52 SENSING THE COUNTRY 



the green pasturage of Cloudland seeing as I do 

 under the combed, trim countryside of to-day 

 the fierce rough wilderness of prehistoric times 

 and of outlandish frontiers. It is not by 

 asking the way or reading sign-posts that one 

 reasons out the route of a day's journey, but 

 by a vivid sense of light, form, colour and at- 

 mospheric distance, the old familiar structure 

 of the rocks, the slopes of drainage, the course 

 of running waters, the shape of woods and 

 trees as fashioned by the wind, the ancient 

 dangers deflecting trails and roads, and the 

 phenomena which result in forts and churches, 

 villages and towns. 



So one senses the radiant perfumed land and 

 sees how it shaped and coloured its native 

 horses. It was from that raw material the 

 breeder wrought just as a sculptor models clay 

 into his statuary Under his hands the wild 

 traits disappeared, the short-sighted pon}^ 

 grew into a long-sighted hunter, sound hoofs 

 and limbs were softened to unsoundness, the 

 language of signs gave place to understanding 

 of human speech, while discipline of the harem 

 and the herd became obedience in the fields of 

 sport, of labour, or soldier service. 



I would not have my reading take the place 

 of thinking, but rather use books to inspire 



