ABSTRACT
among the books which Hardy owned was a flimsy copy of Tennyson—a handy volume of selections from the verse of the poet laureate—which he liked to carry with him when travel-ling. Its light weight made the book attractive, but its contents too had attractions for Hardy. He had quoted 'In Memoriam' in A Pair of Blue Eyes and again in Tess, and he was to quote Tennyson in the 'Apology' prefixed to Late Lyrics in 1922. Tennyson's 'Break, break, break' is quoted in A Pair of Blue Eyes and 'Princess Ida' is quoted in The Mayor of Casterbridge. Hardy went to Tennyson's funeral in 1892 and on October 2 wrote to his wife—Emma had remained at Max Gate—that at the funeral he had 'had a very good place' in Westminster Abbey and had 'looked into the grave' on his way out. 1
