FORERUNNERS 11 



story of ' the many and much loftier mountains [than Pilatus] in 

 different parts of Switzerland which he had wandered amongst ' ? 



We may note in passing that the legend of Pilatus supplies an 

 excellent illustration of the gradual decay of superstition. When 

 we first hear any mention of the mountain, it is to be told how the 

 ghost of the Roman Proconsul is doomed to sit every Good Friday 

 in his red robes of office on a rocky throne in the hollow below 

 the peaks. The magistrates of Lucerne forbade under pain of 

 imprisonment and fine any rash intrusion on a spirit who, if 

 disturbed, might visit the countryside with storms and floods. 

 At a later date we find special permits given to discreet pro- 

 fessors and students to visit the locality ' for scientific purposes.' 

 Finally, incredulous pleasure-seekers throw stones into the dark 

 tarn beneath whose waters the unquiet ghost once lurked ; 

 Gesner botanises on its forbidden margin and nobody is the 

 worse. 



Gesner was by no means solitary in his generation in his 

 enthusiasm for mountain travel. Hear his friend, Benoit Marti, 

 a Professor of Classics at Berne. In 1557 he wrote as follows of 

 the view from his native city : 



' These are the mountains which we love and delight in, when we 

 gaze at them from the higher parts of our city and admire their mighty 

 peaks arid broken crags that threaten to fall at any moment. On 

 them we watch the risings and settings of the sun and seek signs of 

 the weather. In them we find food not only for our eyes and our 

 minds, but also for our bellies ' ; 



and he goes on to enumerate with equal enthusiasm the dairy 

 products of the Oberland and the happy life of its population. 

 This worthy man proceeds : 



' Who, then, would not admire, love, willingly visit, explore, and 

 climb places of this sort ? I assuredly should call those who are not 

 attracted by them mushrooms ; stupid, dull fishes ; slow tortoises ' 

 (fungos ; stupidos, insulsos pisces ; lentasque chelonas). 



Having forcibly vented his scorn by these varied comparisons, he 

 goes on : 



' In truth, I cannot describe the sort of affection and natural love 

 by which I am drawn to the mountains, so that I am never happier 

 than on their crests, and there are no wanderings dearer to me than 



