The Early Poems of Alfred Lord Tennyson Part 36

And in the sun-pierced Oriels' coloured flame Immortal Michael Angelo Looked down, bold Luther, large-browed Verulam, The King of those who know. [A]

Cervantes, the bright face of Calderon, Robed David touching holy strings, The Halicarna.s.sean, and alone, Alfred the flower of kings.

Isaiah with fierce Ezekiel, Swarth Moses by the Coptic sea, Plato, Petrarca, Livy, and Raphael, And eastern Confutzer.

[Sub-Footnote A: Il maestro di color chi sanno.--Dante, 'Inf.', iii.]]

[Footnote 28: Homer. 'Cf.' Pope's 'Temple of Fame', 183-7:--

Father of verse in holy fillets dress'd, His silver beard wav'd gently o'er his breast, Though blind a boldness in his looks appears, In years he seem'd but not impaired by years.]

[Footnote 29: All these stanzas were added in 1842. In 1833 appear the following stanzas, excised in 1842:--

As some rich tropic mountain, that infolds All change, from flats of scattered palms Sloping thro' five great zones of climate, holds His head in snows and calms--

Full of her own delight and nothing else, My vain-glorious, gorgeous soul Sat throned between the shining oriels, In pomp beyond control;

With piles of flavorous fruits in basket-twine Of gold, upheaped, crushing down Musk-scented blooms--all taste--grape, gourd or pine-- In bunch, or single grown--

Our growths, and such as brooding Indian heats Make out of crimson blossoms deep, Ambrosial pulps and juices, sweets from sweets Sun-changed, when sea-winds sleep.

With graceful chalices of curious wine, Wonders of art--and costly jars, And bossed salvers. Ere young night divine Crowned dying day with stars,

Making sweet close of his delicious toils, She lit white streams of dazzling gas, And soft and fragrant flames of precious oils In moons of purple gla.s.s

Ranged on the fretted woodwork to the ground.

Thus her intense untold delight, In deep or vivid colour, smell and sound, Was nattered day and night. [A]

[Sub-Footnote A: If the poem were not already too long, I should have inserted in the text the following stanzas, expressive of the joy wherewith the soul contemplated the results of astronomical experiment. In the centre of the four quadrangles rose an immense tower.

Hither, when all the deep unsounded skies Shuddered with silent stars she clomb, And as with optic gla.s.ses her keen eyes Pierced thro' the mystic dome,

Regions of lucid matter taking forms, Brushes of fire, hazy gleams, Cl.u.s.ters and beds of worlds, and bee-like swarms Of suns, and starry streams.

She saw the snowy poles of moonless Mars, That marvellous round of milky light Below Orion, and those double stars Whereof the one more bright

Is circled by the other, etc.]

[Footnote 30: Thus in 1833:--

And many more, that in their lifetime were Full-welling fountain heads of change, Between the stone shafts glimmered, blazoned fair In divers raiment strange.]

[Footnote 31: The statue of Memnon near Thebes in Egypt when first struck by the rays of the rising sun is said to have become vocal, to have emitted responsive sounds. See for an account of this 'Pausanias', i., 42; Tacitus, 'Annals', ii., 61; and Juvenal, 'Sat.', xv., 5:

"Dimidio magicae resonant ubi Memnone Chordae,"

and compare Akenside's verses, 'Plea. of Imag.', i., 109-113:--

Old Memnon's image, long renown'd By fabling Nilus: to the quivering touch Of t.i.tan's ray, with each repulsive string Consenting, sounded thro' the warbling air Unbidden strains.]

[Footnote 32: 1833. O'.]

[Footnote 33: Here added in 1842 and remaining till 1851 when they were excised are two stanzas:--

"From shape to shape at first within the womb The brain is modell'd," she began, "And thro' all phases of all thought I come Into the perfect man.

"All nature widens upward. Evermore The simpler essence lower lies: More complex is more perfect, owning more Discourse, more widely wise."]

[Footnote 34: These stanzas were added in 1851.]

[Footnote 35: Added in 1842, with the following variants which remained till 1851, when the present text was subst.i.tuted:--

"I take possession of men's minds and deeds.

I live in all things great and small.

I sit apart holding no forms of creeds, But contemplating all."]

[Footnote 36: 1833. Sometimes.]

[Footnote 37:

And intellectual throne Of full-sphered contemplation. So three years She throve, but on the fourth she fell.

And so the text remained till 1850, when the present reading was subst.i.tuted.]

[Footnote 38: For the reference to Herod see 'Acts' xii. 21-23.]

[Footnote 39: Cf. Hallam's 'Remains', p.

132: "That, i.e. Redemption," is in the power of G.o.d's election with whom alone rest 'the abysmal secrets of personality'.]

[Footnote 40: See 'Daniel' v. 24-27.]

[Footnote 41: In 1833 the following stanza, excised in 1842:--

"Who hath drawn dry the fountains of delight, That from my deep heart everywhere Moved in my blood and dwelt, as power and might Abode in Sampson's hair?"]

[Footnote 42: 1833. Downward-sloping.]

[Footnote 43: 1833.