MOORLANDS OF THE BORDER 5 



naturalists, we must remember that to us is granted 

 neither imagination nor licence. 



Graceless is the soul that cannot enjoy — dismissing, 

 the while, untimely reflections on known facts respecting 

 the autumnal moult, and every unharmonious thought — 

 such lines as : — 



" In the spring a fuller crimson comes upon the robin's breast ; 

 In the spring the wanton lapwing gets himself another crest ; 

 In the spring a livelier iris changes on the burnish'd dove ; 

 In the spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love." 



By all means enjoy what is beautiful, and picture in 

 introspect how charming all would be did Nature's facts 

 but coincide with poetic sentiment. Try to regard Spring 

 with that joy and thankfulness which poets and the 

 innate character of the season naturally inspire. It was 

 Plato, if I remember aright, who proposed that poets 

 should be banished because they sang only the ideal. 

 Therein, I consider, he displayed some lack of sound 

 philosophy; since "facts" are not, even now, all proven 

 or capable of precise definition. Hence, even in natural 

 history, some small and ordered measure of idealism 

 may conceivably be admissible. 



There exists, however, even among poets, some 

 degree of sophistry ; for, while Browning sang of the 

 joy "to be in England now that April's here," yet he 

 took care to remain in Italy! 



In these chapters the author holds himself perforce 

 restrained from indulgence in any sentimental effusive- 

 ness beyond what may be dictated by the logic of facts. 

 For in the Borderland, and especially on its moory 

 uplands, the term Spring represents rather a chrono- 

 logical definition than the embodiment of an idea 

 calculated to inspire, from the character of the period 



