New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-10

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his labors he has not always woven his details
together with the lucidity which assures the
reader a sense Of strictly consecutive narration
His recollectons OF his father with his citations
Of the latter's remarks upon this occasion or
that. are combined with letters signed by any
number Of TennysOn's correspondence the poets
own letters drawn upon: and considerable
group OF his contemporaries contribute reinIhls-
ccnccs which are sometime, given In full In one
place but more often are scattered through
various chapters. The result Is confusing. But,
we repeat. the biographcr's tact has not failed
him He could not connect his fragments with
skill but he has chosen them with judgment. has
handled them with de!icacy. and all along re-
fuses to allow tho fact that he is his fathers
son to lead him into anything like sentimentali-
~ or egot!sm blind Partially. on the con-
trary the portrait which he draws rcvvcs the
traits Of a noble personality and conyinces us OF
its truth in an entirely inpcrsonal manner.
The barcst recital OF the leading events In
Tennyson's career would show that the nobicr
the portrait the more accurate 1t would be.
From his birth the gods seem to have had him
in their charge. lie was himself indisposcd TO
take this view Of the question. Putting aside
the fact that he had been FOR some years in
straiicncd circumstances. that his marriage was
postponed for ten years because OF his inability
to provide for a family. he showed that he
thought he owed little to fortune and more 10
hard work when he alluded 10 his poetic dcvcl-
opnent. ARTIST first. then poet some writer
said W me should answer. Pocta nascitur
non fit indeed 'Pocta nasctur ct fit ! sup
pose | was nearer thirty than twenty years be
fore anything OF an artist" Nevertheless.
the poet Of this biography was Enthusiastically
favorite Of the gods His childhood knew moth
ing OF poverty; in fact he was never even re
motcly in want. ana from both his father and
mother ne imbbcd inspiration and instruction
which were fortified by the Lincolnshire wods
amid which he was born and reared. Somcrshy.
as We see it in the present volumes. the
very place for n poet to be born In. Poor little
place." the poet called it. years after n had left
the old rectory. and We are told that he always
spoke Of II with arcctonatc remembrance. His
childhood in the last degree happy. being
disturbed by nothing more tangible than the
melancholy mood which desccnc1i upon him
with his poetic gifts and visited him. fitfully all
his life long. When he fourteen he heard Of
Eyron's death and rushed crying from the house.
byron Is dead" he carved upon a stone in
the garden. This very incident indicates the
world OF Imagination In which he lived and the
reader feels instinctively how much the man
owed 10 the experiences OF the boy. how the com
poser Of the "Idylls' is prcngured In the lad who
used To spend long winter evenings with his
younger sister on his knee and the rest Of the
youngsters gathered around them. inVcnting
endless tales for his hearers. His legends were
Of knights and heroes among untravellcd for
csts. rcscuing distressed damsels or on gigantic
mountains lighting with dragons. but there was
more cobcrcncy about his stories than about
most juvcnilia If the sort This may BE- inferred
from his lcttcrs-onc Of which. in the manner of
Don Qulxote is "A marvel for IA boy in his teens
and st more from the poctical productions IL
those early days. When the boys were talking
OF their respective futures. Tcnnyson declared:
.Tie COPYRIGHT 81 all the poetry AMI prose this
memoir reserves by The Macmillan Company.