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Lubbock, Sir John, 1834-1913

"The Pleasures of Life"


[7] Swinburne.
[8] Shakespeare.
[9] Cowper.
[10] Rogers.
[11] Shelley.
[12] Dryden.


CHAPTER VIII.
THE BEAUTIES OF NATURE.

"Speak to the earth and it shall teach thee."
JOB.

"And this our life, exempt from public haunt,
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermons in stones, and good in everything."
SHAKESPEARE.


CHAPTER VIII.
THE BEAUTIES OF NATURE.

We are told in the first chapter of Genesis that at the close of the sixth
day "God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good."
Not merely good, but very good. Yet how few of us appreciate the beautiful
world in which we live!
In preceding chapters I have incidentally, though only incidentally,
referred to the Beauties of Nature; but any attempt, however imperfect, to
sketch the blessings of life must contain some special reference to this
lovely world itself, which the Greeks happily called [Greek: chosmos]
--beauty.
Hamerton, in his charming work on _Landscape_, says, "There are, I
believe, four new experiences for which no description ever adequately
prepares us, the first sight of the sea, the first journey in the desert,
the sight of flowing molten lava, and a walk on a great glacier.


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