Towards democracy, page 75

Towards Democracy 61

upon them; the old streets in the towns, and their histories, and the histories of the houses in them, and of those who lived in the houses; the old villages and their traditions, customs, specialties, notorious characters, feasts and frolics ;

The knowledge of the arts of sea and river fishing, oyster and scallop dredging, the trawl, the seine and the driftnet, farming, fruit-growing, timbergrowing pilling and dressing, canal-making, sea-walling, ship-building, irrigation ; the great crafts in stone, wood, iron—of the mason’s, the smith’s, the joiner’s, the tool-maker’s work; of the clean use of tools, of all faithful and perfect work, and the joy and majesty that comes of it—

Everything that the land has—calls an answer in the breasts of the people, and quickly grows love for the use of those that live on it. :

Without this love no People can exist; this is the creation nourishment and defence of Nations. It is this that shall save England (as it has saved Ireland) ; which ultimately —of the very Earth—shall become the nurse of Humanity.

Between a great people and the earth springs a passionate attachment, lifelong—and the earth loves indeed her children, broad-breasted, broad-browed, and talks with them night and day, storm and sunshine, summer and winter alike.

[Here indeed is the key to the whole secret of education. |

Owners and occupiers then fall into their places; the trees wave proud and free upon the headlands; the little