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And rainbow robes； and gems and gem…like eyes；
And gold and golden heads； they to and fro
Fluctuated； as flowers in storm； some red； some pale。〃
The 〃small sweet Idyll〃 from
〃A volume of the poets of her land〃
pure Theocritus。 It has been admirably rendered into Greek by Mr
Gilbert Murray。 The exquisite beauties of style are not less
exquisitely blended in the confusions of a dream； for a dream is the
thing most akin to The Princess。 Time does not exist in the realm of
Gama； or in the ideal university of Ida。 We have a bookless North；
severed but by a frontier pillar from a golden and learned South。
The arts； from architecture to miniature…painting； are in their
highest perfection； while knights still tourney in armour； and the
quarrel of two nations is decided as in the gentle and joyous passage
of arms at Ashby de la Zouche。 Such confusions are purposefully
dream…like： the vision being a composite thing； as dreams are；
haunted by the modern scene of the holiday in the park； the 〃gallant
glorious chronicle；〃 the Abbey； and that 〃old crusading knight
austere；〃 Sir Ralph。 The seven narrators of the scheme are like the
〃split personalities〃 of dreams； and the whole scheme is of great
technical skill。 The earlier editions lacked the beautiful songs of
the ladies； and that additional trait of dream； the strange trance…
like seizures of the Prince： 〃fallings from us； vanishings；〃 in
Wordsworthian phrase； instances of 〃dissociation；〃 in modern
psychological terminology。 Tennyson himself； like Shelley and
Wordsworth； had experience of this kind of dreaming awake which he
attributes to his Prince； to strengthen the shadowy yet brilliant
character of his romance。 It is a thing of normal and natural points
de repere； of daylight suggestion； touched as with the magnifying and
intensifying elements of haschish…begotten phantasmagoria。 In the
same way opium raised into the region of brilliant vision that
passage of Purchas which Coleridge was reading before he dreamed
Kubla Khan。 But in Tennyson the effects were deliberately sought and
secured。
One might conjecture； though Lord Tennyson says nothing on the
subject； that among the suggestions for The Princess was the opening
of Love's Labour's Lost。 Here the King of Navarre devises the
College of Recluses； which is broken up by the arrival of the
Princess of France； Rosaline； and the other ladies：…
King。 Our Court shall be a little Academe；
Still and contemplative in living art。
You three； Biron； Domain； and Longaville；
Have sworn for three years' term to live with me；
My fellow…scholars； and to keep those statutes。
* * *
Biron。 That is； to live and study here three years。
But there are other strict observances；
As； not to see a woman in that term。
* * *
＇Reads＇ 'That no woman shalt come within a mile of my Court：' Hath
this been proclaimed？
Long。 Four days ago。
Biron。 Let's see the penalty。 ＇Reads＇ 'On pain of losing her
tongue。'
The Princess then arrives with her ladies； as the Prince does with
Cyril and Florian； as Charles did； with Buckingham； in Spain。 The
conclusion of Shakespeare is Tennyson's conclusion …
〃We cannot cross the cause why we are born。〃
The later poet reverses the attitude of the sexes in Love's Labour's
Lost： it is the women who make and break the vow； and the women in
The Princess insist on the 〃grand； epic； homicidal〃 scenes； while the
men are debarred； more or less； from a sportive treatment of the
subject。 The tavern catch of Cyril； the laughable pursuit of the
Prince by the feminine Proctors； the draggled appearance of the
adventurers in female garb； are concessions to the humour of the
situation。 Shakespeare would certainly have given us the song of
Cyril at the picnic； and comic enough the effect would have been on
the stage。 It may be a gross employment； but The Princess； with the
pretty chorus of girl undergraduates；
〃In colours gayer than the morning mist；〃
went reasonably well in opera。 Merely considered as a romantic
fiction； The Princess presents higher proofs of original narrative
genius than any other such attempt by its author。
The poem is far from being deficient in that human interest which
Shelley said that it was as vain to ask from HIM； as to seek to buy a
leg of mutton at a gin…shop。 The characters； the protagonists； with
Cyril； Melissa； Lady Blanche； the child Aglaia； King Gama； the other
king； Arac； and the hero's motherbeautifully studied from the
mother of the poetare all sufficiently human。 But they seem to
waver in the magic air； 〃as all the golden autumn woodland reels
athwart the fires of autumn leaves。 For these reasons； and because
of the designed fantasy of the whole composition； The Princess is
essentially a poem for the true lovers of poetry； of Spenser and of
Coleridge。 The serious motive； the question of Woman； her wrongs；
her rights； her education； her capabilities； was not 〃in the air〃 in
1847。 To be sure it had often been 〃in the air。〃 The Alexandrian
Platonists； the Renaissance； even the age of Anne； had their
emancipated and learned ladies。 Early Greece had Sappho； Corinna；
and Erinna； the first the chief of lyric poets； even in her
fragments； the two others applauded by all Hellas。 The French
Revolution had begotten Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin and her
Vindication of the Rights of Women； and in France George Sand was
prominent and emancipated enough while the poet wrote。 But； the
question of love apart； George Sand was 〃very； very woman；〃 shining
as a domestic character and fond of needlework。 England was not
excited about the question which has since produced so many
disputants； inevitably shrill； and has not been greatly meddled with
by women of genius； George Eliot or Mrs Oliphant。 The poem； in the
public indifference as to feminine education； came rather
prematurely。 We have now ladies' colleges； not in haunts remote from
man； but by the sedged banks of Cam and Cherwell。 There have been no
revolutionary results： no boys have spied these chaste nests； with
echoing romantic consequences。 The beauty and splendour of the
Princess's university have not arisen in light and colour； and it is
only at St Andrews that girls wear the academic and becoming costume
of the scarlet gown。 The real is far below the ideal； but the real
in 1847 seemed eminently remote； or even impossible。
The learned Princess herself was not on our level as to knowledge and
the past of womankind。 She knew not of their masterly position in
the law of ancient Egypt。 Gynaeocracy and matriarchy； the woman the
head of the savage or prehistoric group； were things hidden from her。
She 〃glanced at the Lycian custom；〃 but not at the Pictish； a custom
which would have suited George Sand to a marvel。 She maligned the
Hottentots。
〃The highest is the measure of the man；
And not the Kaffir； Hottentot； Malay。〃
The Hottentots had long ago anticipated the Princess and her shrill
modern sisterhood。 If we take the Greeks； or even ourselves； we may
say； with Dampier （1689）； 〃The Hodmadods； though a nasty people； yet
are gentlemen to these〃 as regards the position of wome