Within a few hours,you have enjoyed the green valleys,with their rivers,fine old bridges, pleasant villages,hanging woods,smooth fields;and then the moorland slopes,with their rushing streams,stone walls,salty winds and white farmhouses;and then the lonely heights, which seem to be miles above the ordinary world.Yet less than an hour in a fast motor will bring you to the middle of some manufacturing town. 4 Another characteristic of our landscape is its exquisite moderation.It looks like the result of one of those happy compromises that make our social and political plans so irrational and yet so successful.It has been born of a compromise between wildness and tameness,between Nature and Man.In many countries you pass straight from regions where men have left their mark on every inch of ground to other regions that are desolate wildernesses.Abroad,we have all noticed how abruptly most of the cities seem to begin:here,no city;there,the city. With us the cities pretend they are not really there until we are well inside them.They almost insinuate themselves into the countryside.This comes from another compromise of ours,the suburb.There is a great deal to be said for the suburb.To people of moderate means, compelled to live fairly near their work in a city,the suburb offers the most civilized way of life.Nearly all Englishmen are at heart country gentlemen.The suburban villa enables the salesman or the clerk,out of hours,to be almost a country gentleman.(Let us admit that it offers his wife and children more solid advantages.)A man in a newish suburb feels that he has one foot in the city and one in the country.As this is the kind of compromise he likes,he is happy. 5 We must return,however,to the landscape,which I suggest is the result of a compromise between wildness and cultivation,Nature and Man.One reason for this is that it contains that exquisite balance between Nature and Man.We see a cornfield and a cottage,both solid evidences of Man's presence.The fence and the gate are man-made,but are not severely regular and trim as they would be in some other countries.The trees and hedges,the grass and wild flowers in the foreground,all suggest that Nature has not been dragooned into obedience.Even the cottage,which has an irregularity and coloring that make it fit snugly into the landscape (as all good cottages should do),looks nearly as much a piece of natural history as the trees:you feel it might have grown there.In some countries,that cottage would have been an uncompromising cube of brick which would have declared,"No nonsense now. Man,the drainer,the tiller,the builder,has settled here."In this English scene there is no such direct opposition.Men and trees and flowers,we feel,have all settled down comfortably together.The motto is,"Live and let live."This exquisite harmony between Nature and Man explains in part the enchantment of the older Britain,in which whole towns fitted snugly into the landscape and it was impossible to say where cultivation ended and wild life began.It was a country rich in trees,birds,and wild flowers,as we can see to this day. Cultural Notes: 1.J.B.Priestley (1894-1984):an English novelist,playwright and broadcaster who worked in a variety of genres such as literary criticism,novels,plays,social criticism,mystery stories,personal history,andWithin a few hours, you have enjoyed the green valleys, with their rivers, fine old bridges, pleasant villages, hanging woods, smooth fields; and then the moorland slopes, with their rushing streams, stone walls, salty winds and white farmhouses; and then the lonely heights, which seem to be miles above the ordinary world. Yet less than an hour in a fast motor will bring you to the middle of some manufacturing town. 4 Another characteristic of our landscape is its exquisite moderation. It looks like the result of one of those happy compromises that make our social and political plans so irrational and yet so successful. It has been born of a compromise between wildness and tameness, between Nature and Man. In many countries you pass straight from regions where men have left their mark on every inch of ground to other regions that are desolate wildernesses. Abroad, we have all noticed how abruptly most of the cities seem to begin: here, no city; there, the city. With us the cities pretend they are not really there until we are well inside them. They almost insinuate themselves into the countryside. This comes from another compromise of ours, the suburb. There is a great deal to be said for the suburb. To people of moderate means, compelled to live fairly near their work in a city, the suburb offers the most civilized way of life. Nearly all Englishmen are at heart country gentlemen. The suburban villa enables the salesman or the clerk, out of hours, to be almost a country gentleman. (Let us admit that it offers his wife and children more solid advantages.) A man in a newish suburb feels that he has one foot in the city and one in the country. As this is the kind of compromise he likes, he is happy. 5 We must return, however, to the landscape, which I suggest is the result of a compromise between wildness and cultivation, Nature and Man. One reason for this is that it contains that exquisite balance between Nature and Man. We see a cornfield and a cottage, both solid evidences of Man’s presence. The fence and the gate are man-made, but are not severely regular and trim as they would be in some other countries. The trees and hedges, the grass and wild flowers in the foreground, all suggest that Nature has not been dragooned into obedience. Even the cottage, which has an irregularity and coloring that make it fit snugly into the landscape (as all good cottages should do), looks nearly as much a piece of natural history as the trees: you feel it might have grown there. In some countries, that cottage would have been an uncompromising cube of brick which would have declared, “No nonsense now. Man, the drainer, the tiller, the builder, has settled here.” In this English scene there is no such direct opposition. Men and trees and flowers, we feel, have all settled down comfortably together. The motto is, “Live and let live.” This exquisite harmony between Nature and Man explains in part the enchantment of the older Britain, in which whole towns fitted snugly into the landscape and it was impossible to say where cultivation ended and wild life began. It was a country rich in trees, birds, and wild flowers, as we can see to this day. Cultural Notes: 1. J.B. Priestley (1894-1984): an English novelist, playwright and broadcaster who worked in a variety of genres such as literary criticism, novels, plays, social criticism, mystery stories, personal history, and