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 like Mr
Arnold's humour： 〃Your father has been our most popular poet for
over forty years； and I am of opinion that he fully deserves his
reputation〃： such was 〃Mat's sublime waggery。〃 Tennyson heaped
coals of fire on the other poet； bidding him； as he liked to be
bidden； to write more poetry； not 〃prose things。〃 Tennyson lived
much in the society of Browning and George Eliot； and made the
acquaintance of Renan。 In December 1879 Mr and Mrs Kendal produced
The Falcon； which ran for sixty…seven nights； it is 〃an exquisite
little poem in action；〃 as Fanny Kemble said。 During a Continental
tour Tennyson visited Catullus's Sirmio： 〃here he made his Frater
Ave atque Vale；〃 and the poet composed his beautiful salutation to
the
〃Tenderest of Roman poets nineteen hundred years ago。〃
In 1880 Ballads and other Poems proved that； like Titian； the great
poet was not to be defeated by the years。 The First Quarrel was in
his most popular English style。 Rizpah deserved and received the
splendid panegyric of Mr Swinburne。 The Revenge is probably the
finest of the patriotic pieces； and keeps green the memory of an
exploit the most marvellous in the annals of English seamen。 The
Village Wife is a pendant worthy of The Northern Farmer。 The poem In
the Children's Hospital caused some irritation at the moment； but
there was only one opinion as to the Defence of Lucknow and the
beautiful re…telling of the Celtic Voyage of Maeldune。 The fragment
of Homeric translation was equally fortunate in choice of subject and
in rendering。
In the end of 1880 the poet finished The Cup； which had been worked
on occasionally since he completed The Falcon in 1880。 The piece was
read by the author to Sir Henry Irving and his company； and it was
found that the manuscript copy needed few alterations to fit it for
the stage。 The scenery and the acting of the protagonists are not
easily to be forgotten。 The play ran for a hundred and thirty
nights。 Sir Henry Irving had thought that Becket （then unpublished）
would prove too expensive； and could only be a succes d'estime。
Tennyson had found out that 〃the worst of writing for the stage is；
you must keep some actor always in your mind。〃 To this necessity
authors like Moliere and Shakespeare were； of course； resigned and
familiar； they knew exactly how to deal with all their means。 But
this part of the business of play…writing must always be a cross to
the poet who is not at one with the world of the stage。
In The Cup Miss Ellen Terry made the strongest impression； her part
being noble and sympathetic； while Sir Henry Irving had the
ungrateful part of the villain。 To be sure； he was a villain of much
complexity； and Tennyson thought that his subtle blend of Roman
refinement and intellectuality； and barbarian； self…satisfied
sensuality； was not 〃hit off。〃 Synorix is； in fact； half…Greek；
half…Celt； with a Roman education； and the 〃blend〃 is rather too
remote for successful representation。 The traditional villain； from
Iago downwards； is not apt to utter such poetry as this：…
〃O Thou； that dost inspire the germ with life；
The child； a thread within the house of birth；
And give him limbs； then air； and send him forth
The glory of his fatherThou whose breath
Is balmy wind to robe our bills with grass；
And kindle all our vales with myrtle…blossom；
And roll the golden oceans of our grain；
And sway the long grape…bunches of our vines；
And fill all hearts with fatness and the lust
Of plentymake me happy in my marriage！〃
The year 1881 brought the death of another of the old Cambridge
friends； James Spedding； the biographer of Bacon； and Carlyle also
died； a true friend； if rather intermittent in his appreciation of
poetry。 The real Carlyle did appreciate it； but the Carlyle of
attitude was too much of the iron Covenanter to express what he felt。
The poem Despair irritated the earnest and serious readers of 〃know…
nothing books。〃 The poem expressed； dramatically； a mood like
another； a hu