EARLY INFLUENCE OF SCENERY 77 



between the circumscribing topography and geology 

 of a country, and the mythological creed of its in- 

 habitants offers a tempting field of inquiry, in which 

 much may yet be gleaned. Who can doubt that the 

 legends and superstitions of ancient Greece took their 

 form and colour in no small measure from the mingled 

 climates, varied scenery, and rocky structure of that 

 mountainous land, or that the grim titanic mythology 

 of Scandinavia bears witness to its birth in a region 

 of rugged snowy uplands, under gloomy and tem- 

 pestuous skies ? 1 



If the primeval efforts of the human imagination 

 were thus stimulated by the more impressive features 

 of the outer world, it is natural to believe that the 

 same external influences wquld continue to exert their 

 power during the later mental development of a people. 

 In particular, it seems reasonable to anticipate that 

 such potent causes would more or less make them- 

 selves felt in the growth of a national literature. The 

 songs and ballads of the plains might be expected to 

 present some marked diversities from those of the 

 mountains. There may, of course, be risks of error 

 in generalisations of this kind, especially where the 

 writings of distinct races are compared with each other. 

 But the risks may be reduced if we confine ourselves 

 to the consideration of a single country and a single 

 literature. Such at least is the task which I have 

 undertaken on the present occasion. I propose to 

 discuss the leading types of scenery that distinguish 

 the British Isles, and to inquire how far it may be 



1 See the preceding essay for a fuller discussion of this part of 

 the subject. 



