LUCRETIUS. 



63 



sages we find these purely fanciful speculations of 

 Lucretius beautifully expressed: — 



" And first the race she reared of verdant herbs, 

 Glistening o'er every hill ; the fields at large 

 Shone with the verdant tincture, and the trees 

 Felt the deep impulse, and with outstretched arms 

 Broke from their bonds rejoicing. As the down 

 Shoots from the winged nations, or from beasts 

 Bristles or hair, so poured the uew-bom earth 

 Plants, fruits, and herbage. Then, in order next, 

 Raised she the sentient tribes, in various modes. 

 By various powers distinguished : for nor heaven 

 Down dropped them, nor from ocean's briny waves 

 Sprang they, terrestrial sole ; whence, justly. Earth 

 Claims the dear name of mother, since alone 

 Flowed from herself whate'er the sight surveys. 



E'en now oft rears she many a sentient tribe. 

 By showers and sunshine ushered into day. 

 Whence less stupendous tribes should then have risen 

 More, and of ampler make, herself new-formed. 

 In flower of youth, and Ether all mature. 



Of these birds first, of wing and plume diverse, 

 Broke their light shells in springtime : as in spring 

 Still breaks the grasshopper his curious web, 

 And seeks, spontaneous, foods and vital air. 



Hence the dear name of mother, o'er and o'er, 

 Earth claims most justly, since the race of man 

 Long bore she of herself, each brutal tribe 

 Wild-wandering o'er the mountains, and the birds 

 Gay-winged, that cleave, diverse, the liquid air." 



It thus appears that we cannot truly speak of 

 Lucretius as an evolutionist, in the sense of grad- 

 ual development by descent, although he believed 



