Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1868-07-18
TcUnDSOU ana rictOri0.

The Gdrteni0ubc, u paper published
in Berlin, gives the following account
of an interview between the Queen and
Mr.. Tennyson
"Queen Victoria is one of the most
ardent admirers of Tennyson's poems,
and shortly after EnOch Arden had ap-
peared, she heard that Tennyson's ene-
mics and enviers charged that poem
with being immoral and glOrification
of concubinage. Sheapplied to an emil
nent clergyman, and learned from him
were not very rare and those whom
such misfortune befell might. perhaps,
be pardoned by the Lord on the Day of
Judgment, for the mercy of the God
of heaven and earth knew no
bounds ; but that it indicated an alarm
ing moral confusion on the part of the
poet to represent in kind Of halo
man who tolerated the continuance of
such sinful relationship between man
and woman. This is what EnOch Ar
den was doing. Instead of appearing
before his wife in order to resume his
position as her husband, he lay down
and died.
The Queen was not little disquieted
on hearing this. 1t is true she was we'll
aware that some of the high Church dig
nitaries were not very favOrably disposed
toward Tennyson. His open letter to q
rector named Maurice, who had been
removed from his ure, had not been
forgotten. But since her husbands
death, the Queen had accustomed her.
self more and more to attach higher
importance to the voices of hersurrOund-
ings than to her opinions, and thus she
was for while unable to decide wheth-
er Enoch Arden really deserved the
harshness with which it had been criti
cised or not. Finally, she thought she
had better consult somebody else ON the
subject, and she happened to apply to a
person who censured TennysOn's poem
with still greater severity, which was
no wonder, considering that this person
was no other than the lady who is COM
monty believed to be the subject of one
Of Tennyson's earlier poems, the cele-
brated Lady We're de Vere"-the poet
ical rejection of an aristocratic coquette,
who had cast her nets after the poet
when he was still very young man.
After this twOfOld condemnation of
EnOch Arden, whose wonderful success
: had meanwhile fallen in a thousand
echoes upon her ears, the Queen thought
it would be best for her to speak with
the poet himself on the subject which
he had treated of in EnOch Arden. She
therefore extended her drive along the
sea shore that very afternoon, beyond
its usual length, and ordered the coach
man to drive further west. Osborne,
the Queens country-seat on the Isle OF
Wight, is rather distant from the house
= of the poet, who lives likewise on that
island; but no distance is very consider
- able there, and the roads all over the
island are excellent. She soon after saw
the poets house, which lies in the mid
die of small grove of pines and frs
peering forth between the verdure and
foliage around it.
4! The Queen was accompanied by two
of her daughters. When she perceived
Tennyson's form in his garden-his long
hair and full beard caused her to recOg
i niZe him at a glance-she intrusted hel
: sketch book and the metal box i'm which
she gathered flowers and plants for hel
herbarium to the princesses, and walked
alone to the low garden gate, whittier
- TennysOn had already fastened to NEE
her.
She did not want to enter his house
but, walking with him along the edge
/, of the shore, she explained to him wha
e disquieted her in regard to his poem, Oh
& the beauties of which she dwelt will
= that refined appreciation which is salt
y to be peculiar to her. The two thu
l. walked along the high western shore
er at their feet the blue sea, upon Which
A. many white sails, like scattered black
d thorn blossoms, were scudding, Will
the neighboring hedges resounded will
= the merry chirpings of the robin red
breast and the wren, and innumerabl
sea-gulls, screeching, circled round tn
M steep cliffs.
- At last bundle of fagots obstructin'