Melbourne is made up of curious elements. There is something of London in her, something of Paris, something of New York, and something of her own. Here is an attraction to start with. Melbourne has, what might be called, the metro- politan tone. The look on the faces of her inhabitants is the metropolitan look. These people live quickly : such as life pre- sents itself to them, they know it: as far as they can see, they have no prejudices. " I was born in Melbourne," said the wife of a small bootmaker to me once, " I was born in Melbourne, and I went to Tasmania for a bit, but I soon came back again. I like to be in a plaee where they go ahead." The wife of a small bootmaker, you see, has the metropolitan tone, the metro- politan look about her ; she sees that there is a greater pleasure in life than sitting under your vine and your fig-tree ; she likes to be in a place where they go ahead. And she is a type of her city. Melbourne likes to "go ahead." Look at her public buildings, her New Law Courts not finished yet, her Town Hall, her Hospital, her Library, her Houses of Parliament, and above all her Banks ! Nay, and she has become desirous of a fleet and has established a " Naval Torpedo Corps" with seven electricians. All this is well, very well. Melbourne, I say, lives quickly : such as life presents itself to her, she knows it : as far as she can see, she has no prejudices. As far as she can see. — The limitation is important. The real question is, how far can she see ? how far does her civiliza- tion answer the requirements of a really fine civilization ? what scope in it is there (as Mr. Arnold would say) for the satisfac- tion of the claims of conduct, of intellect and knowledge, of beauty and manners ? Now in order the better to answer this question, let us think for a moment what are the chief elements that have operated and are still operating in this Melbourne and her civilization. This is an English colony : it springs, as its poet Gordon (of whom there will presently be something to be remarked) says, in large capitals, it springs from " the Anglo-Saxon race . the Norman blood." Well, if there is one quality which dis- tinguishes this race, this blood, it is its determined strength. Wherever we have gone, whatever we have done, we have gone and we have done with all our heart and soul. We have made small, if any, attempt to conciliate others. Either they have had to give way before, or adapt themselves to us. India, America, Australia, they all bear witness to our determined, our pitiless
