Closer contact with the mind and art of Greece 273 Effects of the political unsettlement on the contemplative life and thought 275      "     on the life of pleasure, and the art founded on it 277 The two representatives of the thought and art of the time[page xiii] 278

CHAPTER XI.

LUCRETIUS. PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS.

Little known of him from external sources 280 Examination of Jerome's statement 284 Inferences as to his national and social position 287 Relation to Memmius 288 Impression of the author to be traced in his poem 290 Influence produced by the action of his age 290 Minute familiarity with Nature and country life 292 Spirit in which he wrote his work 294 His consciousness of power and delight in his task 295 His polemical spirit 298 Reverence for Epicurus 299 Affinity to Empedocles 300 Influence of other Greek writers 302       "       of Ennius 303 His interests speculative, not national 304 His Roman temperament 305

CHAPTER XII.

THE PHILOSOPHY OF LUCRETIUS.

Three aspects of the poem 307 General scope of the argument 308 Analysis of the poem 308 Question as to its unfinished condition 321 What is the value of the argument? 324 Weakness of his science 329 Interest of the work as an exposition of ancient physical enquiry 331        "       "         "    from its bearing on modern questions 332 Power of scientific reasoning, observation, and expression 335 Connecting links between his philosophy and poetry 340 Idea of law 341    "   of change public@vhost@g@gutenberg@html@files@38566@[email protected]#page344"