Pagina 167 de 734

Now not even brutes receive pleasure in right of these senses,

except incidentally. I mean, it is not the scent of hares' flesh

but the eating it which dogs take pleasure in, perception of

which pleasure is caused by the sense of Smell. Or again, it is

not the lowing of the ox but eating him which the lion likes; but

of the fact of his nearness the lion is made sensible by the

lowing, and so he appears to take pleasure in this. In like

manner, he has no pleasure in merely seeing or finding a stag or

wild goat, but in the prospect of a meal.

The habits of Perfect Self-Mastery and entire absence of

self-control have then for their object-matter such pleasures as

brutes also share in, for which reason they are plainly servile

and brutish: they are Touch and Taste.

But even Taste men seem to make little or no use of; for to the

sense of Taste belongs the distinguishing of flavours; what men

do, in fact, who are testing the quality of wines or seasoning

"made dishes."