the church where Arthur Hallam sleeps。 The place is very ancient and
beautiful； and was a favourite haunt of Thackeray。 They passed on to
Lynton； and to Glastonbury； where a collateral ancestor of Mrs
Tennyson's is buried beside King Arthur's grave； in that green valley
of Avilion； among the apple…blossoms。 They settled for a while at
Tent Lodge on Coniston Water； in a land of hospitable Marshalls。
After their return to London； on the night of November 18； Tennyson
dreamed that Prince Albert came and kissed him； and that he himself
said； 〃Very kind； but very German；〃 which was very like him。 Next
day he received from Windsor the offer of the Laureateship。 He
doubted； and hesitated； but accepted。 Since Wordsworth's death there
had； as usual； been a good deal of banter about the probable new
Laureate： examples of competitive odes exist in Bon Gaultier。 That
by Tennyson is Anacreontic； but he was not really set on kissing the
Maids of Honour； as he is made to sing。 Rogers had declined； on the
plea of extreme old age； but it was worthy of the great and good
Queen not to overlook the Nestor of English poets。 For the rest； the
Queen looked for 〃a name bearing such distinction in the literary
world as to do credit to the appointment。〃 In the previous century
the great poets had rarely been Laureates。 But since Sir Walter
Scott declined the bays in favour of Southey； for whom； again； the
tale of bricks in the way of Odes was lightened； and when Wordsworth
succeeded Southey； the office became honourable。 Tennyson gave it an
increase of renown； while； though in itself of merely nominal value；
it served his poems； to speak profanely； as an advertisement。 New
editions of his books were at once in demand； while few readers had
ever heard of Mr Browning； already his friend； and already author of
Men and Women。
The Laureateship brought the poet acquainted with the Queen； who was
to be his debtor in later days for encouragement and consolation。 To
his Laureateship we owe； among other good things； the stately and
moving Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington； a splendid heroic
piece； unappreciated at the moment。 But Tennyson was； of course； no
Birthday poet。 Since the exile of the House of Stuart our kings in
England have not maintained the old familiarity with many classes of
their subjects。 Literature has not been fashionable at Court； and
Tennyson could in no age have been a courtier。 We hear the
complaint； every now and then； that official honours are not
conferred （except the Laureateship） on men of letters。 But most of
them probably think it rather distinguished not to be decorated； or
to carry titles borne by many deserving persons unvisited by the
Muses。 Even the appointment to the bays usually provokes a great
deal of jealous and spiteful feeling； which would only be multiplied
if official honours were distributed among men of the pen。 Perhaps
Tennyson's laurels were not for nothing in the chorus of dispraise
which greeted the Ode on the Duke of Wellington； and Maud。
The year 1851 was chiefly notable for a tour to Italy； made immortal
in the beautiful poem of The Daisy； in a measure of the poet's own
invention。 The next year； following on the Coup d'etat and the rise
of the new French empire； produced patriotic appeals to Britons to
〃guard their own；〃 which to a great extent former alien owners had
been unsuccessful in guarding from Britons。 The Tennysons had lost
their first child at his birth： perhaps he is remembered in The
Grandmother； 〃the babe had fought for his life。〃 In August 1852 the
present Lord Tennyson was born； and Mr Maurice was asked to be
godfather。 The Wellington Ode was of November； and was met by 〃the
almost universal depreciation of the press；〃why； except because； as
I have just suggested； Tennyson was Laureate； it is impossible to
imagine。 The verses were worthy of the occasion： more they could
not be。
In the autumn of 1853 the poet visited Ardtornish on the Sound of
Mull； a beautiful place endeared to him who now writes by the
earliest associations。 It chanced to him to pass his holidays there
just when Tennyson and Mr Palgrave had left〃Mr Tinsmith and Mr
Pancake；〃 as Robert the boatman； a very black Celt； called them。
Being then nine years of age； I heard of a poet's visit； and asked；
〃A real poet； like Sir Walter Scott？〃 with whom I then supposed that
〃the Muse had gone away。〃 〃Oh； not like Sir Walter Scott； of
course；〃 my mother told me； with loyalty unashamed。 One can think of
the poet as Mrs Sellar； his hostess； describes him； beneath the limes
of the avenue at Acharn； planted； Mrs Sellar says； by a cousin of
Flora Macdonald。 I have been told that the lady who planted the
lilies； if not the limes； was the famed Jacobite； Miss Jennie
Cameron； mentioned in Tom Jones。 An English engraving of 1746 shows
the Prince between these two beauties； Flora and Jennie。
〃No one；〃 says Mrs Sellar； 〃could have been more easy； simple； and
delightful；〃 and indeed it is no marvel that in her society and that
