for the reading of women depresses optimism； and the Princess's
prophecy of
〃Two plummets dropped for one to sound the abyss
Of science； and the secrets of the mind；〃
is not near fulfilment。 Fortunately the sex does not 〃love the
Metaphysics；〃 and perhaps has not yet produced even a manual of
Logic。 It must suffice man and woman to
〃Walk this world
Yoked in all exercise of noble end；〃
of a more practical character； while woman is at liberty
〃To live and learn and be
All that not harms distinctive womanhood。〃
This was the conclusion of the poet who had the most chivalrous
reverence for womanhood。 This is the eirenicon of that old strife
between the women and the menthat war in which both armies are
captured。 It may not be acceptable to excited lady combatants； who
think man their foe； when the real enemy is （what Porson damned） the
Nature of Things。
A new poem like The Princess would soon reach the public of our day；
so greatly increased are the uses of advertisement。 But The Princess
moved slowly from edition to revised and improved edition； bringing
neither money nor much increase of fame。 The poet was living with
his family at Cheltenham； where among his new acquaintances were
Sydney Dobell； the poet of a few exquisite pieces； and F。 W。
Robertson； later so popular as a preacher at Brighton。 Meeting him
for the first time； and knowing Robertson's 〃wish to pluck the heart
from my mystery； from pure nervousness I would only talk of beer。〃
This kind of shyness beset Tennyson。 A lady tells me that as a girl
（and a very beautiful girl） she and her sister； and a third； nec
diversa； met the poet； and expected high discourse。 But his speech
was all of that wingless insect which 〃gets there； all the same；〃
according to an American lyrist； the insect which fills Mrs Carlyle's
letters with bulletins of her success or failure in domestic
campaigns。
Tennyson kept visiting London； where he saw Thackeray and the despair
of Carlyle； and at Bath House he was too modest to be introduced to
the great Duke whose requiem he was to sing so nobly。 Oddly enough
Douglas Jerrold enthusiastically assured Tennyson； at a dinner of a
Society of Authors； that 〃you are the one who will live。〃 To that
end； humanly speaking； he placed himself under the celebrated Dr
Gully and his 〃water…cure；〃 a foible of that period。 In 1848 he made
a tour to King Arthur's Cornish bounds； and another to Scotland；
where the Pass of Brander disappointed him： perhaps he saw it on a
fine day； and； like Glencoe； it needs tempest and mist lit up by the
white fires of many waterfalls。 By bonny Doon he 〃fell into a
passion of tears；〃 for he had all of Keats's sentiment for Burns：
〃There never was immortal poet if he be not one。〃 Of all English
poets； the warmest in the praise of Burns have been the two most
unlike himselfTennyson and Keats。 It was the songs that Tennyson
preferred； Wordsworth liked the Cottar's Saturday Night。
CHAPTER V。IN MEMORIAM。
In May 1850 a few； copies of In Memoriam were printed for friends；
and presently the poem was published without author's name。 The
pieces had been composed at intervals； from 1833 onwards。 It is to
be observed that the 〃section about evolution〃 was written some years
before 1844； when the ingenious hypotheses of Robert Chambers； in
Vestiges of Creation； were given to the world； and caused a good deal
of talk。 Ten years； again； after In Memoriam； came Darwin's Origin
of Species。 These dates are worth observing。 The theory of
evolution； of course in a rude mythical shape； is at least as old as
the theory of creation； and is found among the speculations of the
most backward savages。 The Arunta of Central Australia； a race
remote from the polite； have a hypothesis of evolution which
postulates only a few rudimentary forms of life； a marine
environment； and the minimum of supernormal assistance in the way of
stimulating the primal forms in the direction of more highly
differentiated developments。 〃The rudimentary forms； Inapertwa； were
in reality stages in the transformation of various plants and animals
into human beings。 。 。 。 They had no distinct limbs or organs of
sight； hearing； or smell。〃 They existed in a kind of lumps； and were
set free from the cauls which enveloped them by two beings called
Ungambikula； 〃a word which means 'out of nothing；' or 'self…
existing。' Men descend from lower animals thus evolved。〃 ｛7｝
This example of the doctrine of evolution in an early shape is only
mentioned to prove that the idea has been familiar to the human mind
from the lowest known stage of culture。 Not less familiar has been
the theory of creation by a kind of supreme being。 The notion of
creation； however； up to 1860； held the foremost place in modern
European belief。 But Lamarck； the elder Darwin； Monboddo； and others
had submitted hypotheses of evolution。 Now it was part of the
originality of Tennyson； as a philosophic poet； that he had brooded
from boyhood on these early theories of evolution； in an age when
they were practically unknown to the literary； and were not
