ergo non magis illis per quae Homines magis sumus afficiamur oblectemur Cogitationum Linguae Elegantiis Ah quà m pulchrum est sapere mente sciticet ad quidvis pulchrum pulchrè excogitandum pollere-Quam pulchreon linguâ esse politum ad quidvis pulchrum pulchrè eloquendum animÃsque persuadendum potentem Ibidem QVin Deo ipsinos per verbum suum alloquenti seimonis artificia adhibere placuit omnia plusquem ullus Demosthenes aut Cicero imitariposset Ad divinorum itaque Eloquiorum intelligentiam facit Elegantiae sermonis non ignorare Artes. Hinc summi Theologi antiqui recentes Tertullianus imprimis Lactantius Hieronymus Ambrosius Augustinus Gregorius nupérque Joh. Calvinus Sermenis elegantium cum Rerum majestate ita copulârunt ut non sapientiae tantùm divinae doctores sed Esoquentiae Romanae tersissimÃque stili agnoscantur ab ipsismet Criticis duces Vt mhil sit cur Voe Theologiae studiosi purioris Latinitatis studium à vobis putetis alienum Vobis prae omnibus qui homines humanâ alloqui necesse habetis linguà hoc incumbit ut cum pro Deo DeÃque leco Vebis conveniat loqui lequi annitamini Deo dignè h. e. Linguâ eruditâ— Jes 50.4 Scholastick Prolusions TO THE Art of ORATORY CHAP. I. What means we are to use to make a Sentence Elegant I Have always been of an Opinion that whatever is to be exploded in Manners ought to be hissed off the Stage in Speech For as the Manners of the rude Mobile are not much approved so Speech is little grac'd by the gibberish of the half-learn'd Vulgar Language if it be not ordinary and trite attracts the minds of the Hearers and with a kind of Majesty offers it self to be ador'd with admiration Wherefore we conclude it ought to be of another make than that of the common people By the Language of the Vulgar Note I mean not that which is Latine Learned and Elegant tho' the common sort use it for 't is impossible but that the People should retain to themselves some things of what they have received from the more learned pure and unprophaned Precept 1 First therefore do not use rustic barbarous and improper words the too frequent admission whereof makes a Language rough and boisterous Precept 2 Observe secondly a quite different Order in placing words one among another Precept 3 Thirdly a witty and ingenious invention of expressions of Fancy which we commonly call Phrases and such as stand at a great distance from the sense of the Vulgar will leave the Sentence more graceful Of the first of these I design only to advertise you here reserving the particulars for Chap. 22. where I intend a most exquisite and curious account of all those impurities that stain and soil the native complection of the Latine Tongue Of the second there will all over occur many both Precepts and Submonitions Of the third I shall speak somewhat in this place and therefore do thus exemplifie Whereas in English the ignorant Many are used to write thus I have not received a Letter from you this Twelve-month A lover of quaintness and elegancy will raise himself above the common level and express himself on this or some such-like manner You write Letters to me as Astrologers to Almanacks once a Year This is now the second August since I saw your hand at a Letter The Sun hath once compleated his yearly circuit since you grac'd me with a Letter The Sun hath made his annual progress thro' all his Caelestial Houses since I broke up the seal of one of your Letters The Sun hath run thro' all the Lines in the Zodiack since I saw one from you And whereas our common form of Speech used to be Sir I shall make bold to come and see you by and by The more polite and genteel make use of this as a more elegant and civil expression Sir I shall take the boldness to wait upon you Again the proletarious and homely Phrase creeps thus upon the ground I do verily believe such or such a thing But they that by a liberal and more generous Education are become Sons of Art distinguish themselves as by their Manners so by their Language from these Plebeians and say I do verily perswade my self I am very confident I do assure my self of such or such a thing and so a thousand ways according as every mans Fancy leads him So in Latine Amicitiae nostrae integritas nos delectat maximé Nondum Saturni revolutionem absolvit For which the illiterate swarm would have said Multum gaudemus quia boni sumus Amici Nondum complevit annos triginta Magnitudo amoris in te mei officium linguae vel expeditissimae superat Virtus tua me tibi amicum fecit Vivite felices memores vivite nostri Tibullus Sive erimus seu nos fata fuisse velint Horatius Porcis