alfred tennyson-第17部分

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laundress　was　a　highly　ethical　action。　　Perhaps　Sir　Redvers　Buller
would　do　it：　　Bruce　did。　　Mr　Harrison　accuses　the　ladies　of　the
Idylls　of　soul…bewildering　casuistry；　like　that　of　women　in
Middlemarch　or　Helbeck　of　Bannisdale。　　Now　I　am　not　reminded　by
Guinevere；　and　Elaine；　and　Enid；　of　ladies　in　these　ethical　novels。
But　the　women　of　the　mediaeval　Cours　d'Amour　（the　originals　from　whom
the　old　romancers　drew）　were　nothing　if　not　casuists。　　〃Spiritual
delicacy〃　（as　they　understood　it）　was　their　delight。

Mr　Harrison　even　argues　that　Malory's　men　lived　hot…blooded　lives　in
fierce　times；　〃before　an　idea　had　arisen　in　the　world　of　'reverencing
conscience；'　'leading　sweet　lives；'〃　and　so　on。　　But　he　admits　that
they　had　〃fantastic　ideals　of　'honour'　and　'love。'〃　　As　to
〃fantastic；〃　that　is　a　matter　of　opinion；　but　to　have　ideals　and　to
live　in　accordance　with　them　is　to　〃reverence　conscience〃；　which　the
heroes　of　the　romances　are　said　by　Mr　Harrison　never　to　have　had　an
idea　of　doing。　　They　are　denied　even　〃amiable　words　and　courtliness。〃
Need　one　say　that　courtliness　is　the　dominant　note　of　mediaeval
knights；　in　history　as　in　romance？　　With　discourtesy　Froissart　would
〃head　the　count　of　crimes。〃　　After　a　battle；　he　says；　Scots　knights
and　English　would　thank　each　other　for　a　good　fight；　〃not　like　the
Germans。〃　　〃And　now；　I　dare　say；〃　said　Malory's　Sir　Ector；　〃thou；　Sir
Lancelot；　wast　the　curtiest　knight　that　ever　bare　shield；　。　。　。　and
thou　wast　the　meekest　man　and　the　gentlest　that　ever　ate　in　hall
among　ladies。〃　　Observe　Sir　Lancelot　in　the　difficult　pass　where　the
Lily　Maid　offers　her　love：　　〃Jesu　defend　me；　for　then　I　rewarded　your
father　and　your　brother　full　evil　for　their　great　goodness。　。　。　。
But　because；　fair　damsel；　that　ye　love　me　as　ye　say　ye　do；　I　will；
for　your　good　will　and　kindness；　show　you　some　goodness；　。　。　。　and
always　while　I　live　to　be　your　true　knight。〃　　Here　are　〃amiable　words
and　courtesy。〃　　I　cannot　agree　with　Mr　Harrison　that　Malory's　book　is
merely　〃a　fierce　lusty　epic。〃　　That　was　not　the　opinion　of　its
printer　and　publisher；　Caxton。　　He　produced　it　as　an　example　of　〃the
gentle　and　virtuous　deeds　that　some　knights　used　in　these　days；　。　。　。
noble　and　renowned　acts　of　humanity；　gentleness；　and　chivalry。　　For
herein　may　be　seen　noble　chivalry；　courtesy；　humanity；　friendliness；
love；　cowardice；　murder；　hate；　virtue；　and　sin。　　Do　after　the　good
and　leave　the　evil。〃

In　reaction　against　the　bold…faced　heroines　and　sensual　amours　of
some　of　the　old　French　romances；　an　ideal　of　exaggerated　asceticism；
of　stainless　chastity；　notoriously　pervades　the　portion　of　Malory's
work　which　deals　with　the　Holy　Grail。　　Lancelot　is　distraught　when　he
finds　that；　by　dint　of　enchantment；　he　has　been　made　false　to
Guinevere　（Book　XI。　chap。　viii。）　　After　his　dreaming　vision　of　the
Holy　Grail；　with　the　reproachful　Voice；　Sir　Lancelot　said；　〃My　sin
and　my　wickedness　have　brought　me　great　dishonour；　。　。　。　and　now　I
see　and　understand　that　my　old　sin　hindereth　and　shameth　me。〃　　He　was
human；　the　Lancelot　of　Malory；　and　〃fell　to　his　old　love　again；〃　with
a　heavy　heart；　and　with　long　penance　at　the　end。　　How　such　good
knights　can　be　deemed　conscienceless　and　void　of　courtesy　one　knows
not；　except　by　a　survival　of　the　Puritanism　of　Ascham。　　But　Tennyson
found　in　the　book　what　is　in　the　bookhonour；　conscience；　courtesy；
and　the　hero　…


