, 1872-12-21
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
TRnnYRQua

TennysOn.
GARKTH AND LYNETTE. By ALFRED TEsETsoN,
D. c. L., Poet Laureate. With Illustrations. Bos-
1lcCaurg & Co.
When re say that 'sGareth and Lynette" is
the last Of Mr. Tennyson's 'sIdylls Of the King"
We mean that it is the last he has written. It
was thought, two years ago. that the earies
WAS complete with the publication Of tho volume
containing s'the Holy Grail = but "The Last
Tournament and the present volume have been
added since then; and Alr. TennYson, in this
last volume, gives us no pledge that he will
ceaco his linked sweetness long drawn out
Of the rather thin and unsubstantial
legends Of King Arthur. Tho romantic
sources from which he draws an inexhEustiblo,
and he has precedent for this elongation OF
his Muse in the interminab1e verses Of
the early poets, who, like Chauser,
think nothing Of using thousands Of
lines to bring their hero and heroine to their
first meeting but tho impatience Of the critics
with the length to which "Tho Idylls OF the
King" has already gone may give Mr. Tennyson
pause. CO Gareth and Lynetto," though written
last, is to be read second As they now stand
" The Idy11s" ere to be read in this order: "The
Coming Of Arthur" s'Gareth and Lynette,',
"Geraint and Enid" Merlin aud Vivien,''
"Lancelot and Elaine," sThe Holy Graf" !"
"Pelleas and Etarse," ssThe Last Tournament >
"Guinevere," and "Ths Passing OF Arthur"
"Gare til md Iynette " is the story OF nnephew
Of Arthur's, the youngest brothar Of GnWain
and Modred; OF his arrival at Arthur'G Court in
disguise, and the course Of his first quest. The
heroine is sh1ew, but an innocent one. She Is
abusive and eaucy, but has for this IN excuse in
fancied slight. AL the personages OF the
s+orv act without rhyme or reason. GaIeth, after
short per1os1 Of probation IS kitchen-knaTe in
King Arthur's service, applies to tbs King to be
sent out az an adyenturer. At this point, Ger
tain damse1, yclept Lynette, asks that the gnl-
liant L.ncelot be despatched to relieve her sister
from the persecution OF certain discourteous
Knights. To her great aud not unnatural
disgust, Gareth, known to her only as d kitchen
knaye, is told OF for this duty In describing
this young woman, Alr. TennJson gives us the
TRANSLATION hitherto sought in vain for the french
word retrouase," as spilled to noses. She
had
Hawk eye.; and lightly was her slender noas
Tip-tlted like the petal Of flower.
How her nose became tip-tilted, perhaps this
will explain. Gareth appears before her to an
rounce that he, instead Of Lnnce1ot, was to res-
cue the sister:
She theteat, Is one
That smells fou1-lcsh'd aga1ic in ths holt,
And deans it ca11ioa Of some woodland thing,
Or shrew, or weasel, nipt her slender nose
With petulant thumb and finger, e!1rillny Hencei
Avoid. thou szuellest Ill Of Kitchen grease."
Lynette becomes very fond-of tilting her nose
in this style, and rallies Gareth more than once
On the subject Of kitchen grease. But Gareth
Gays nothing, and proceeds 70 vanquish tho four
bsd Knights who were marrying Lyonors, the
distressed sister Of Lynette. aud he then returns
IN triumph to the Court The ending Of the
poem is sadly indefinite:
And ho that told the tale in oldcn timca
Eayg that Sir Gar6th wcddeta Iyonprg.
But he thst told it Inter sayR Iynette.
Lest it be supposed that all Of Lynette's uttor-
ances were of the tip-tilted oleaginoua character
OF that We hare quoted, We give the beautiful
verses in which she aings as Gareth overthrows
the wicked Knights:
When the morning Star, the first Knight, faEa,
she sings:
q morning star, that 6n1ilest In the blue,
o star, my morning dream hath proven true,
When the na1t, the Sun, goes down:
o sun, that wakcneEt all to bliss or pain;
O noon, that layest all to sleep again,
6hine sHcetly twice my love hath smiled on me-
o dewy flowers that open to the sun,
dewy flowers, that close when day is done,
Blow eweety; twice my love hath smiled on me-
birds that Barb!e to the morning sly,
o birds that warbo ns the dag goes by,
Biug aweetly; twice my love hath smiled on me-
When the Evening Star, the third, falls:
trefo1 sparkling on the rainy plsin,
O rainbow, With three colors after rain,
Shine sWeetly thrice my love hath smiled on NO.