haec comedenda relinquis Hoc animo scito omnes sanos M. Cicero ut mortem servituti anteponant Hyems adhuc rem geri prohibuerat Idem Nec verò Aristotelem in Philosophiâ deteruit à scribendo amplitudo Platonis Idem Orat 5. Queniam me loqui voluistis Ibidem aliquid de vestris vitiis audiatis Haec quum Crassus dixisset 3. de Ora 141. parumper ipse conticuit à caeteris silentium fuit Namque haec duo Ibid. 172. Musici qui erant quondam iidem Poetae machinati ad voluptatem sunt versum atque cantum ut verborum numero vocum modo delectatione vincerent aurium satietatem Sic omnibus in rebus Ibid. 9â— voluptatibus maximis fastidium finitum est CHAP. II. How the Obscurity of a Sentence is to be avoided WHen Nature first gave Mankind the use of Speech it was past all doubt to the intent that what we had conceived in our minds we might utter in our words For this reason 't is one of the principal virtues of Speech to be dilucid For he that speaks obscurely had almost as good hold his peace and say nothing And there is nothing that worketh more effectually the obscurity of a Sentence than a vulgar Perswasion that between the Adjective and Substantive between the Supposite i. e. the Nominative Case and its Verb between the word governing and the word governed and such other like something ought to be inserted Precept Now that we may avoid all danger of Obscurity arising from this artificial order of the words let us so place them that the Adjective may stand near its Substantive the Supposite near its Verb the governed near its governour the Antecedent Case of the Substantive near its Relative And if any thing do come betwixt let it be short and have as far as the nature of the thing will bear a respect to both or at least one of those words between which it is placed as in that Verse of the Poet Calliope princeps
Chaldaicarum gentium caput diu summam claritatem obtinuit in tot orbe Idem propter quam reliqua pars Mesopotamiae Assyriaeque Babylonia appellata est sexagenta millia passuum emplexa muris ducentos pedes altis By these you may take notice that learned men speak by mille much more usually than by milliare Submonition or milliarium and yet if any man upon other reasons and authorities will defend the use of either or both I shall not contend with him about it CHAP. XVI That Nouns signifying Time are put very venustly in the Accusative and when in that signification they are to be put in the Ablative Precept HE that for many days hath been exercised in attentive and sedulous reading of the finest Authors will own that it is not foreign to their almost daily usage for Nouns importing Time to be put in the Accusative Case as Plato Ad literas pueri decennes proficiscantur ibÃque triennium insistant Vix unumpotes infelix requiescere mensem Propertius Tu faciem illius noctem amplius unam Falle dolo Virgilius Sum totos dies cum eo M. Cicero filius noctÃsque saepe numero partem Nemo est tam senex M. Cic. de Senectute qui se annum non putet posse vivere Quae potest in vitâ esse jucunditas Ibidem quum dies noctes cogitandum sit jamjamque esse moriendum Nonius Marcellus Note I know makes a distinction As often says he as we express years or days by the Accusative we mean whole years and days together and as often as we use the Ablative we intend them by intervals some years or days interposing And truly Mr. Lillie does not much ablude from him in his Rules for Construction where he tells the young Fry that Nouns that betoken continual term of Time without ceasing or intermission be commonly used in the Accusative Case Now to this hypercritical distinction I declare I cannot assent For Nouns that betoken a term of Time whether continued and without intermission or discontinued and by intervals if they answer to the question How long are so more usually as more elegantly put in the Accusative Case than in the Ablative But then indeed we use the Ablative Case when we speak of part of Time such as answers to the question When As for example if I was any part of the night sick I may say Valetudo mihi nocte familiaris non fuit Ad te visam anno proximo Non amplius quum plurimum Suetonins de Divo Augusto quà m septem horas dormiebat ac ne eas quidem continuas And yet Submonition lest you should take this for a Precept of perpetual force you may sometimes let me tell you find a Noun of continual Time in the Ablative Case as Nihil salutare est Plinius nisi quod toto anno salubre Quem ego hedie toto non vidi die Terentius Biennio continuo post adeptum imperium pedem portâ non extulit Sneton de Divo Tiberio