96 FROM THE GREEKS TO DARWIN 



Shoots from the winged nations, or from beasts 

 Bristles or hair, so poured the new-born 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 sun-sliine 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 spring-time : 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 

 Loncp 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 

 in the successive appearance of different forms 

 of life. His nearest approach to true evolution 

 teaching was in his account of the development 

 of the faculties and arts among the races of men, 



