Chapter I: Front Matter

_THE TORCH-BEARERS—II_

THE BOOK OF EARTH

_WORKS OF ALFRED NOYES_

COLLECTED POEMS—_3 Vols._
THE LORD OF MISRULE
A BELGIAN CHRISTMAS EVE
THE WINE-PRESS
WALKING SHADOWS—_Prose_
TALES OF THE MERMAID TAVERN
SHERWOOD
THE ENCHANTED ISLAND AND OTHER POEMS
DRAKE: AN ENGLISH EPIC
POEMS
THE FLOWER OF OLD JAPAN
THE GOLDEN HYNDE
THE NEW MORNING
_The Torch-Bearers_—
WATCHERS OF THE SKY
THE BOOK OF EARTH

_THE TORCH-BEARERS—II_

THE BOOK OF
EARTH

BY
ALFRED NOYES

NEW YORK
FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY
MCMXXV
_Copyright, 1925, by_
FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY

_All rights reserved, including that of translation
into foreign languages_

_Printed in the United States of America_

CONTENTS

PAGE

I—THE BOOK OF EARTH

I. THE GRAND CANYON 1
II. NIGHT AND THE ABYSS 11
III. THE WINGS 22

II—THE GREEKS

I. PYTHAGORAS

I. THE GOLDEN BROTHERHOOD 29
II. DEATH IN THE TEMPLE 37

II. ARISTOTLE

I. YOUTH AND THE SEA 50
II. THE EXILE 60

III—MOVING EASTWARD

I. FARABI AND AVICENNA 77
II. AVICENNA’S DREAM 85

IV—THE TORCH IN ITALY

LEONARDO DA VINCI

I. HILLS AND THE SEA 95
II. AT FLORENCE 110

V—IN FRANCE

JEAN GUETTARD

I. THE ROCK OF THE GOOD VIRGIN 125
II. MALESHERBES AND THE BLACK MILESTONES 137
III. THE SHADOW OF PASCAL 146
IV. AT PARIS 154
V. THE RETURN 164

VI—IN SWEDEN

LINNÆUS 169

VII—LAMARCK AND THE REVOLUTION

I. LAMARCK AND BUFFON 187
II. LAMARCK, LAVOISIER, AND NINETY-THREE 195
III. AN ENGLISH INTERLUDE: ERASMUS DARWIN 202
IV. LAMARCK AND CUVIER: THE _VERA CAUSA_ 209

VIII—IN GERMANY

GOETHE

I. THE DISCOVERER 215
II. THE PROPHET 226

IX—IN ENGLAND

DARWIN

I. CHANCE AND DESIGN 231
II. THE VOYAGE 242
III. THE TESTIMONY OF THE ROCKS 249
IV. THE PROTAGONISTS 273
V. THE _VERA CAUSA_ 311

X—EPILOGUE