CHAP. XVII That Nouns signifying Time conjoyned with some Nouns that signifie Number are to be used in the Accusative Case with others in the Ablative Precept THose Nouns that signifie time if they be conjoyn'd to cardinal Numerals such as Unum duo tria and the like are more usually and elegantly put in the Accusative but if they confort with Ordinals such as Primum secundum tertium then they delight more in the Ablative Case as Annos viginti Platonem Aristoteles audivit Urbem Romam Senones Galli octo menses vastavere Regis Alexandri equus Bucephalus vixit annos triginta Post eversam Trojam anno centesimo sexagesimo annts totidem ante conditam Urbem Romam natus est Homerus Plato anno aetatis suae octogesimo primo mortuus est Anno post Urbem è Gallorum manibus recuperatam septimo natus est Aristoteles Horarum nomen non minùs annos trecâ—ntos Romae ignoratum esse credibile est Sensorinus Duodequadriginta annos tyrannus Syracusanorum fuit Dionysius M. Cic. Tusc 57. quum quinque vigintinatus annos dominatum occupâsset Postquam mulieris uterus conceperit semen Agellius gigni hominem septimo mense rarenter nunquam octavo saepe nono saepenumero decimo mense Plato Cicero de Senect uno octogesimo anno scribens est mortuus Quapropter tum primum ex plebe alter Bos. Agellius l. 5. c. 4. factus est duo vigesimo anno postquam Galli Romam ceperunt Cicero indeed lib. 8. ep 26. Submonition expresseth duration of Time in the Accusative case by an Ordinal thus Quum decimum jam diemgraviter ex intestinis laborarem One may find in the ellipted proposition sometimes Note though seldom expressed as Hoc venisse usu Romae comperi Agellius feminam bonis atque honestis moribus non ambiguâ pudicitia in undecimo mense post mariti mortem peperisse Decem virt in decimo mense gigni hominem non in undecimo scripserunt Idem CHAP. XVIII In what Case Nouns signifying Time are to be put when the Particles Ante and Post do precede succeed or intervene betwixt the Substantive and Adjective Precept IS not this too frequent with Orators viz. That Nouns signifying Time if the Particles Post or Ante do stand before them be put in the Accusative Case as being governed thereof if behind them in the Ablative the casual word depending on the Prepositions being suppressed if between the Adjective and Substantive as they are sometimes put in the Accusative governed of the said Particles Post or Ante so often in the Ablative the casual word influenced by the Prepositions being ellipted as Post diem quartum quà m est in Britanniam ventum Caesar Post dies quadraginta Sallust Jug Cicero ad Attic. quà m eo ventum est Horâ post Gabinium condemnaverunt Hither refer Tanto post Aliquanto post Paulo post Haudita multo post c. Annum post quintum decimum creati consules Livius Alter triumphum patris funere suo quartum ante diem praecessit Val. Max. alter in triumphali curru conspectus post diem tertium expiravit Quo gaudio elatus non temperavit Suetonius quin paucos post dies frequenti curiâ jactaret invitis gementibus adversariis adeptum se quae concupîsset Annibal tertio post die quà m venit Livius de 3. l. 5. copias in aciem eduxit Quae si hoc tempore non suum diem obiisset Servius Sulpitius paucis post annis tamen ei moriendum fuit quia homo nata fuerat Paucis ante mensibus quà m ad te scriberem excessit è vitâ Aldus Manutius Themistocles aliquot ante annis Cicero quum in epulis recusâsset lyram est habitus indoctior CHAP. XIX The Division and Use
CICERO REDIVIVUS OR THE Art of Oratory REFIN'D BEING Two ESSAYS of ELEGANCY The FIRST Containing Plain and Easie RULES for SCHOLARS to make Eloquent Latin. The SECOND Usefull Directions for Young Gentlemen and Students to Adorn their Discourse and Writings with a Refin'd and Genteel Style By JOHN TWELLS School-Master Aliud est Grammaticè aliud Latinè loqui J. C. Scaliger LONDON Printed for Benjamin Crayle at the Peacock and Bible at the West-end of St. Paul's 1688. DOCTISSIMO EXPERIENTISSIMO CLARISSIMO REI MEDICAE Cùm GALENICAE tum CHYMICAE VIRO D no. Johanni Yarborough M. D. Morborum ferè omnium quà Acutorum qua Chronicorum ANIMOSO HOSTI AGGRESSORI EXPUGNATORI FELICISSIMO Periclitantis hujusce innumeras inter alias Vitae ANNUENTE DEO SAEPIUS RESTAURATORF Tentamina haec Elegantiarum Votivam quasi Tabulam AMORIS HONORIS GRATITUDINIS ERGO HUMILLIME PIENTISSIME SUSPENDIT JOHANNES TWELLS SCHOLAE PUBLICAE NOVARCENSIS MAGISTER Anno Domini M. DC.LXXX.V De Libelli hujus Utilitate ad Eloquentiae Studiosum Dactylicum Heroicum cum Iambico Dimetro SI te vera juvat Romanae gloria Linguae Et ejus Elegantia Si