Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1909-09-02
TENNYSON CENTENARY.
Notable Events In the Career of the
Great English Poet.

Lord Alfred Tennyson. England's
famous poet laureate. who was born
100 years ago, told his son Hallam that
at eight he had written "rhomsonian
blank verse in praise of flowers and
at ten and eleven. under the spell of
Pope's Homer hundreds and hun
dreds of lines in the regular Pompeian
meter and little later an epic of
5000 lines after the pattern of Scott.
Tennyson's Life.
1S09-(Aug. g. Born, the fourth of twelve
children. to the Rev. George Tennyson,
rector of Somersby, Lincolnshire.
1S16-To school at Louth (for four years
How | hated it!").
1S20-Studying with his father, enjoying
the run of a library more various and
stimulating than the average country
rectory could boast"
1S2S-tFebruaryJ Matriculated at Trinity,
Cambridge, where he made many ia
nous friends. showed much interest in
questions of the day. though leaving
reputation as a poor scholar and
without a degree (February, 1s3I.
1S30-ln' this and the two following years
Travelled considerably with Arthur
Henry Hallam. who died suddenly at
Vienna. Sept. Is. 1888.
1S33-For nine years lay fallow." writing
little ana FURNISHING nothing, living at
Somersby. IN Eppng forest. at Tun-
bridge Wells and Maidstone.
1S42-"Arriyed' with his third collection of
poems; elected TO the Anonymous
club. welcomed at Bath House and one
of the Holland House circle.
1S45-(SeptembeD Pensioned by Peel with
goo a year.
1S50-Succeeded Wordsworth as poet laure-
ate, twenty-tirst in the line of Chaucer
and Spenser, Jonson and Dryden. The
post was first offered Samuel Rogers.
but he declined on the score of his
age, elghty-seven.
1850-(June lS) Married at Shiplake church
to Emily Sellwood after a Courtship Of
nearly a score of years.
1S55-(Junel Honored with an oxford d.
Q. l..
1S60-From this year almost to the close
of his life the poet spent from one to
five of every twelve months in travel
jS62-(AprD Ills first interview with Queen
Victoria. (Her journal carries this
characteristic record: After luncheon
saw the great poet Tennyson in dear
est Albert's room for nearly an hour,
and most interesting 1t was Asked
him to sit down.O
1S6S-(Aprll 23 Shakespeare's birthday
Laid the foundation stone for AID
worth" near Haslemere. Surrey.
1S69-Made honorary fellow of Trinity col
lege, Cambridge.
1SS4-(January) Made Baron Tennyson"
by Gladstone, having twice earlier Ga
and '74) refused the honor.
1SS6-(ApriD Death of Lionel Tennyson.
1SS9-ln this year, after the news OF
Brownings death, the laureate seemed
to lose much of his keen interest in
life and till his death lived more quiet
ly than ever. walking much. visiting a
few friends, dabbling with water col
ors and reading Jane Austen.
1S92-(Oct. q Died.
1S92-(Oct. l2l Buried in the abbey beside
Browning and before the tomb of
Chaucer, with "Cymbeline" laid in his
dead hands. Westminster's nave was
lined by men from the Balaklava
Light brigade. and the pallbearers
were the Duke of Argyll, Lords DUFF
ferin, Selborne. Salisbury. Rosebery
and Kelvin. Sir James Paget. DR. But
Ter or Trinity, DR.. Jowett. the hstori-
ans Froude and Lecky and the United
States minister. Robert L. Lincoln.