Hills and the Sea. Hilaire Belloc

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       Hilaire Belloc

      Hills and the Sea

      Published by Good Press, 2019

       [email protected]

      EAN 4057664644305

Table of Contents

       THE NORTH SEA

       THE SINGER

       ON "MAILS"

       THE PYRENEAN HIVE

       DELFT

       THE WING OF DALUA

       ON ELY

       THE INN OF THE MARGERIDE

       A FAMILY OF THE FENS

       THE ELECTION

       ARLES

       THE GRIFFIN

       THE FIRST DAY'S MARCH

       THE SEA-WALL OF THE WASH

       THE CERDAGNE

       CARCASSONNE

       LYNN

       THE GUNS

       THE LOOE STREAM

       RONCESVALLES

       THE SLANT OFF THE LAND

       THE CANIGOU

       THE MAN AND HIS WOOD

       THE CHANNEL

       THE MOWING OF A FIELD

       THE ROMAN ROAD

       THE ONION-EATER

       THE RETURN TO ENGLAND

       THE VALLEY OF THE ROTHER

       THE CORONATION

       THE MAN OF THE DESERT

       THE DEPARTURE

       THE IDEA OF A PILGRIMAGE

       THE ARENA

       AT THE SIGN OF THE LION

       THE AUTUMN AND THE FALL OF LEAVES

       THE GOOD WOMAN

       THE HARBOUR IN THE NORTH

      DEDICATION

       Table of Contents

      TO

       THE OTHER MAN

       MR PHILIP KERSHAW

      There were once two men. They were men of might and breeding. They were young, they were intolerant, they were hale. Were there for humans as there is for dogs a tribunal to determine excellence; were there judges of anthropoidal points and juries to, give prizes for manly race, vigour, and the rest, undoubtedly these two men would have gained the gold and the pewter medals. They were men absolute.

      They loved each other like brothers, yet they quarrelled like Socialists. They loved each other because they had in common the bond of mankind; they quarrelled because they differed upon nearly all other things. The one was of the Faith, the other most certainly was not. The one sang loudly, the other sweetly. The one was stronger, the other more cunning. The one rode horses with a long stirrup, the other with a short. The one was indifferent to danger, the other forced himself at it. The one could write verse, the other was quite incapable thereof. The one could read and quote Theocritus, the other read and quoted himself alone. The high gods had given to one judgment, to the other valour; but to both that measure of misfortune which is their Gift to those whom they cherish.

      From this last proceeded in them both a great knowledge of truth and a defence of it, to the tedium of their friends: a demotion to the beauty of women and of this world; an outspoken hatred of certain things and men, and, alas! a permanent sadness also. All these things the gods gave them in the day when the decision was taken upon Olympus that these two men should not profit by any great good except Friendship, and that all their lives through Necessity should jerk her bit between their teeth, and even at moments goad their honour.

      The high gods, which are names only to the multitude, visited these men. Dionysus came to them with all his company once, at dawn, upon the Surrey hills, and drove them in his car from a suburb whose name I forget right out into the Weald. Pallas Athene taught them by word of mouth, and the Cytherean was their rosy, warm, unfailing friend. Apollo loved them. He bestowed upon them, under his own hand the power not only of remembering all songs, but even of composing light airs of their