Part 33 (1/2)

'183 the state':

the place which the creature occupies in the natural world.

'195 finer optics':

keener power of sight.

'197 touch':

a noun, subject of ”were given,” understood from l. 195.

'199 quick effluvia':

pungent odors. The construction is very condensed here; ”effluvia” may be regarded like ”touch” as a subject of ”were given” (l. 195); but one would expect rather a phrase to denote a keener sense of smell than man now possesses.

'202 music of the spheres':

it was an old belief that the stars and planets uttered musical notes as they moved along their courses. These notes made up the ”harmony of the spheres.” Shakespeare ('Merchant of Venice', V, 64-5) says that our senses are too dull to hear it. Pope, following a pa.s.sage in Cicero's 'Somnium Scipionis', suggests that this music is too loud for human senses.

'207-232'

Pope now goes on to show how in the animal world there is an exact gradation of the faculties of sense and of the powers of instinct. Man alone is endowed with reason which is more than equivalent to all these powers and makes him lord over all animals.

'212'

The mole is almost blind; the lynx was supposed to be the most keen-sighted of animals.

'213-214'

The lion was supposed by Pope to hunt by sight alone as the dog by scent. What does he mean by ”the tainted green”?

'215-216'

Fishes are almost deaf, while birds are very quick of hearing.

'219 nice:'

keenly discriminating.

'healing dew:'