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Yet across the gulf of space, minds that are to our minds as ours are to those of the beasts that perish, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds

I comprehend every part of that sentence except for the "beasts that perish" part.

What "beasts" (animals) do not "perish" (die)? Am I missing some sort of saying or reference here?

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  • We perish, maybe Martians don't.
    – Yosef Baskin
    Commented May 17, 2022 at 22:09
  • Just a guess here, but I think dinosaurs would be an example of beasts that perish.
    – aparente001
    Commented May 18, 2022 at 5:11

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I'm fairly sure he is simply making a poetic contrast between humans (who have immortal souls) and beasts (who don't and therefore perish eternally). He may even be deliberately contrasting with the lower animals (who really definitely don't have immortal souls) to make the contrast between humans and Martians even greater.

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  • I believe that many Christians believe that there was no soul-death before the fall: no animals dying, no carnivores. I go with man having spirit ('organ' of communion with God; died at the fall) as well as soul (will, mind, emotions, rational capacity ...), the latter shared in smaller measure by thinking animals. But the beasts that perish certainly speaks of extinguishing of life. I've known Christians who at least hope their pets will also be resurrected.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented May 18, 2022 at 13:23
  • I'm not saying that what H G Wells writes is Christian orthodoxy (I would be surprised if it was), and I suspect the wording was chosen for its portentous style rather than its theological accuracy. Listening to Richard Burton's narration for the full doom-laden tone of this passage (although Jeff Wayne edits "beasts that perish" out of it).
    – DJClayworth
    Commented May 18, 2022 at 13:34

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