84 
NATURE NOTES. 
the sense that this day is a piece of Paradise, a golden and 
blessed day, rescued from the turmoil of life. But l\Ir. Bridges 
is no slave of the lotos : he is full of the energy of the earth and 
of life. Thus in his “ iNIorning Hymn,” hailing the sun : — 
“ Now with resplendent flood 
Gladden tny waking eyes. 
And stir my slothful blood 
To joyous enterprise. 
“ Arise, arise, as when 
At first God said Light Be 1 
That He might make us men 
tVith eyes His light to see. 
“ Scatter the clouds that hide 
The face of heaven, and show 
Where sweet Peace doth abide, 
Where Truth and Beauty grow.” 
In all these poems Mr. Bridges is singing the Benedicite : he 
would appreciate that ancient Catholic usage of blessing creatura 
ignis, creatura aqiue. Apart from anj’ direct morality or philo- 
soph)- to be won from nature, he delights in the life of nature 
for its own sake. As George Herbert has it : 
“O mighty love 1 man is one world, and hath 
Another to attend him.” 
Just as the looks and ways of a friend are lovingly studied, 
so should be those of nature, without patronage or condescen- 
sion ; nature is to be respected. Said an old Irishwoman in her 
lonely cabin upon a lonely place ; “I stand at the door, and 
look at the mountain, and think of the goodness of God.” That 
instinctive poetry is worth a thousand “ arguments from design.” 
And the poetr}- of Mr. Bridges is a scholars rendering into 
words of that instinct. See ! he seems to say, all the magic of 
spring, the various beaut}' of the year, the joyous miracles of 
Avind, and rain, and pleasant sun ! M’ith exquisite delicacy of 
music, a music carefully rvrought out with cunning cadences,- he 
celebrates each happy festival, or solemn fast of nature : he 
sings of her sanctuaries and cloisters, or of her courts and palaces. 
“ I once more smell the dew and rain. 
And relish versing,” 
said Herbert, after a time of darkness and anxiety ; the two joys 
Avent hand in hand, just as our visions of Paradise are filled AA'ith 
floAA'ers, and light, and music, or as the Church on earth loA'es 
them, and the fragrant incense. In all Mr. Bridges’ Avork there 
is this kind of spirit ; he is not lar ish of his art, and counts it 
sacrilege to pour forth all his emotions, passions, thoughts at the 
feet of Urania. His muse goes chastely, brightly, becomingly, 
with no AA’anton pace. In all that he Avrites, be it the slightest 
thing, there is a certain seriousness amid the gaiety, a certain 
sense of responsibility ; the natural details chosen, the tone and 
