TENNYSON AND BLAKE.

169

Calling one day at Brookbank Tennyson instantly detected the fragrant weed, the odour floated from the lawn to the porch,-"Ah! Mrs. Gilchrist's friend has a pipe, I wish that I could have a pipe!"

The Poet used to notice the beautiful white Clematis trailing over Brookbank; but he insisted on Clè 'matis (Kλnuăris, -idos) its nicety of quantity; a point Tennyson was exacting about; he always corrected an offender against quantity, promptly, though good-naturedly.

One trait in the Laureate was marked-he would never criticise literary contemporaries.

In a letter to William Haines (the friend whose pipe Tennyson envied !) Anne Gilchrist describes a luncheon which the Tennysons gave at Greyshot:

"... You will like to hear how the Monday went off. We went-spite of weather; Tennyson was comfortable and cheerful, chiefly jocose indeed, at dinner says when he ceases to sell as a poet he shall start the Tennyson biscuit, an invention of Mrs. T.'s which he considers surpassingly excellent. Spoke of his visit to Mr. Bell, as a pleasant one. Mr. Bell thinks the term shot in which so many of our names end here, is a corruption of holt. Spoke of Marochetti as a quack and impostor; but in this, I could see, he was merely quoting Woolner. . . . Tennyson thinks Landseer's lions a failure, too thick and pudgy in the flank-great poverty of idea to have only one lion and repeat him in different positions; each of the lions ought to have had a distinct individuality.

"After the lunch Mr. Simmons went up with him to smoke, and Mrs. Tennyson talked to us; told us that

Tennyson likes and admires the Queen personally much, enjoys conversation with her. Mrs. Tennyson generally goes too, and says the Queen's manner towards him is child-like and charming, and they both give their opinions freely, even when these differ from the Queen's, which she takes with perfect good humour, and is very animated herself.

"But the best part of the day was the walk home (the rest drove); he accompanied me as far as the top of High Hollow; he talked gloriously, I wish I could repeat it all.-Likes much Spencer's Nebular Hypothesis;' had himself had that idea about the comets being an intermediate stage between nebula and planet. Spoke of materialism. I ventured to say that it was a term of reproach chiefly because people had so inadequate and false an idea of matter, that matter was wholly a manifestation of force and power; he agreed, said something I can't exactly remember, and then added, 'You mean that we have a little bit of God in the middle of us;' to which I cordially assented. Spoke of the futility of mere argument about immortality and such topics, it being wholly a matter of instinct and unprovable; I said conservation of Force went a great way towards actual proof.

"Mrs. Tennyson said that notwithstanding the drawbacks of Greyshot she regarded the coming here as a great success; [Tennyson] likes the country and the people and enjoys his walks, and is anxious to buy. She also kindly said that he liked me to show him the wayand that he would often come down after my early dinner, that we might thoroughly explore those places

A PLACE MADE FOR A POET.

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where there was any chance of buying. I have seen an agent for them. He is coming to-morrow to go to 'Mead Fields,' and one or two places the other side of Hazlemere."

In a letter to William Haines (July 7, 1867), we are told about the purchase of Greenhill:-"Yes, we succeeded at last in finding land to suit, and Mr. Simmons is buying it for him at a very moderate price. There will be no more land in this neighbourhood sold so low again, I think. It is a wooded hollow in Blackdown (south side near the top) at once very sheltered, for the hill curves round on either side and rises sheer behind it to the north, so that it is like a little bay; yet elevated, very near the top of Blackdown, and commanding the view you know well, Surrey, Sussex and parts of Hampshire and I suppose part of Kent, South Downs. Surrey Hills spread out before you: I saw the sea distinctly from what will be their lawn and three ships on it through the gap in the downs by Little Hampton. Chanctonbury Ring was conspicuous, too, last time I was there.

"I do think if ever there was a poet to live in this Green Hill, as changed to Aldworth] is the spot.

place made for a it is called [now Thirty-six acres—

half coppice above, three large fields and little old farmhouse below.. Tennyson was so pleased; a sort of child-like glee that is beautiful; contrasting curiously enough with his saturnine moods."

CHAPTER XVI.

LETTER FROM CHRISTINA

ROSSETTI.

1868-1870. AGE 40-42.

N response to an invitation from the family at Brookbank, Christina Rossetti writes from Scotland:" If the end of my Penkill sojourn deprives me of seeing you, its beginning mulcts me of a visit to the Isle of Wight in which I was promised to meet Tennyson-poor me! This invitation was only given me yesterday, too late to be closed with: however I am not certain that in any case I should have screwed myself up to accept it, as I am shy amongst strangers and think things formidable.

"Please give my love to the young people, whose recollection of me I must try to revive some day in person if opportunity offers. . . .

"

In 1868, Anne Gilchrist was studying Victor Hugo. Some lines of his are quoted in a letter to William Haines:-" I subjoin a translation of one or two things that struck me as fine and extractable, but it is the whole that you must read and judge by :

"What power is there in a grave and kindly examination; let us not bring flame where light will suffice.'