cupis Eloquii flumen gazásque Parentis Totius Eloquentiae Huc tua mens adsit modicum tua lumina lustrent Hanc diligenter codicem Qui Ciceronis opes paucis brevibúsque decenter Comprendit omnes paginis Multa dabit multos largo cum foenore fructus Illius ardens lectio Barbara formabit per se tibi protinus ora Purè loquendi formulis Incertúmque reget calamum vestigia cautè Servantis ejus jugiter Nec sinit ut similis sibi prorsus in omnibus exstet Et moveat aliis nauseam Pluribus ecquid opus Quod Agro sunt Lilia quódque Est culta vestis corpori Arboribúsque comae quod sunt auróque Lapilli Et quod cibis Aromata Hoc linguae scriptÃsque tuis omnino Libelli Sunt hujus Elegantiae Quippe quod his fastiditis nihil amplius insit Orationi gratiae The Author to the Bookseller Mr. Crayle THat I may in some measure satisfie your frequent importunities and yet safely and modestly consult as well your Advantage as my own Repute I have thought fit instead of the Two whole Books which indeed are quite finished and ready for the Press to send you at present for a New-years-Gift only a Specimen of each viz. The two first Parts of the Examination of the Elegant Grammar out of Nine and the Two and Twenty first Chapters of Scholastick Prolusions out of Three hundred Let these first try their Fortunes in the World for a Term or two and according to the Reception I find it gives them I will take my future measures either of publishing or for ever concealing the Remainder However Sir believe me always to be Your assured Friend J. T. Newark January 1. 1685 / 6. Plutarchus de Liberis educandis p. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch of the breeding of Children ANd yet many Fathers there are that so love their Money and hate their Children that lest it should cost them more than they are willing to spare to hire a good School-master for them rather choose such persons to instruct their Children as are of no worth thereby beating down the Market that they may purchase a cheap Ignorance A GENERAL EXAMINATION OF THE Elegant Grammar Senec. 3. Contr. Magna varia res est Eloquentia nec adhuc ulli sic indulsit ut tota contingeret Satis felix est qui in aliquam ejus partem receptus est A. WHat is the Elegant Grammar B. The Elegant Grammar is the Art of speaking elegantly A. What mean you by speaking elegantly B. To speak elegantly is to express the sense of our minds otherwise than the rules of the native way of speaking require and yet to be understood with more delight than we should be should we follow the natural current of Speech To speak elegantly according to art is to have in readiness the ways of garnishing Speech and to be able to give an account why a Sentence must be changed so or so A. Wherein doth the elegancy of a sentence consist B. The elegancy of a sentence consists generally in the transformation of the same from its native into another aspect the sense remaining unaltered A. How many ways may this transformation be performed B. Nine For the same thing may be expressed otherwise three manners of ways generally the first of which is subdivided into two the second into three the third into four ways For Example The same otherwise placed by Perspicuity 1. Transposition 2. The same thing may be exprest by words Other more Latine by Idiotism 3 simply equipollent by Transmutat 4 allegorically equipoll by Transnomination 5. The same or other yet expressed after another manner viz. By more than the matter requires by Dilatation 6 By fewer than ordinary by Contraction 7 With an unusual affection by Figures 8 Bound up by Verse 9 A. How many therefore are the parts of the Elegant Grammar B. Nine I. Exposition clarification perspicuity II. Idiotism III. Transposition IV. Transmutation V. Transnomination VI. Dilatation VII Contraction VIII Figuration IX Versification A. Illustrate what you have said by an example propose a sentence B. Magister meus docet exemplis perpetuis A. How many ways may this sentence be adorn'd B. These nine ways 1. If there be any thing obscure or ambiguous or at least may seem such by explaining and limiting it by some addition or mutation into another not ambiguous word so that nothing else can be understood but what I design A. Is there any obscure or ambiguous word in the sentence you proposed B. Yes Magister is an ambiguous word for the Masters of divers Arts and Handy-crafts the Masters of the Horse to Persons of Honour and the rest may be stiled Magistri as Magister Artis Magister Tabernae Officinae Magister Equitum c. A. What must a Scholar do in this case B. In this