146 MEMORIAL TRIBUTE 



with his own heart, in the wilderness, the lover of Nature 

 cannot fail to look up to Nature's God. I believe it in 

 fact impossible, in such a situation, on the height of 

 Ben-na-muic-dhui or Ben Nevis, for example, not to be 

 sensible, not merely of the existence but also of the 

 presence of a Divinity. In that sacred temple, of which 

 the everlasting hills are the pillars, and the blue vault 

 of heaven the dome, he must be a fiend indeed who 

 could harbour an unholy thought. But, to know himself, 

 one must go there alone. Accompanied by his fellows, 

 he may see all of external Nature that he could see in 

 solitude, but the hidden things of his own heart will not 

 be brought to light. To me the ascent of a lofty 

 mountain has always induced a frame of mind similar 

 to that inspired by entering a temple ; and I cannot but 

 look upon it as a gross profanation to enact in the midst 

 of the sublimities of creation a convivial scene, such as 

 is usually got up by parties from our large towns, who 

 seem to have no higher aim in climbing to the top of 

 Ben Lomond or Ben Ledi than to feast there upon cold 

 chicken and " mountain dew," and toss as many stones 

 as they can find over the precipices. British Birds, vol. 

 i. p. 204. 



3. FLIGHT OF BIRDS. 



The folly of chasing sparrows depends upon the 

 object you have in view. If the divine wisdom and 

 power have been exercised in creating them, and the 

 good providence of God displayed in caring for them, 



