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at all； is true of the making of To Mary in Heaven。 If Burns wept
over Tam o' Shanter； the tears must have been tears of laughter。
The first four Idylls of the King were prepared for publication in
the spring of 1859； while Tennyson was at work also on Pelleas and
Ettarre； and the Tristram cycle。 In autumn he went on a tour to
Lisbon with Mr F。 T。 Palgrave and Mr Craufurd Grove。 Returning； he
fell eagerly to reading an early copy of Darwin's Origin of Species；
the crown of his own early speculations on the theory of evolution。
〃Your theory does not make against Christianity？〃 he asked Darwin
later （1868）； who replied； 〃No； certainly not。〃 But Darwin has
stated the waverings of his own mind in contact with a topic too high
for a priori reasoning； and only to be approached； if at all； on the
strength of the scientific method applied to facts which science； so
far； neglects； or denies； or 〃explains away；〃 rather than explains。
The Idylls； unlike Maud； were well received by the press； better by
the public； and best of all by friends like Thackeray； the Duke of
Argyll； the Master of Balliol； and Clough； while Ruskin showed some
reserve。 The letter from Thackeray I cannot deny myself the pleasure
of citing from the Biography： it was written 〃in an ardour of claret
and gratitude；〃 but posted some six weeks later：…
FOLKESTONE； September。
36 ONSLOW SQUARE； October。
My Dear Old Alfred；I owe you a letter of happiness and thanks。
Sir； about three weeks ago； when I was ill in bed； I read the Idylls
of the King； and I thought； 〃Oh； I must write to him now； for this
pleasure； this delight； this splendour of happiness which I have been
enjoying。〃 But I should have blotted the sheets； 'tis ill writing on
one's back。 The letter full of gratitude never went as far as the
post…office； and how comes it now？
D'abord； a bottle of claret。 （The landlord of the hotel asked me
down to the cellar and treated me。） Then afterwards sitting here； an
old magazine； Fraser's Magazine； 1850； and I come on a poem out of
The Princess which says； 〃I hear the horns of Elfland blowing；
blowing；〃no； it's 〃the horns of Elfland faintly blowing〃 （I have
been into my bedroom to fetch my pen and it has made that blot）； and；
reading the lines； which only one man in the world could write； I
thought about the other horns of Elfland blowing in full strength；
and Arthur in gold armour； and Guinevere in gold hair； and all those
knights and heroes and beauties and purple landscapes and misty gray
lakes in which you have made me live。 They seem like facts to me；
since about three weeks ago （three weeks or a month was it？） when I
read the book。 It is on the table yonder； and I don't like； somehow；
to disturb it； but the delight and gratitude！ You have made me as
happy as I was as a child with the Arabian Nights；every step I have
walked in Elfland has been a sort of Paradise to me。 （The landlord
gave TWO bottles of his claret and I think I drank the most） and here
I have been lying back in the chair and thinking of those delightful
Idylls； my thoughts being turned to you： what could I do but be
grateful to that surprising genius which has made me so happy？ Do
you understand that what I mean is all true； and that I should break
out were you sitting opposite with a pipe in your mouth？ Gold and
purple and diamonds； I say； gentlemen； and glory and love and honour；
and if you haven't given me all these why should I be in such an
ardour of gratitude？ But I have had out of that dear book the
greatest delight that has ever come to me since I was a young man； to
write and think about it makes me almost young； and this I suppose is
what I'm doing； like an after…dinner speech。
P。S。I thought the 〃Grandmother〃 quite as fine。 How can you at 50
be doing things as well as at 35？
October 16th。（I should think six weeks after the writing of the
above。）
The rhapsody of gratitude was never sent； and for a peculiar reason：
just about the time of writing I came to an arrangement with Smith &
Elder to edit their new magazine； and to have a contribution from T。
was the publishers' and editor's highest ambition。 But to ask a man
for a favour； and to praise and bow down before him in the same page；
seemed to be so like hypocrisy； that I held my hand； and left this
note in my desk； where it has been lying during a little French…
Italian…Swiss tour which my girls and their papa have been making。
Meanwhile S。 E。 & Co。 have been making their own proposals to you；
and you have replied not favourably； I am sorry to hear； but now
there is no reason why you should not have my homages； and I am just
as thankful for the Idylls； and love and admire them just as much； as
I did two months ago when I began to write in that ardour of claret
and gratitude。 If you can't write for us you can't。 If you can by
chance some day； and help an old friend； how pleased and happy I
shall be！ This however must be left to fate and your convenience： I
don't intend to give up hope； but accept the good fortune if it
comes。 I see one； two； three quarterlies advertised to…day； as all
bringing laurels to laureatus。 He will not refuse the private
tribute of an old friend； will he？ You don't know how pleased the
girls were at Kensington t'other day to hear you quote their father's
little verses； and he too I daresay was not disgusted。 He sends you
and yours his very best regards in this most heartfelt and artless
（note of admiration）！
Always yours； my dear Alfred；
W。 M。 THACKERAY。
Naturally this letter gave Tennyson more pleasure than all the
converted critics with their favourable reviews。 The Duke of Argyll
announced the conversion of Macaulay。 The Master found Elaine 〃the
fairest； sweetest； purest love poem in the English language。〃 As to
the whole； 〃The allegory in the distance GREATLY STRENGTHENS； ALSO
ELEVATES； THE MEANING OF THE POEM。〃
Ruskin； like some other critics； felt 〃the art and finish in these
poems a little more than I like to feel it。〃 Yet Guinevere and
Elaine had been rapidly written and little corrected。 I confess to
the opinion that what a man does most easily is； as a rule； what he
does best。 We know that the 〃art and finish〃 of Shakespeare were
spontaneous； and so were those of Tennyson。 Perfection in art is
sometimes more sudden than we think； but then 〃the long preparation
for it；that unseen germination； THAT is what we ignore and forget。〃
But he wisely kept his pieces by him for a long time； restudying them
with a fresh eye。 The 〃unreality〃 of the subject also failed to
please Ruskin； as it is a stumbling…block to others。 He wanted poems
on 〃the living present；〃 a theme not selected by Homer； Shakespeare；
Spenser； Milton； Virgil； or the Greek dramatists； except （among
surviving plays） in the Persae of AEschylus。 The poet who can
transfigure the hot present is fortunate； but most； and the greatest；
have visited the cool quiet purlieus of the past。
CHAPTER VII。THE IDYLLS OF THE KING。
The Idylls may probably be best considered in their final shape：
they are not an epic； but a series of heroic idyllia of the same
genre as the heroic idyllia of