England's Green Beauty
NOT long ago I expressed an opinion that, though there were in all the world no such lovers of beauty in Nature as the beauty-loving Englishman and woman, there was perhaps no country where beauty lovers were so few. It was one of those things one says in haste and does not repent at leisure. The encomium and the indict- ment stand the test of reflection. In a story by de Maupassant called Miss Harriet, of an English old maid- s type-study at once devastating and compassionate— English love of beauty in Nature was concreted as perhaps it could only have been by a foreign artist. To us other English lovers of beauty in Nature Miss Harriet's passion for it would have seemed natural ; it needed an alien like de Maupassant to give it in art the sharpness of the abnormal.
Among the English, who as a people have less imagina- tion than most other races, the balance is quaintly re- dressed by more and better poets than other countries boast of. So also is the balance redressed in regard to the love of beauty in Nature—the millions are asleep where Nature is concerned, but some tens of thousands love her with a sort of passion, The final words of an otherwiSe 'excellent leading article . in the Times Iasi August Bank Holiday on thiS subject,- ran as follows :—" In the average 'Englishman love of English country and pride in the English country are genuine and pregnant passions." That is going much too far. The average Englishman his little love of and no pride in the English country-side: This, my unhappy convic-' tion, is based on a variety of palpable evidence, such as the disgusting condition. in which any average English. crowd will leave any English country-side or open space' the outrageous .liberties which the English public allows English builders to take, as a matter of 'course, with English landscape ; the way in which English holiday makers herd together by the sea or in the country, as if terrified of the peace and beauty they are supposed to he seeking ; and the general sentiment of the town child taken for a holiday into the country—that the Country is all very well, but that the streetS'are better ; and what are town children but fathers and mothers of townsmen and women?
It is quite true that village dwellers, not very numerous now in our land, are so accustomed to peace and natural beauty as to be unconscious, perhaps, that it is peace and beauty, but if taken away from the country, they at least pine a little for what they have lost ; whereas town folk, who are as seven to one in England nowadays, may have a certain curiosity as to the peace and beauty of the country, but, after a very small dose thereof, will pine for the town. In any case, neither, in the mass, has what can be called a " genuine or pregnant passion " for the English country-side. No, if that country-side, so green and quietly beautiful; is to be saved (and kindly note that the development Of flying will Make salVation doubly difficult), it will not be by banking on any passion for its beauty in the _average Englishnian. There. is a limit to the disguise of feelings even in the English—a feeling for the English country.- side disguised with such perfection' by the average Englishthan, is not a feeling at all, at least, not one to swear by. The English country-side will be preserved, if indeed that is still possible, not by the average million's but by the thousands of real lovers of its beauty. Linking themselves together and becOmini active—or shall we say unpleasant-L-enough, these will haVe great power even against the forces of machinery and money-makini–thOse natural enemies to beauty in Nature. They will have great power because the millions are asleep in the matter, and the inimical machine and money-makers will actually he fewer than themselves. They may even have a majority of well-wishers in the House of Coinmons, they will cer- tainly have a majority in the House of Lords. But, they - have no time to lose, as I believe they already realize. Those who have experience of Procedure, whether in Parliament or on local bodies, are well aware how in- . tensely difficult it always is to secure protection where claim for protection is based on sentiment. Lip-service is paid to sentiment by most politicians and public Men, and at heart very likely they often feel what they say, but when it comes to the stoppage of what brings in or creates material wealth, a sort 'of paralysis Comes Over the legislative machine, and cogs get the Upper hand. Our so-called Progress is ruthlessly insidiouS ; it creeps fast, and can quickly scar beyMild recovery the fairest places of the laud. Only concerted. national • action can now keep it within bounds ; and where, as in this matter, protection is sought on nothing :moire sUbstfintial 'than wsthetic or sentiihental groundsfor you will 'not easily convince modern man that quiettide is a pthysiCal as et---- it is exceptionally hard to secure national action: 'Beauty goes to the wall as easily as doeslumaneness, itmonttay interests are threatened, ' There never was a cause, then, where unity was more essential to successunity strong enough - to compel administrative and even legislative action. It ought to be illegal for builders to spoil a view.' Children in every school should be taiightilas surely as they are taught to use handkerchiefs, to clean up debris in the country side or in open spaceO.' And certain parts of the land should by law be placed' beyond the reach of the speculator, sportsman or what not.
Illustration of the futility of banking on the " genuine and pregnant' passion Of the average Englishman " for his country-side maybe drawn from the fate of our agri- culture; to the revival of which public opinion pays continual lip-service, but about which it doesn't care a solitary brass button. For lack of a united and perma- nent policy coherently pursued, our agriculture declines steadily. It will be even so with our landscape, unless we Unite and stand firm to save it. English lovers of beauty in Nature to-day are like the Guards at Waterloo ; if their stand is broken, England's green beauty will be
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