"
However, in 1847 England had not yet thought of imitating the
Hodmadods. Consequently, and by reason of the purely literary and
elaborately fantastical character of The Princess, it was not of a
nature to increase the poet's fame and success. "My book is out, and
I hate it, and so no doubt will you," Tennyson wrote to FitzGerald,
who hated it and said so. "Like Carlyle, I gave up all hopes of him
after The Princess," indeed it was not apt to conciliate Carlyle.
"None of the songs had the old champagne flavour," said Fitz; and
Lord Tennyson adds, "Nothing either by Thackeray or by my father met
FitzGerald's approbation unless he had first seen it in manuscript."
This prejudice was very human. Lord Tennyson remarks, as to the
poet's meaning in this work, born too early, that "the sooner woman
finds out, before the great educational movement begins, that 'woman
is not undeveloped man, but diverse,' the better it will be for the
progress of the world."
But probably the "educational movement" will not make much difference
to womankind on the whole. The old Platonic remark that woman "does
the same things as man, but not so well," will eternally hold good,
at least in the arts, and in letters, except in rare cases of genius.
A new Jeanne d'Arc, the most signal example of absolute genius in
history, will not come again; and the ages have waited vainly for a
new Sappho or a new Jane Austen.
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