S. - . . ... ;' - 



2 10 Literary and Philosophical Society. 



eternal. He criticises and laughs at the earlier speculators . 

 Still he speaks of atoms moved by themselves, acted on by 

 forces, urged by secret impulse. Book I. 1023 : 



Sed quia multa modis multis, mutata, per Omne, 

 Ex infinite, vexantur percita plagis, 

 Omne genus motus, et coetus experiundo, 

 Tandem deveniunt in tales disposituras, 

 Qualibus haec rebus consistit summa creata. 



and in Book II. 1. 132 : 



Prima moventur enim per se Primordia rerum, 

 Inde ea, quse parvo sunt corpora conciliatu, 

 Et quasi proxima sunt ad vires principiorum, 

 Ictibus illorum csecis impulsa cientur ; 

 Ipsaque, quae porro paullo majora, lacessunt. 



We confess ourselves to have been once much impressed 

 by Lucretius, and, indeed, every one must admire the rare 

 subtlety sometimes shown, and it is a fine lesson in psycho- 

 logy to observe in his writings how the mind works, but 

 we now at least admire him only because of being one of 

 the early pioneers ; we feel that he had not clear notions of 

 an atom at all times, and this he shows when speaking of the 

 soul he seems to give it power in Book III. because of 

 the smallness and subtlety of its atoms why should 

 smallness give power ? where is force ? One becomes at 

 least tired of the wandering atoms of Lucretius and his 

 conceited opinion of himself, thinking that he explains 

 when he merely presents phenomena as difficult to imagine 

 as ever. 



He has no idea of combination, and his atoms go as they 

 please, although he certainly says in one place that they do 

 not. He does not see the necessity for laws of govern- 

 ment, which shows a singular want of refinement of 

 search. 



