xxii INTRODUCTION 



outward appearance of Nature, and sees no meaning 

 in her features. It has no soul to enter into the soul 

 of Nature and understand what the natural features 

 are expressing. The delicate lights and shades and 

 changes on the face of Nature have no meaning for 

 it. It sees the bare appearance. It sees nothing of 

 the reality behind the appearance. It has no soul to 

 wed to the soul of Nature. It therefore sees no 

 beauty. 



But now supposing that among all the midges 

 that buzz about a man there happened to be an 

 artist-midge w T ith exceeding sensitiveness of soul, 

 one which was able to recognise a fundamental 

 identity of life between it and the man, one which 

 was able to recognise samenesses of feelings and 

 emotions and aspirations, and by recognition of the 

 samenesses between it and the man enter into the 

 very life and soul of the man, then that midge would 

 be able to understand all the varying expressions on 

 the face of the man, and by understanding those 

 expressions see their beauty. 



We cannot expect an eagle in a similar way to 

 have that sensitiveness of soul which would enable 

 it to enter into the soul of Nature, understand 

 Nature, and so see its Beauty. But what we cannot 

 expect of the eagle we can expect of man. We can 

 expect an Artist to appear who will be to the Earth 

 what the artist-midge was to the man. 



Man does to some extent enter into the soul of 

 Nature. He has some understanding of Nature. 

 He sees Beauty ; and whenever he sees Beauty in 

 Nature he is in touch with the soul of Nature. Even 

 ordinary men see some of the Beauty of Nature and 



