In November 1870 _The Last Tournament_ was begun; it was finished in May 1871. Conceivably the vulgar scandals of the last days of the French Imperial _régime_ may have influenced Tennyson’s picture of the corruption of Arthur’s Court; but the Empire did not begin, like the Round Table, with aspirations after the Ideal. In the autumn of the year Tennyson entertained, and was entertained by, Mr Huxley. In their ideas about ultimate things two men could not vary more widely, but each delighted in the other’s society. In the spring of 1872 Tennyson visited Paris and the ruins of the Louvre. He read Victor Hugo, and Alfred de Musset, whose comedies he admired. The little that we hear of his opinion of the other great poet runs to this effect, “Victor Hugo is an unequal genius, sometimes sublime; he reminds one that there is but one step between the sublime and the ridiculous,” but the example by which Tennyson illustrated this was derived from one of the poet’s novels. In these we meet not only the sublime and the ridiculous, but passages which leave us in some perplexity as to their true category. One would have expected Hugo’s lyrics to be Tennyson’s favourites, but only _Gastibelza_ is mentioned in that character. At this time Tennyson was vexed by “Art with poisonous honey stolen from France,” a phrase which cannot apply to Hugo. Meanwhile _Gareth_ was being written, and the knight’s song for _The Coming of Arthur_. _Gareth and Lynette_, with minor pieces, appeared in 1872. _Balin and Balan_ was composed later, to lead up to _Vivien_, to which, perhaps, _Balin and Balan_ was introduction sufficient had it been the earlier written. But the Idylls have already been discussed as arranged in sequence. The completion of the Idylls, with the patriotic epilogue, was followed by the offer of a baronetcy. Tennyson preferred that he and his wife “should remain plain Mr and Mrs,” though “I hope that I have too much of the old-world loyalty not to wear my lady’s favours against all comers, should you think that it would be more agreeable to her Majesty that I should do so.”