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are gentlemen to these〃 as regards the position of women。 Let us
hear Mr Hartland： 〃In every Hottentot's house the wife is supreme。
Her husband； poor fellow； though he may wield wide power and
influence out of doors； at home dare not even take a mouthful of
sour…milk out of the household vat without her permission 。 。 。 The
highest oath a man can take is to swear by his eldest sister； and if
he abuses this name he forfeits to her his finest goods and sheep。〃
However； in 1847 England had not yet thought of imitating the
Hodmadods。 Consequently； and by reason of the purely literary and
elaborately fantastical character of The Princess； it was not of a
nature to increase the poet's fame and success。 〃My book is out； and
I hate it； and so no doubt will you；〃 Tennyson wrote to FitzGerald；
who hated it and said so。 〃Like Carlyle； I gave up all hopes of him
after The Princess；〃 indeed it was not apt to conciliate Carlyle。
〃None of the songs had the old champagne flavour；〃 said Fitz； and
Lord Tennyson adds； 〃Nothing either by Thackeray or by my father met
FitzGerald's approbation unless he had first seen it in manuscript。〃
This prejudice was very human。 Lord Tennyson remarks； as to the
poet's meaning in this work； born too early； that 〃the sooner woman
finds out； before the great educational movement begins； that 'woman
is not undeveloped man； but diverse；' the better it will be for the
progress of the world。〃
But probably the 〃educational movement〃 will not make much difference
to womankind on the whole。 The old Platonic remark that woman 〃does
the same things as man； but not so well；〃 will eternally hold good；
at least in the arts； and in letters； except in rare cases of genius。
A new Jeanne d'Arc； the most signal example of absolute genius in
history； will not come again； and the ages have waited vainly for a
new Sappho or a new Jane Austen。 Literature； poetry； painting； have
always been fields open to woman。 But two names exhaust the roll of
women of the highest rank in lettersSappho and Jane Austen。 And
〃when did woman ever yet invent？〃 In 〃arts of government〃 Elizabeth
had courage； and just saving sense enough to yield to Cecil at the
eleventh hour； and escape the fate of 〃her sister and her foe；〃 the
beautiful unhappy queen who told her ladies that she dared to look on
whatever men dared to do； and herself would do it if her strength so
served her。〃 ｛6｝ 〃The foundress of the Babylonian walls〃 is a myth；
〃the Rhodope that built the Pyramid〃 is not a creditable myth； for
exceptions to Knox's 〃Monstrous Regiment of Women〃 we must fall back
on 〃The Palmyrene that fought Aurelian；〃 and the revered name of the
greatest of English queens； Victoria。 Thus history does not
encourage the hope that a man…like education will raise many women to
the level of the highest of their sex in the past； or even that the
enormous majority of women will take advantage of the opportunity of
a man…like education。 A glance at the numerous periodicals designed
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。