PARTS OF ANIMALS, I. v. 



reason of their excellence and worth, greater than 

 that of knowing all things that are here below ; just 

 as the joy of a fleeting and partial glimpse of those 

 whom we love is greater than that of an accurate 

 view of other things, no matter how numerous or how 

 great they are. But inasmuch as it is possible for us 

 to obtain more and better information about things 

 here on the earth, our knowledge of them has the 

 advantage over the other ; and moreover, because 

 they are nearer to us and more akin to our Nature, 

 they are able to make up some of their leeway as 

 against the philosophy which contemplates the things 

 that are divine. Of " things divine " we have al- 

 ready treated and have set down our views concerning 

 them ; so it now remains to speak of animals and 

 their Nature. ° So far as in us lies, we will not leave 

 out any one of them, be it never so mean ; for though 

 there are animals which have no attractiveness for 

 the senses, yet for the eye of science, for the student 

 who is naturally of a philosophic spirit and can dis- 

 cern the causes of things. Nature which fashioned 

 them provides joys which cannot be measured. If we 

 study mere likenesses of these things and take pleasure 

 in so doing, because then we are contemplating the 

 painter's or the carver's Art which fashioned them, and 

 yet fail to delight much more in studying the works 

 of Nature themselves, though we have the ability to 

 discern the actual causes — that would be a strange 

 absurdity indeed. Wherefore we must not betake 

 ourselves to the consideration of the meaner animals 

 with a bad grace, as though we were children ; since 

 in all natural things there is somewhat of the mar- 



the following passage, a 15-23, describing it as " that Judicious 

 reasoning of Aristotle." 



D2 99' 



