"RULE BRITANNIA.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 599, 30 August 1909, Page 6

"RULE BRITANNIA.

IS IT OUT OF DATE? GEOLOGY AND PATRIOTISM.

(Bi "J.Q.X;"),

Scioutific lectures, and especially goologicpil lectures, have been a: feature of this wioter's enterta-inmohts: in' Wellington/ Professor Marshall informed us hbw New Zea-' land has been helped and'hurt by earthquakes and volcanoes; Dr. Bell (it is good 1 news that he is to lecture again), told , more coinpreheneively how these islands became as they are; and the Rev. Mr.Nott preached a scientific funeral sermon (Bomewhat belated) on the , adjacejit lauds that have been drowned. The Dominion in its, last issue; glanced,editorially at the relationship between science and religion, apparent conflict between these two (and, perhaps, ultimately their reconciliation in the light of » clearer intelligence) is parallelel by the effect which the local geologicalleoturee may have upon some of tho vague sentiments and unorganised scraps of knowledge•; that occupy. the. minds of ■ us who .are neither, ocientiste nor theologiaus,' but who merely "live and earn ourbroad," : -..., ■, ••-■'•'• ..v, : , It is_noteworthy tiat the geologists usually take New, Zealand either as their subject or the sourceof their examplos.:- Thus they interest us through our patriotism,' and: yet' when wo, rumioate upon what thev have told us,' it Eoemn that geology really hai' nothing to do with patriotism. We think o;' tho opening verse of "R'ulo Britannia".:—;; : ". "When Britain first, at Heaven's oommand,' Arose from,out the azure main,: a ■■■■■■ This was the charter of the land, ' ; .'■ m And guardian anwls sang this strain— ■Rule Britannia! Rule: the waves I-; ' : ; Britons never shall,be slaves!'" ' r ■"■-■■