of her husband； the Greek professor； and her cousin； Miss Cross； and
in such scenes； 〃he blossomed out in the most genial manner； making
us all feel as if he were an old friend。〃
In November Tennyson took a house at Farringford； 〃as it was
beautiful and far from the haunts of men。〃 There he settled to a
country existence in the society of his wife； his two children （the
second； Lionel； being in 1854 the baby）； and there he composed Maud；
while the sound of the guns； in practice for the war of the Crimea；
boomed from the coast。 In May Tennyson saw the artists； of schools
oddly various； who illustrated his poems。 Millais； Rossetti； and
Holman Hunt gave the tone to the art； but Mr Horsley； Creswick； and
Mulgrave were also engaged。 While Maud was being composed Tennyson
wrote The Charge of the Light Brigade； a famous poem； not in a manner
in which he was born to excelat least in my poor opinion。 〃Some
one HAD blundered；〃 and that line was the first fashioned and the
keynote of the poem； but； after all； 〃blundered〃 is not an exquisite
rhyme to 〃hundred。〃 The poem； in any case； was most welcome to our
army in the Crimea； and is a spirited piece for recitation。
In January 1855 Maud was finished； in April the poet copied it out
for the press； and refreshed himself by reading a very different
poem； The Lady of the Lake。 The author； Sir Walter； had suffered；
like the hero of Maud； by an unhappy love affair； which just faintly
colours The Lady of the Lake by a single allusion； in the description
of Fitz…James's dreams：…
〃Then；from my couch may heavenly might
Chase that worst phantom of the night！ …
Again returned the scenes of youth；
Of confident undoubting truth；
Again his soul he interchanged
With friends whose hearts were long estranged。
They come； in dim procession led；
The cold； the faithless； and the dead；
As warm each hand； each brow as gay；
As if they parted yesterday。
And doubt distracts him at the view …
Oh； were his senses false or true？
Dreamed he of death； or broken vow；
Or is it all a vision now？〃
We learn from Lady Louisa Stuart； to whom Scott read these lines；
that they referred to his lost love。 I cite the passage because the
extreme reticence of Scott； in his undying sorrow； is in contrast
with what Tennyson； after reading The Lady of the Lake； was putting
into the mouth of his complaining lover in Maud。
We have no reason to suppose that Tennyson himself had ever to bewail
a faithless love。 To be sure； the hero of Locksley Hall is in this
attitude； but then Locksley Hall is not autobiographical。 Less
dramatic and impersonal in appearance are the stanzas …
〃Come not； when I am dead；
To drop thy foolish tears upon my grave；〃
and
〃Child； if it were thine error or thy crime
I care no longer； being all unblest。〃
No biographer tells us whether this was a personal complaint or a
mere set of verses on an imaginary occasion。 In In Memoriam Tennyson
speaks out concerning the loss of a friend。 In Maud； as in Locksley
Hall； he makes his hero reveal the agony caused by the loss of a
mistress。 There is no reason to suppose that the poet had ever any
such mischance； but many readers have taken Locksley Hall and Maud
for autobiographical revelations； like In Memoriam。 They are； on the
other hand； imaginative and dramatic。 They illustrate the pangs of
disappointed love of woman； pangs more complex and more rankling than
those inflicted by death。 In each case； however； the poet； who has
sung so nobly the happiness of fortunate wedded loves； has chosen a
hero with whom we do not readily sympathisea Hamlet in miniature；
〃With a heart of furious fancies；〃
as in the old mad song。 This choice； thanks to the popular
misconception； did him some harm。 As a 〃monodramatic Idyll；〃 a
romance in many rich lyric measures； Maud was at first excessively
unpopular。 〃Tennyson's Maud is Tennyson's Maudlin；〃 said a satirist；
and 〃morbid；〃 〃mad；〃 〃rampant；〃 and 〃rabid bloodthirstiness of soul；〃
were among the amenities of criticism。 Tennyson hated war； but his
hero； at least； hopes that national union in a national struggle will
awake a nobler than the commercial spirit。 Into the rights and
wrongs of our quarrel with Russia we are not to go。 Tennyson；
rightly or wrongly； took the part of his country； and must 〃thole the
feud〃 of those high…souled citizens who think their country always in
the wrongas perhaps it very frequently is。 We are not to expect a
tranquil absence of bias in the midst of military excitement； when
very laudable sentiments are apt to misguide men in both directions。
In any case； political partisanship added to the enemies of the poem；
which was applauded by Henry Taylor； Ruskin； George Brimley； and
Jowett； while Mrs Browning sent consoling words from Italy。 The poem
remained a favourite with the author； who chose passages from it
often； when persuaded to read aloud by friends； and modern criticism
has not failed to applaud the splendour of the verse and the subtlety
of the mad scenes； the passion of the love lyrics。
These merits have ceased to be disputed； but； though a loy