ny will not run the plough through the soil from
dislike of lacerating the bosom of Mother-Earth. They see plants and
trees spring up out of her, and these plants and trees providing them
with fruits and seeds, leaves and roots, upon which to live. And they
quite naturally look upon her as their Mother. And we men of the
more advanced races have still more cause to consider her as our
Mother, for we now know that not only the plants and trees but we
ourselves sprang from her--as indeed we are nourished by her daily,
eating her plants or the animals which feed on her plants. And as we
judge of a lily, not by its origin, the ugly bulb, but by the climax, the
exquisite flower; so we should not judge of the Earth by its origin,
the fiery mist, but by its issue--ardent human fellowship. And if we
thus judge her we shall find her a mother worthy of our affection.

So the first point I have to put before you is that we geographers
should regard the object of our science not as a magnified
billiard-ball, but as a living being--as Mother-Earth. Not as hard,
unimpressionable, dull, and inert, but as live, supple, sensitive, and
active--active with an intensity of activity past all conceivability.
Yet with no chaotic activity, but with activity having coherence and
direction, and that direction towards excellence.

* * *

Now as to what we ought to know about the Earth. While Geology
concerns itself with its anatomy, Geography, by long convention,
restricts its concern to the Earth's outward aspect. Accordingly, it is
in the face and features of Mother-Earth that we geographers are
mainly interested. We must know something of the general
principles of geology, as painters have to know something of the
anatomy of the human or animal body. But our special business as
geographers is with the outward expression. And my second point is
that the characteristic of the face and features of the Earth most
worth learning about, knowing, and understanding is their Beauty;
and that knowledge of their Beauty may be legitimately included
within the scope of geographical science.

It may be argued, indeed, that science is concerned with quantity
--with what can be measured--and that Natural Beauty is quality
which is something that eludes measurement. But geographical
science, at least, should refuse to be confined within any such
arbitrary limits and should take cognisance of quality as well as
quantity. This is my contention. I am not mai