the more simple the dealings of men with men, as well as of man with
man, are--the better," a sentiment which, perhaps, did not always
prevail with his friend. The poet's reflections on the horror of
Gordon's death are not recorded. He introduced the idea of the
Gordon Home for Boys, and later supported it by a letter, "Have we
forgotten Gordon?" to the Daily Telegraph. They who cannot forget
Gordon must always be grateful to Tennyson for providing this
opportunity of honouring the greatest of an illustrious clan, and of
helping, in their degree, a scheme which was dear to the heroic
leader.

The poet, very naturally, was most averse to personal appearance in
public matters. Mankind is so fashioned that the advice of a poet is
always regarded as unpractical, and is even apt to injure the cause
which he advocates. Happily there cannot be two opinions about the
right way of honouring Gordon. Tennyson's poem, The Fleet, was also
in harmony with the general sentiment.

In the last month of 1884 Becket was published. The theme of Fair
Rosamund had appealed to the poet in youth, and he had written part
of a lyric which he judiciously left unpublished. It is given in his
Biography. In 1877 he had visited Canterbury, and had traced the
steps of Becket to his place of slaughter in the Cathedral. The poem
was printed in 1879, but not published till seven years later. In
1879 Sir Henry Irving had thought the play too costly to be produced
with more than a succes d'estime; but in 1891 he put it on the stage,
where it proved the most successful of modern poetic dramas. As
published it is, obviously, far too long for public performance. It
is not easy to understand why dramatic poets always make their works
so much too long. The drama seems, by its very nature, to have a