MARCH 265 



year, with his help and permission, a little book came 

 out which was a great success, and quickly ran out of 

 print ; it was called ' Riviera Nature Notes.' A book of 

 great interest to us who are only English gardeners, 

 what would it be to those who are his neighbours on 

 those sunny slopes ? The first line in the book is : 

 ' J'observe et je suis la nature ; c'est mon secret pour 

 §tre heureux' (Plorian). 



Can we hear this truth too often in prose and poetry 

 and in all art ? I have always thought one of the most 

 beautiful of Burne -Jones' early pictures is the one 

 which represents the wild god — Pan — lovingly receiv- 

 ing poor little Psyche, thrown up by the river that 

 refused to drown her. And does it not mean that nature 

 from all time has been the best comforter for one of the 

 greatest of human sorrows, unrequited love ? 



These ' Riviera Notes ' are full of desultory but most 

 interesting information. How delightful to read them 

 in a dry Olive yard or under an umbrella Pine, with the 

 blue sea behind the tree's rich stem ! Or, when too 

 warm to walk so far, to sit below the Orange, trees, 

 whose tops above one's head are masses of golden fruit 

 and sweet -smelling flowers ! At the end of the book are 

 chapters on birds, insects, and the 'Riviera' traces of that 

 individual — apparently so much alike in all countries — 

 prehistoric man. Were they happy, those dim mysteri- 

 ous multitudes of the Old Stone and New Stone ages ? 

 This little book must have delighted many, as it 

 delighted me ; and it is not too diflcult for anyone as 

 ignorant as I am to understand. As it bears on my 

 favourite topic, I must quote from this book the fact that 

 'polenta,' or Indian corn porridge, is the chief food of 

 the Piedmontese, and I observe it is also stated that they 

 do the hard manual labour at 'La Mortola.' They work 

 all about the country as navvies, porters, and so forth, 



