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　human　mood　not　so　very　uncommon。　　A　man　ruined　in　this
  world's　happiness　curses　the　faith　of　his　youth；　and　the　unfaith　of
  his　reading　and　reflection；　and　tries　to　drown　himself。　　This　is　one
  conclusion　of　the　practical　syllogism；　and　it　is　a　free　country。
  However；　there　were　freethinkers　who　did　not　think　that　Tennyson's
  kind　of　thinking　ought　to　be　free。　　Other　earnest　persons　objected　to
  〃First　drink　a　health；〃　in　the　re…fashioned　song　of　Hands　all　Round。
  They　might　have　remembered　a　royal　health　drunk　in　water　an　hour
  before　the　drinkers　swept　Mackay　down　the　Pass　of　Killiecrankie。　　The
  poet　did　not　specify　the　fluid　in　which　the　toast　was　to　be　carried；
  and　the　cup　might　be　that　which　〃cheers　but　not　inebriates。〃　　〃The
  common　cup；〃　as　the　remonstrants　had　to　be　informed；　〃has　in　all　ages
  been　the　sacred　symbol　of　unity。〃
  The　Promise　of　May　was　produced　in　November　1882；　and　the　poet　was
  once　more　so　unfortunate　as　to　vex　the　susceptibilities　of　advanced
  thinkers。　　The　play　is　not　a　masterpiece；　and　yet　neither　the　galle