LUCRETIUS 29 



philosophic value. In order fully to understand 

 them, we must divest our minds of preconceptions, 

 and must approach the problems with the same 

 scientific equipment and with the same young 

 curiosity as these ancient philosophers. It is 

 difficult to do : we see the world with the eyes of 

 the twentieth century ; we see it through telescopes 

 and microscopes. Yet, difficult though it be, it is 

 worth doing. To realise the world as it seemed 

 two thousand years ago is to widen our horizon by 

 twenty centuries ; and it is as necessary for culture 

 to understand ancient views of matter as ancient 

 views of Gfi. Indeed, the sun of Truth can be 

 rightly viewed only by means of the parallax 

 obtained at the extremes of Time. 



