatdramaofLife。
WithTheDay-Dream(ofTheSleepingBeauty)Tennysonagaindisplayshismatchlessrangeofpowers。VerseofSocietyrisesintoacharmedandmusicalfantasy，passingfromtheBerlin-woolworkoftheperiod(\"Takethebroideryframe，andaddAcrimsontothequaintMacaw\")
intotheenchantedlandofthefable:princesimmortal，princesseseternallyyoungandfair。TheStAgnesandSirGalahad，companionpieces，containtheromance，asStSimeonStylitesshowstherepulsivesideofasceticism；forthesaintandtheknightareyoung，beautiful，andeagerasStTheresainherchildhood。Ithasbeensaid，Idonotknowonwhatauthority，thatthepoethadnorecollectionofcomposingSirGalahad，anymorethanScottrememberedcomposingTheBrideofLammermoor，orThackeraypartsofPendennis。
ThehauntingofTennyson\'smindbytheArthurianlegendspromptedalsothelovelyfragmentontheQueen\'slastMaying，SirLauncelotandQueenGuinevere，athingofperfectcharmandmusic。TheballadsofLadyClareandTheLordofBurleigharenotexamplesofthepoetinhisstrength；forhispowerandfantasywemustturntoTheVisionofSin，wheretheearlypassageshavethelanguidvoluptuousmusicofTheLotos-Eaters，withtheethicalelementsuperadded，whiletheportionbeginning-
\"Wrinkledostler，grimandthinisinpartsreminiscentofBurns\'sJollyBeggars。InBreak，Break，Break，wehearanoteprelusivetoInMemoriam，muchofwhichwasalreadycomposed。
ThePoemsof1842arealwaysvocalinthememoriesofallreadersofEnglishverse。Nonearemorefamiliar，atleasttomenofthegenerationswhichimmediatelyfollowedTennyson\'s。FitzGeraldwasapttothinkthatthepoetneveragainattainedthesamelevel，andI
venturetosupposethatheneverroseaboveit。ForFitzGerald\'sopinion，rightorwrong，itiseasytoaccount。Hehadseenallthepiecesinmanuscript；theywerehischerishedpossessionbeforetheworldknewthem。C\'estmonhomme，hemighthavesaidofTennyson，asBoileausaidofMoliere。BeforethepublicawokeFitzGeraldhad\"discoveredTennyson，\"andthatattheagemostopentopoetryandmostenthusiasticinfriendship。Again，thePoemsof1842wereSHORT，whileThePrincess，Maud，andTheIdyllsoftheKingwererelativelylong，and，withInMemoriam，possessedunityofsubject。
Theylackedtherich，theunexampledvarietyoftopic，treatment，andthemewhichmarksthePoemsof1842。ThesewereallreasonswhyFitzGeraldshouldthinkthatthetwoslimgreenvolumesheldthepoet\'sworkatitshighestlevel。Perhapshewasnotwrong，afterall。
CHAPTERIV——1842-848——THEPRINCESS。
ThePoems，andsuchcriticismsasthoseofSpeddingandSterling，gaveTennysonhisplace。Alltheworldoflettersheardofhim。
DeanBradleytellsushowhetookOxfordbystorminthedaysoftheundergraduateshipofCloughandMatthewArnold。Probablybothoftheseyoungwritersdidnotsharetheundergraduateenthusiasm。MrArnold，weknow，didnotreckonTennysonunespritpuissant。LikeWordsworth(whothoughtTennyson\"decidedlythefirstofourlivingpoets，……hehasexpressedinthestrongesttermshisgratitudetomywritings\")，Arnoldwasnoferventadmirerofhiscontemporaries。
Besides，ifTennyson\'sworkis\"acriticismofLife，\"themoralcriticism，sofar，washiddeninflowers，liketheswordofAristogitonatthefeast。But，onthewhole，Tennysonhadwontheyoungmenwhocaredforpoetry，thoughSirRobertPeelhadneverheardofhim:andtowintheyoung，asTheocritusdesiredtodo，ismorethanhalfthebattle。OnSeptember8，1842，thepoetwasabletotellMrLushingtonthat\"500ofmybooksaresold；accordingtoMoxon\'sbrother，Ihavemadeasensation。\"ThesaleswerenotlikethoseofChildeHaroldorMarmion；butforsometwentyyearsnewpoetryhadnotsoldatall。Novelshadcomeinabout1814，andfewwantedorboughtrecentverse。ButCarlylewasconverted。Hespokenomoreofaspoiledguardsman。\"Ifyouknewwhatmyrelationhasbeentothethingcalled\'EnglishPoetry\'formanyyearsback，youwouldthinksuchafact\"(hispleasureinthebook)\"surprising。\"
Carlylehadbeenliving(asMrsCarlyletoowellknew)inOliverCromwell，aherowhoprobablytooknodelightinLycidasorComus，inLovelaceorCarew。\"Iwouldgiveallmypoetrytohavemadeonesonglikethat，\"saidTennysonofLovelace\'sAlthea。ButNollwouldhavedisregardedthemallalike，andCarlylewasfullofthespiritoftheProtector。ToconquerhimwasindeedavictoryforTennyson；whileDickens，notareadingman，expressedhis\"earnestandsincerehomage。\"
ButTennysonwasnotsuccessfulinthemodernway。Nobody\"interviewed\"him。Hisphotograph，ofcourse，withdisquisitionsonhispipesandslippers，didnotadorntheliterarypress。Hisliteraryincomewasnotmagnifiedbypenny-a-liners。Hedidnotbecomealion；heneverwouldroarandshakehismaneindrawing-
