The sight of the fresh green in brake and thicket, of
vernal flowers blowing on mossy banks, of swallows arriving from the
south, and of the sun mounting daily higher in the sky, would be
welcomed by them as so many visible signs that their enchantments
were indeed taking effect, and would inspire them with a cheerful
confidence that all was well with a world which they could thus
mould to suit their wishes. Only in autumn days, as summer slowly
faded, would their confidence again be dashed by doubts and
misgivings at symptoms of decay, which told how vain were all their
efforts to stave off for ever the approach of winter and of death.
XXIX. The Myth of Adonis
THE SPECTACLE of the great changes which annually pass over the face
of the earth has powerfully impressed the minds of men in all ages,
and stirred them to meditate on the causes of transformations so
vast and wonderful. Their curiosity has not been purely
disinterested; for even the savage cannot fail to perceive how
intimately his own life is bound up with the life of nature, and how
the same processes which freeze the stream and strip the earth of
vegetation menace him with extinction.
Pages:
896
897
898
899
900
901
902
903
904
905
906
907
908
909
910
911
912
913
914
915
916
917
918
919
920