_Tho poetic: .fancy and, patriotic fervont , of James Thomson \admittod, no long, slow, attenuating procosses of denudation, : sedi-'■<■ mentation, upheaval, , , subsidence, -and erosion. ■ Britain, pretty much ; as ho knew* it, • was created by Bpecial fiat, for'tho expresn purposo of, supporting an imperial,race.. It .. may. bo argued that nis, words do not actu-: , ally contradict the geologists, and tho asser- ■<' tion they contain, though it has never been proved, ,inayvnot "have. been'definitely die,' . proved. But tho verso is,out of harmony '■;.. with organised' knowledge . Science concern* ltsolf with an; almost inconceivably long chain of cause and effect) and does not leap , airily .from oreation to the two-Power stand- ■' ard.r.Yct' "Rule-Britannia" is still sung. ' :'. Coniihg to the lesser 1 patriotism, it'Tiaa been suggested that the inhabitants of Auckland regard themselves, more or, less conr sciously, as' a sort of chosen , people,' and, that this conception of their 'place in the •scheme of .things is principally, duo'to.the ■ way in .which Nature seems to nave arranged" the land; and water with, the .special, object ; of making,,a site for.the city of Mr. Kip-' hngjs superlatives. Professor .Marshall' has ■- /emindodthemi that while, the.crater of, a' , . quiescent vvblcano. be v an ' admirable : - ' cricket, ground,; it haaiUupleasanV possibilities, against: which the rules :of tho gamo cannot, provide.' "But, Aucldand does-not . seem to pintl. There is a Story of a little ' Auckland ; girl (who, when; her family whas "■■ about to; move' to • this" city, knelt down and said, "Dear, God.' Good-bye. We aro going V to Wellington." . The story is said' to: dato from the-removal of ;tho seat of Government j .'•'■ but _the ; fact that it was related 'to ah' apjjreciativo (ludiehce? in Auckland only; the ether! day, and telegraphed ;to Wellington,' indicates that: the tiny local patriot has eoiino ,•':• nlmost confessed ''sympathisers:' among the Auekjanders of vto-day,' ; . 'V ■"..'' :'■■,' ;.:, \>' :If Nature'has been specially' indulgent to. ~Auckland,it:mayyet:'be argued' that Weilmgton is none; tho ' worse, for the severer M'eatment,that'has set her upon windy hills ; and; rooked; her' v ,with; • earthqiiakea'A; • Ono ; ;thinks of au American contemporary , of the ia'uthor:of''Ru]6 BritanniaV-IjohnWoolman, thbi'Quakerj whose prose' is: more bcaiitifm than:.Thoinso'u's ■ poetry,' because'ho ■only .'/, tri(M;,.to , '^a.kei;ititruthfuL..Visiting-, Nantucket, )iCßf<)bS4rved; tbe' J dangerotis'" ; shoals in ' ■ the bay;>th'o-,bariwhich delayed;the ehappuig: ..Oio.baTrfenriess: of; the''spili'Viio , ' t scarcity r of'''', .timber,:t<bo impettding 'decline , of the'staple' ; ' industry of whaling. Wbolman thought it over, and'folt himself : "concorncd"' t to Bpeak; : to tno,women Friends in theirmonthlymeeV ing.,i 'U.. reminded tbpm.'.of-'.the -difficulHee their,; husbands and sone were ■ frequently expoised; to at sea; and that Uie more plain' •'■ and simplo .their way. of living'was;' the less' , ; n*pd. there ;,wou!d;; bo: of-, running great hazards to. support thorn; I also encouraged ■ the young wbmen : to continue , their- neat, decent. way ; of; attending, themselves on tho - affairs of ttho". house; showing, as the.way opeped, that-'i where 'people wpro' j ■ truly vl- - 'used 'themselves '..to: business,'' ana; were; content.with ■ a plain way ,bf: life, they, had oven had; morg' true peace of mind than' they who, aspiring to greatness , and outward. ,! show,' have grasped hard for an': income to ,' support, themselves therein;".;:;, : ;,-, ".-',.,' ■ ;But' even without 'an : : interpreter Iflse,' Woolman;; Nature -would ..teach: her own lessons.•-,■■: Hβ sought to show the'people 0T ,, .. Nantucket the. beauty of the simple life j she ; had probably begun already .to force it upon., them. .Her sternness may have had at the*' ' same time; quito 'a different ! effect;■■ ■ While, the neat decent womeh reduced their house-!"' hold.i'wants,,'. the men, ] perhaps,,pioneered' : : thit • extension' of the'whale , , fishery whiohi. : iii; these, days has. enabled Mr. M'Nab to uneirth; New Zealand' history in. the porta : ; of' that same Now .England const. 'A lion V' swimmihg, with ; the - motto, "I . ■ strivet and^ : ;itcep.- -ray'' -head:;Vabove" V water,!. , _...is',',' a ;heraldic .device connected j appropriately with Holland.;: In' tho. midst of-that,-strife, against the.merciless »ator3,' the Dutch v women became.famous for diligent and''skilful housekeeping, ; and, the' men' founded a maritime empire, discovered the', Antipodes, and, gave leaders' to'art, learning,, and reform.; /The name of our owo "{. country 1 is dnD; of > ! their monuments. ' Na- V ture could never have seemed less helpful than to the handful of. rofugecs who browded !'; on a few low inlets' at tho head of tho Adri-. atio. Yet Venice is a.city of,great , achieve- • meiits. Her people, perhaps,.were not ".con-, , tent with a: plain way;;of: life." nor, distinguished by ''true place of mind;V but the* ' had that'; "splendid human energy," , which • Ruskin found ! written—where he read the '• vice or.virtue of every their art. Having before us the examples of Holland,';, the.country'.of,.reclaimed land,,'a'nd Venice, •; which ! .has: had,;;to be, content 1 with; streets". ; of water- is it too much;to lixpect that the comniercej the reforms, the 'literature,' and - even,the 1 art, of New Zealand willreach their highest ; ckvelopments upon' and around the: reclamations of Wellington ? ■ The very spirit' \ 'of tho colonist, making the;best,pf 4 place, v and thereby making it better titan other . S laces,; Eeems ; to■ be incarnated in tho in--' omitable Mayor who, in! tones .as breessy, as our climato, calls for "a combined effort' ; to make Wellington what it should bo aa the ' capital oity, viz.i the finest, healthiest, and ' best eity in every way iiv the , Dominion." ': , Thus, if; the geologists make "Rule Brit- , annia" out of-date, and if the' balf-senti- ' mental,' half-^beologica),basis of' patriotism. suffexs , from erosion, its practical qualities :, may bo as active as ever. ; We may, perhaps,; bo "allowed to fancy that' Nature was. kin'aer. ! to Welluigton in giving it a harbour without, : n sito'for a city,, than toAuckland in giving; it eyorything—oven a cricket ground. And somowliere among tlio, mingled•'motives of, our social life, there may be, a place for tho, quiet wwdoin was uttered a century and| a half ago ! in tho AYoman's Monthly Mooting,! ; . at, Nantucket. ,■'.'•'•'■".• ■-■;::'' : -.-. ■;."■■/ ; ,,;. ; ■■■'■:.■. : j.■•■