A History of Britain 12.docx

A History of Britain 12.docx

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AHistoryofBritain12

AHistoryofBritain12.ForcesofNature（1of27）

Forthousandsofyears,themountains,lakesandforestsofBritainhavebeenjustgeography.

Butinthelate1700s,theybecamesomethingmuchmore-thefaceofournation.

Ourcountrysidebecameourcountry.

WhenhomesicktravellersthoughtfondlyofBritain,theythoughtoftheirlandscape.

Mostofusstilldo.

Anditwas,forthefirsttime,alandscapeofalltheBritishnations-thewildplacesofWalesandScotland,aswellasthepeaksofNorthernEngland,rediscovered,relished,mapped.

Forcenturies,goingtothecountryhadmeant,forthegentry,astrollthroughamanicuredestate,anArcadiaasdrowsywithsunshineasanItalianafternoon.

Butinthesecondhalfofthe18thcentury,therewasachangeintheweather.

MoreadventurousBritonshadhadenoughofmake-believesunshine.

Theywantedtherealthing,andtheywerepreparedtogotoplaceswherenooneintheirrightmindagenerationbeforewouldhavesetfoot.

Butthosewhoclamberedupthecragsweren'tjustoutforthrills.

Inthewildplaces,theythought,mighthavesurvivedthekindofBritonswho'dstayedmiraculouslyuntouchedbytheevilsoftownlife,itscorruptpoliticsanddiseasedbodies.

Ifwecouldsomehowlearnfromtheirchildlikeinnocence,wecouldbecomelikethemandrecapturewhatitmeanttobefree,tobeanatural-bornBriton.

Nature,inthelastdecadesofthe18thcentury,cametomeansomethingfarmoreimportantthangardeningorhiking.

Aloveofnaturebecamecodeforacrusade,arevolutioneven.

Andthistime,thecrusadersweren'tgoingtobeinchainmail.

Theywouldbepoets,painters,hackjournalists,menandwomenwhosensedagreatchangecomingandwererushingtoembraceit.

Whattheysawcomingwasdarkanddirtyweather.

Britainwasabouttobehitbyapoliticalcyclone-arevolutioninFrance,justovertheChannel.

Theboldestpoetsandpamphleteerslongedforthestormtostrikehere,too.

Moreanxioussoulswereafraidthatwheretherewaslightningtherewouldalsobefireanddestruction.

Intheend,Britainwouldweatherthestorm.

ButastheDukeofWellingtononcefamouslyputit,itwas"thenearest-runthingyoueversaw."

Justhownear-run?

Waitandsee.

Thejourneytotheguillotineandaworldwarwouldstartwiththedreamsofaphilosopher.

Butnotanyoldphilosopher.

Jean-JacquesRousseau,whowasburiedjustoutsideParis,reshapedthementalhabitsofanentiregeneration,turningthemfromcreaturesofthoughttocreaturesoffeeling.

BeforeRousseau,thehighestcomplimentwasthatsomeonewasreasonable.

AfterRousseau,thecomplimentbecame,"Iladel'ame"-hehassoul.

AndtheBritishcouldn'tgetenoughofit.

Inthespringof1766,Rousseau,ontherunfromenemies,realandimagined,pitchedupinStaffordshire.

RichardDavenportmovedoutofhiscountryhouseinWooton,sothatthegreatmancouldhaveacomfortableasyluminwhichtocommunewithnaturetohisheart'scontent.

Rousseaucouldhaveexpectedawarmwelcome.

Histwomostfamousbooks,"Emile"-amanualonnaturaleducation,thinlydisguisedasanovel-and-theweepiertheage-"TheNewHeloise",featuringforbiddenlovebetweentutorandpupil,weresmashhitsamongthesobbingandsighingclasses.

Atadistance,Rousseaumayhavebeenpopular.

Butcloseup,hewasaparanoid.

InDerbyshire,hewasconvincedtheservantswereputtingcindersinhissoup.

In1768,aftermoreimaginedslights,heleftEngland.

Buthisideasstayedandputdowndeeprootsamongthebook-crazygentry.

MenlikeBrookeBoothby,aDerbyshireneighbourwhowaspaintedbyJosephWrightasamanoffeeling,intunewiththerhythmsofnature.

WhatappealedtomenandwomenoffeelingintheEnglishprovinceswasRousseau'sbeliefthaturbanity,thegracesofcitylife,weresymptomsofeverythingrottenabouttheoldworld,thecosmeticmaskbehindwhichlurkedthepoxydisfigurementofadeceitful,vicious,terminally-diseasedculture.

Theantidotewastoscrubawaythemaskandrestoregrownmenandwomentotheirtruenature,thesimplicityofachild.

ChildhoodwaswhereRousseau'srevolutionbegan.

Ifitwastobeproperlypreserved,thetruenatureofchildrenhadtobenourished,literally,fromthebreast.

Sincebabiestooktheirmoralaswellastheirphysicalsustenancefromtheirmother'smilk,ithadbetterbetheirownmother'smilk.

Professionalwetnursesmightcontaminatethemwithviceanddisease.

Sothevirtuous,wholesomelypatrioticlifebeganatthenursingnipple.

AnotherlessonfromRousseau-forgetaboutbook-learning.

Cramminglittleheadswithfactsandfiguresdamagedtheiranimalhighspirits,theirinstinctforfreedom.

Get'emoutside.

Let'emromp.

Butinanageofhighinfantmortality,makingaheavyemotionalinvestmentinyourchildrencouldreboundo