〃Whose　honour　rooted　in　dishonour　stood；
And　faith　unfaithful　kept　him　falsely　true。〃


Malory's　book；　which　was　Tennyson's　chief　source；　ends　by　being　the
tragedy　of　the　conscience　of　Lancelot。　　Arthur　is　dead；　or　〃In　Avalon
he　groweth　old。〃　　The　Queen　and　Lancelot　might　sing；　as　Lennox
reports　that　Queen　Mary　did　after　Darnley's　murder　…


〃Weel　is　me
For　I　am　free。〃


〃Why　took　they　not　their　pastime？〃　　Because　conscience　forbade；　and
Guinevere　sends　her　lover　far　from　her；　and　both　die　in　religion。
Thus　Malory's　〃fierce　lusty　epic〃　is　neither　so　lusty　nor　so　fierce
but　that　it　gives　Tennyson　his　keynote：　　the　sin　that　breaks　the　fair
companionship；　and　is　bitterly　repented。

〃The　knights　are　almost　too　polite　to　kill　each　other；〃　the　critic
urges。　　In　Malory　they　are　sometimes　quite　too　polite　to　kill　each
other。　　Sir　Darras　has　a　blood…feud　against　Sir　Tristram；　and　Sir
Tristram　is　in　his　dungeon。　　Sir　Darras　said；　〃Wit　ye　well　that　Sir
Darras　shall　never　destroy　such　a　noble　knight　as　thou　art　in　prison；
howbeit　that　thou　hast　slain　three　of　my　sons；　whereby　I　was　greatly
aggrieved。　　But　now　shalt　thou　go　and　thy　fellows。　。　。　。　　All　that　ye
did；〃　said　Sir　Darras；　〃was　by　force　of　knighthood；　and　that　was　the
cause　I　would　not　put　you　to　death〃　（Book　IX。　chap。　xl。）

Tennyson　is　accused　of　〃emasculating　the　fierce　lusty　epic　into　a
moral　lesson；　as　if　it　were　to　be　performed　in　a　drawing…room　by　an
academy　of　young　ladies〃presided　over；　I　daresay；　by　〃Anglican
clergymen。〃　　I　know　not　how　any　one　who　has　read　the　Morte　d'Arthur
can　blame　Tennyson　in　the　matter。　　Let　Malory　and　his　sources　be
blamed；　if　to　be　moral　is　to　be　culpable。　　A　few　passages　apart；
there　is　no　coarseness　in　Malory；　that　there　are　conscience；
courtesy；　〃sweet　lives；〃　〃keeping　down　the　base　in　man；〃　〃amiable
words；〃　and　all　that　Tennyson　gives；　and；　in　Mr　Harrison's　theory；
gives　without　authority　in　the　romance；　my　quotations　from　Malory
demonstrate。　　They　are　chosen　at　a　casual　opening　of　his　book。　　That
there　〃had　not　arisen　in　the　world〃　〃the　idea　of　reverencing
conscience〃　before　the　close　of　the　fifteenth　century　A。D。　is　an
extraordinary　statement　for　a　critic　of　history　to　offer。

