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Rading a story from C.A. Smith, I am unsure of the meaning in the following sentence (in bold):

For Melchior was one of those who are born with an immedicable distaste for all that is present or near at hand; one of those who have drunk too lightly of oblivion and have not wholly forgotten the transcendent glories of other aeons, and the worlds from which they were exiled into human birth; so that their furtive, restless thoughts and dim, unquenchable longings return obscurely toward the vanishing shores of a lost heritage. The earth is too narrow for such, and the compass of mortal time is too brief; and paucity and barrenness are everywhere; and in all places their lot is a never-ending weariness.

What does "lot" means here? None of the dictionary meanings seem to fit properly.

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The meaning in this case is:

the quality of someone's life and the experiences that they have:

  • They should do something to improve the lot of the lowest-paid workers.
  • Do you think he's happy with his lot?
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  • hmm but who is "they" in my example?
    – John V
    Commented Sep 29, 2020 at 10:18
  • @JohnV "they" is the "such" in "the earth is too narrow for such" (and tracing further backward, this corresponds to "one of those who are born with..." in the first sentence).
    – TypeIA
    Commented Sep 29, 2020 at 13:18

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