TWO VIEWS OF NATURE 57 



distinct end in view, and that end the accomplisli- 

 ment of what he himself most prizes, then the 

 heart of the Artist will warm to the heart of Nature 

 with a fervour it had never known before ; his heart 

 will throb with her heart, and every beauty he has 

 seen in plain or mountain, in flower, bird, or man, 

 will be a hundredfold increased. 



Which of these two views of Nature, so far as 

 Nature can be judged from what we see of her on 

 this planet, is correct, he has now to determine. 

 The profound mystery which everywhere prevails in 

 the forest and which exerts such a compelling spell 

 upon us he will want to probe to tlje bottom. He 

 will not be content with the outwa,rd prettiness of 

 butterfly and orchid, or with the mere profusion and 

 variety of life, or with the colossal size of animals 

 and> trees. He will want to burrow down and get at 

 the very root and mainspring of this forest life. He 

 will want to reach the very Heart of Nature here 

 manifested in such manifold variety. He will want 

 to arrive at the inner significance of all this variety of 

 life. Then only will he understand Nature and be 

 able to decide whether Nature is cruel and therefore 

 to be feared, or kind and gracious and therefore to 

 be loved. 



Now, when we go into the forest and look into it 

 in detail, the profusion is even greater than we ex- 

 pected. In this damp tropical region where there is 

 ample heat and moisture, plant life comes springing 

 out of the earth with a prolificness which seems inex- 

 haustible. And when plant life is abundant, animal 

 and insect life is abundant also. So,profuse, indeed. 