patronised by the scientific； world。 In November 1844 he wrote to Mr
Moxon； 〃I want you to get me a book which I see advertised in the
Examiner： it seems to contain many speculations with which I have
been familiar for years； and on which I have written more than one
poem。〃 This book was Vestiges of Creation。 These poems are the
stanzas in In Memoriam about 〃the greater ape；〃 and about Nature as
careless of the type： 〃all shall go。〃 The poetic and philosophic
originality of Tennyson thus faced the popular inferences as to the
effect of the doctrine of evolution upon religious beliefs long
before the world was moved in all its deeps by Darwin's Origin of
Species。 Thus the geological record is inconsistent； we learned；
with the record of the first chapters of Genesis。 If man is a
differentiated monkey； and if a monkey has no soul； or future life
（which is taken for granted）； where are man's title…deeds to these
possessions？ With other difficulties of an obvious kind； these
presented themselves to the poet with renewed force when his only
chance of happiness depended on being able to believe in a future
life； and reunion with the beloved dead。 Unbelief had always
existed。 We hear of atheists in the Rig Veda。 In the early
eighteenth century； in the age of Swift …
〃Men proved； as sure as God's in Gloucester；
That Moses was a great impostor。〃
distrust of Moses increased with the increase of hypotheses of
evolution。 But what English poet； before Tennyson； ever attempted
〃to lay the spectres of the mind〃； ever faced world…old problems in
their most recent aspects？ I am not acquainted with any poet who
attempted this task； and； whatever we may think of Tennyson's
success； I do not see how we can deny his originality。
Mr Frederic Harrison； however； thinks that neither 〃the theology nor
the philosophy of In Memoriam are new； original； with an independent
force and depth of their own。〃 〃They are exquisitely graceful re…
statements of the theology of the Broad Churchman of the school of F。
D。 Maurice and Jowetta combination of Maurice's somewhat illogical
piety with Jowett's philosophy of mystification。〃 The piety of
Maurice may be as illogical as that of Positivism is logical； and the
philosophy of the Master of Balliol may be whatever Mr Harrison
pleases to call it。 But as Jowett's earliest work （except an essay
on Etruscan religion） is of 1855； one does not see how it could
influence Tennyson before 1844。 And what had the Duke of Argyll
written on these themes some years before 1844？ The late Duke； to
whom Mr Harrison refers in this connection； was born in 1823。 His
philosophic ideas； if they were to influence Tennyson's In Memoriam；
must have been set forth by him at the tender age of seventeen； or
thereabouts。 Mr Harrison's sentence is； 〃But does In Memoriam teach
anything； or transfigure any idea which was not about that time〃 （the
time of writing was mainly 1833…1840） 〃common form with F。 D。
Maurice； with Jowett； C。 Kingsley； F。 Robertson； Stopford Brooke； Mr
Ruskin； and the Duke of Argyll； Bishops Westcott and Boyd Carpenter？〃
The dates answer Mr Harrison。 Jowett did not publish anything till
at least fifteen years after Tennyson wrote his poems on evolution
and belief。 Dr Boyd Carpenter's works previous to 1840 are unknown
to bibliography。 F。 W。 Robertson was a young parson at Cheltenham。
Ruskin had not published the first volume of Modern Painters。 His
Oxford prize poem is of 1839。 Mr Stopford Brooke was at school。 The
Duke of Argyll was being privately educated： and so with the rest；
except the contemporary Maurice。 How can Mr Harrison say that； in
the time of In Memoriam； Tennyson was 〃in touch with the ideas of
Herschel； Owen； Huxley； Darwin； and Tyndall〃？ ｛8｝ When Tennyson
wrote the parts of In Memoriam which deal with science； nobody beyond
their families and friends had heard of Huxley； Darwin； and Tyndall。
They had not developed； much less had they published； their 〃general
ideas。〃 Even in his journal of the Cruise of the Beagle Darwin's
ideas were religious； and he naively admired the works of God。 It is
strange that Mr Harrison has based his criticism； and his theory of
Tennyson's want of originality； on what seems to be a historical
error。 He cites parts of In Memoriam； and remarks； 〃No one can deny
that all this is exquisitely beautiful； that these eternal problems
have never been clad in such inimitable grace 。 。 。 But the train of
thought is essentially that with which ordinary English readers have
been made familiar by F。 D。 Maurice； Professor Jowett； Ecce Homo；
Hypatia； and now by Arthur Balfour； Mr Drummond； and many valiant
companies of Septem ＇why Septem？＇ contra Diabolum。〃 One must keep
repeating the historical verity that the ideas of In Memoriam could
not have been 〃made familiar by〃 authors who had not yet published
anything； or by books yet undreamed of and unborn； such as Ecce Homo
and Jowett's work on some of St Paul's Epistles。 If these books
contain the ideas of In Memoriam； it is by dint of re