Mr　Harrison　makes　his　protest　because　〃in　the　conspiracy　of　silence
into　which　Tennyson's　just　fame　has　hypnotised　the　critics；　it　is
bare　honesty　to　admit　defects。〃　　I　think　I　am　not　hypnotised；　and　I
do　not　regard　the　Idylls　as　the　crown　of　Tennyson's　work。　　But　it　is
not　his　〃defect〃　to　have　introduced　generosity；　gentleness；
conscience；　and　chastity　where　no　such　things　occur　in　his　sources。
Take　Sir　Darras：　　his　position　is　that　of　Priam　when　he　meets
Achilles；　who　slew　his　sons；　except　that　Priam　comes　as　a　suppliant；
Sir　Darras　has　Tristram　in　his　hands；　and　may　slay　him。　　He　is　〃too
polite；〃　as　Mr　Harrison　says：　　he　is　too　good　a　Christian；　or　too
good　a　gentleman。　　One　would　not　have　given　a　tripod　for　the　life　of
Achilles　had　he　fallen　into　the　hands　of　Priam。　　But　between　1200
B。C。　（or　so）　and　the　date　of　Malory；　new　ideas　about　〃living　sweet
lives〃　had　arisen。　　Where　and　when　do　they　not　arise？　　A　British
patrol　fired　on　certain　Swazis　in　time　of　truce。　　Their　lieutenant；
who　had　been　absent　when　this　occurred；　rode　alone　to　the　stronghold
of　the　Swazi　king；　Sekukoeni；　and　gave　himself　up；　expecting　death　by
torture。　　〃Go；　sir；〃　said　the　king；　〃we　too　are　gentlemen。〃　　The　idea
of　a　〃sweet　life〃　of　honour　had　dawned　even　on　Sekukoeni：　　it　lights
up　Malory's　romance；　and　is　reflected　in　Tennyson's　Idylls；　doubtless
with　some　modernism　of　expression。

That　the　Idylls　represent　no　real　world　is　certain。　　That　Tennyson
modernises　and　moralises　too　much；　I　willingly　admit；　what　I　deny　is
that　he　introduces　gentleness；　courtesy；　and　conscience　where　his
sources　have　none。　　Indeed　this　is　not　a　matter　of　critical　opinion；
but　of　verifiable　fact。　　Any　one　can　read　Malory　and　judge　for
himself。　　But　the　world　in　which　the　Idylls　move　could　not　be　real。
For　more　than　a　thousand　years　different　races；　different　ages；　had
taken　hold　of　the　ancient　Celtic　legends　and　spiritualised　them　after
their　own　manner；　and　moulded　them　to　their　own　ideals。　　There　may
have　been　a　historical　Arthur；　Comes　Britanniae；　after　the　Roman
withdrawal。　　Ye　Amherawdyr　Arthur；　〃the　Emperor　Arthur；〃　may　have
lived　and　fought；　and　led　the　Brythons　to　battle。　　But　there　may　also
have　been　a　Brythonic　deity；　or　culture　hero；　of　the　same；　or　of　a
similar　name；　and　myths　about　him　may　have　been　assigned　to　a　real
Arthur。　　Again；　the　Arthur　of　the　old　Welsh　legends　was　by　no　means
the　blameless　kingeven　in　comparatively　late　French　romances　he　is
not　blameless。　　But　the　process　of　idealising　him　went　on：　　still
incomplete　in　Malory's　compilation；　where　he　is　often　rather　otiose
and　far　from　royal。　　Tennyson；　for　his　purpose；　completed　the
idealisation。

As　to　Guinevere；　she　was　not　idealised　in　the　old　Welsh　rhyme　…


〃Guinevere；　Giant　Ogurvan's　daughter；
Naughty　young；　more　naughty　later。〃


Of　Lancelot；　and　her　passion　for　him；　the　old　Welsh　has　nothing　to
say。　　Probably　Chretien　de　Troyes；　by　a　happy　blunder　or
misconception；　gave　Lancelot　his　love　and　his　pre…eminent　part。
Lancelot　was　confused　with　Peredur；　and　Guinevere　with　the　lady　of
whom　Peredur　was　in　quest。　　The　Elaine　who　becomes　by　Lancelot　the
mother　of　Galahad　〃was　Lancelot's　rightful　consort；　as　one　recognises
in　her　name　that　of　Elen；　the　Empress；　whom　the　story　of　Peredur〃
（Lancelot；　by　the　confusion）　〃gives　that　hero　to　wife。〃　　The　second
Elaine；　the　maid　of　Astolat；　is　another　refraction　from　the　original
Elen。　　As　to　the　Grail；　it　may　be　a　Christianised　rendering　of　one　or
another　of　the　magical　and　mystic　caldrons　of　Welsh　or　Irish　legend。
There　is　even