rooms。LockhartheldthatSocietywasthemostagreeableformofthestage:thedressesandactressesincomparablytheprettiest。ButTennysonlikedSocietynobetterthandidGeneralGordon。Hehadfriendsenough，andnodesirefornewacquaintances。Indeed，hisfortunewasshatteredatthistimebyastrangeinvestmentinwood-
carvingbymachinery。Ruskinhadonlyjustbeguntowrite，andwood-
carvingbymachinerywasstilldeemedanenterpriseatoncephilanthropicandaesthetic。\"Myfather\'sworldlygoodswereallgone，\"saysLordTennyson。Thepoet\'shealthsufferedextremely:hetriedafashionable\"cure\"atCheltenham，wherehesawmiraclesofhealing，butunderwentnone。InSeptember1845PeelwasmovedbyLordHoughtontorecommendthepoetforapension(200poundsannually)。\"Ihavedonenothingslavishtogetit:Ineverevensolicitedforiteitherbymyselforothers。\"LikeDrJohnson，hehonourablyacceptedwhatwasofferedinhonour。Forsomereasonmanypersonswhowriteinthepressarealwaysmaddenedwhensuchgoodfortune，howeversmall，howeverwellmerited，fallstoabrotherinletters。They，ofcourse，were\"causelesslybitter。\"\"Letthemrave!\"
Iffewoftherewardsofliterarysuccessarrived，thepenaltiesatoncebegan，andonlyceasedwiththepoet\'sexistence。\"Ifyouonlyknewwhatanuisancethesevolumesofverseare!RascalssendmetheirsperpostfromAmerica，andIhavemorethanoncebeenknockedupoutofbedtopaythreeorfourshillingsforbooksofwhichI
can\'tgetthroughonepage，forofallbooksthemostinsipidreadingissecond-rateverse。\"
Wouldthatversifierstookthewarning!TennysonhadnotsenthislittlefirstlingstoColeridgeandWordsworth:theyareonlythehopelessrhymerswhobombardmenofletterswiththeirlyricsandtragedies。
MrBrowningwasasufferer。Tooneyoungtwittererherepliedintheusualway。Thebardwroteacknowledgingtheletter，butaskingforadefinitecriticism。\"IdonotthinkmyselfaShakespeareoraMilton，butIKNOWIambetterthanMrCoventryPatmoreorMrAustinDobson。\"MrBrowningtriedtoprocrastinate:hewasalreadydeeplyengagedwithearlierarrivalsofvolumesofsong。Thepoetwashurt，notangry；hehadexpectedotherthingsfromMrBrowning:HEoughttoknowhisdutytoyouth。AttheintercessionofarelationMrBrowningnowdidhisbest，andtheminstrel，satisfiedatlast，repeatedhisconvictionofhissuperioritytotheauthorsofTheAngelintheHouseandBeauBrocade。Probablynoman，notevenMrGladstone，eversufferedsomuchfromminstrelsasTennyson。Hedidnotsufferthemgladly。
In1846thePoemsreachedtheirfourthedition。SirEdwardBulwerLytton(bittenbywhatflywhoknows？)attackedTennysoninTheNewTimon，aforgottensatire。Wedonotunderstandthewaysofthatgeneration。Thecheapandspitefulgenreofsatire，itsforgedmorality，itsshamindignation，itsappealtotheape-likepassions，hasgoneout。Lyttonhadsufferedmanythings(notinverse)fromJeamesYellowplush:IdonotknowthathehitbackatThackeray，buthe\"passediton\"toThackeray\'soldcollegecompanion。Tennyson，foronce，replied(inPunch:theversesweresentthitherbyJohnForster)；theanswerwasoneofmagnificentcontempt。Buthesoondecidedthat\"ThenoblestansweruntosuchIsperfectstillnesswhentheybrawl。\"
LongafterwardsthepoetdedicatedaworktothesonofLordLytton。
Herepliedtonomoresatirists。{5}Ourdifficulty，ofcourse，istoconceivesuchanattackcomingfromamanofLytton\'spositionandgenius。Hewasnohungryhack，andcould，anddid，doinfinitelybetterthingsthan\"standinafalsefollowing\"ofPope。ProbablyLyttonhadafalseideathatTennysonwasarichman，abranchofhisfamilybeingaffluent，andsoresentedthelittlepension。Thepoetwassofarfromrichin1846，andevenafterthepublicationofThePrincess，thathismarriagehadstilltobedeferredforfouryears。
OnreadingThePrincessafreshoneisimpressed，despiteoldfamiliarity，withtheextraordinaryinfluenceofitsbeauty。Hereare，indeed，thebestwordsbestplaced，andthatcuriousfelicityofstylewhichmakeseverylineamarvel，andaneternalpossession。ItisasifTennysonhadtakentheadvicewhichKeatsgavetoShelley，\"Loadeveryriftwithore。\"Tochoosebutoneortwoexamples，howthepurestandfreshestimpressionofnatureisre-createdinmindandmemorybythepictureofMelissawith\"Allherthoughtsasfairwithinhereyes，AsbottomagatesseentowaveandfloatIncrystalcurrentsofclearmorningseas。\"
Thelyric，\"Tears，idletears，\"isfarbeyondpraise:oncereaditseemslikeathingthathasalwaysexistedintheworldofpoeticarchetypes，andhasnowbeennotsomuchcomposedasdiscoveredandrevealed。ThemanypicturesandsimilitudesinThePrincesshaveamagicalgorgeousness:-