the "Indian brothers" who fought bravely in "The Defence of Lucknow.” 22 A common flag does much to assure those who fight under it that they are one people. It is much more significant when he says, in his lines "To Victor Hugo": England, France, all man to be Will make one people ere man's race be run." France was the land of revolution where was the "red, fool fury of the Seine;" and everyone knows how cordially Tennyson hated these bloody outbreaks of the lawless spirit. To include the people of France in his thought of the coming brotherhood was a distinct advance. Still further progress in the same direction is chronicled in the "Epilogue," where these words occur: Slav, Teuton, Kelt, I count them all We do not wonder that such a citizen of the world and lover of mankind sees in vision "all the millions one at length." 25 Where there is a oneness of the millions, where one individual 22 P. 520. 23 P. 534. 24 P. 570. " 18 and every where a man may still be true,' where the one who is true to himself cannot be false to any man. In one of the closing lines of 66 Maud" we have a statement of a conclusion arrived at after much struggle, and which shows the natural progress from love of country to union with all mankind: "I have felt with my native land, I am one with my kind.” 19 This conclusion is reached despite a frank admission of Britain's gravest faults, her "lust for gold," her adoration of "her one sole God — the millionaire," 20 and all the vices usually attendant upon such lust and gross idolatry. Such individual and social crimes are not peculiar to the people of his England. They are everywhere. As they are traitors to the reign of love in one land, so they war against the forces of human brotherhood everywhere, seeking to advance and take possession of the world. Now we cannot be kind to each other here for an hour! We whisper and hint and chuckle, and grin at a brother's shame," whether that brother be in our own or in another land. It is not a great extension of the patriotic conception to include in the national brotherhood 18 Loc. cit., p. 438. 19 P. 308. 20 P. 307. 66 the Indian brothers" who fought bravely in "The Defence of Lucknow." 22 A common flag does much to assure those who fight under it that they are one people. It is much more significant when he says, in his lines "To Victor Hugo": England, France, all man to be Will make one people ere man's race be run.” France was the land of revolution where was the "red, fool fury of the Seine;" and everyone knows how cordially Tennyson hated these bloody outbreaks of the lawless spirit. To include the people of France in his thought of the coming brotherhood was a distinct advance. Still further progress in the same direction is chronicled in the “ Epilogue," where these words occur: 66 Slav, Teuton, Kelt, I count them all That wheel between the poles." We do not wonder that such a citizen of the world and lover of mankind sees in vision "all the millions one at length." 25 Where there is a oneness of the millions, where one individual 22 P. 520. 23 P. 534. 24 P. 570. will has a definite spiritual significance to other individual wills, love and mutual service are to be confidently expected. When the practical motto is "all for each and each for all," 26 it will not be long to wait "26 Till each man find his own in all men's good, This is the complete and perfected society of which Tennyson dreamed, universal in its scope, unselfish in its motive, noble and pure in the love which binds all together in mutual service. But this condition has not yet been attained. Society is not yet a brotherhood. It is divided into classes which are mutually antagonistic. There are oppression and greed on the one hand, and rebellion and hatred and open conflict on the other. There are tyranny and crime and war in the world. How to change the actual conditions of human society today into the ideal state which the poet has conceived, is the problem. In the "Miller's Daughter" there is an indication of the existence of a social problem. In "Lady Clare" there is a more definite statement of the great question: 26 Loc. cit., p. 564. "Ode at International Exhibition," p. 223. These two parties still divide the world 28 Of those that want, and those that have; and still The same old sore breaks out from age to age." The English lord is frequently portrayed as wholly unworthy of rank or honor. The city clerk, whose gains were small and whose work was hard, was a representative of a large and unfortunate class.29 "The sons of the glebe scowled at their great lord." 30 They knew his life as servants know the lives of their masters. But the rich know little or nothing of the lives of the poor. Robin Hood, an outlaw, was declared by Sir Richard to be the truest friend of the people,31 and Robin himself said that the “gentler " know naught "o' the food o' the poor." In Locksley Hall Sixty Years After" these sensible words are spoken to the young Leonard: 31 " 32 You, my Leonard, use and not abuse your day, Move among your people, know them, follow him who led the way, Strove for sixty widow'd years to help his homlier brother men, Served the poor, and built the cottage, raised the school, and drain'd the fen.33 28 "Walking to the Mail," p. 82. 29" Sea Dreams," p. 156. 30"Aylmer's Field," p. 153. 81 6 The Foresters," Act I, sc. I, p. 840. |