case the Scholar must either add some other words to restrain the generality of the word Magister as Magister studiorum meorum or change it for another synonimous word which is not ambiguous as Ludimagister or Praeceptor meus So if any one should be said cepisse labracem the sentence will be obscure because there are few that understand the word tho' it be extant in Plinie and Plautus And again if a man be said cepisse Lupum it will be ambiguous because it may be understood that he hath caught either a four-footed Beast or a Fish so called Therefore if you would have the latter understood say Lupum piscem or change it for a synonymous word signifying nothing else and say Lucium cepit A. What do you call such an Explanation of Speech B. I call it Perspicuity A. What is Perspicuity B. Perspicuity is the easiness of a Sentence as to the matter to be understood A. What is the vertue of Perspicuity B. The Greeks call
it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is so great a plainness of Speech as that the things seem to be set before the eyes A. What are the vices contrary to this vertue B. The vices contrary to Perspicuity are Obscurity and Ambiguity A. When may a Sentence be said to be obscure B. When it can scarce be understood as that of Varro Omnia dapatilia comîsse Jani cusiones for Omnia opipara comedisse Jani Curiones A. Whence ariseth this obscurity B. This obscurity proceeds from words unknown to the People A. What Sentence may be said to be ambiguous B. That which admits of a various interpretation as if a man should say Peto jus he may mean either jusculum or justitiam A. Whence ariseth this ambiguity B. It ariseth from equivocal or homonymous words Therefore a word that is obscure homonymous or too general is like a Rock to be avoided by him that has a mind to speak perspicuously For this reason in our familiar discourse we say not Clepta or Directarius but Fur nor jus but jusculum nor rem inveni but hoc or illud Or if such a word should thrust it self in let another word more common distinct special be immediately subjoyned to enlighten limit the former or let some explicatory discretive or determinative epithet be added as Clepta quod Latinis furem sonat Jus seu jusculum Rem perdidit nempe bona sua Or Clepta furax Jus coctum Rem possessam perdidit Words that by chance light into the same termination may sometimes be changed into another free from ambiguity as if you should say Tu canis 't will be uncertain whether you call any one a Dog or mean he sings If the first you will speak more clearly by an Adjective Tu impure Canis or Tu latras ut Canis If the latter you had better say Tu cantas c. Or they are to be discriminated by an accent if possible either pronounced or marked as venit in the present tense from vênit in the preterperfect tense Moreover he that desires to acquire this great Ornament must studiously avoid Amphibolie that is such a placing of the words as may render the sense doubtful Such is that in Terence Adeò uno animo omnes Socrus oderunt Nurus for one would be at a stand scarcely discerning whether Socrus was the Nominative Plural and Nurus the Accusative or contrariwise It is supposed the Poet so placed the words with a design to set out the reciprocal odium between Mothers-in-law and Daughters-in-law which if so 't was artificially done A. Must then words that are obscure homonymous of a more general signification and amphibolous be for ever interdicted a studied clarity B. To your four-fold question I answer distinctly thus 1. An obscure word appositely used and in its right place is commendable as if there be any thing you would not have all men indifferently understand but some one only that is privy to your counsels and purposes or some few of the more sagacious With these did Cicero fill his Epistles to Atticus a wise man and his intimate friend 2. An homonymous word in its proper place ceaseth to be such because words are understood according to the subject matter For example A Cook speaks not ambiguously that says Jus piscinum or an Astronomer that says Sol in piscibus An homonymous word set on purpose for the ambiguity of the sense is a pleasant elegancy As when Tully said that Octavius was laudandum tollendum for he might be understood either tollendum esse laudibus or tollendum de vitâ 3. Words of a very general signification are happily homonymous for they augment the treasure of the Language with variety of Elegancies Such are these Latine Nouns Res Vis Locus Natura Substantia Genus Species and the Verbs Sum Habeo Facio Do Gero c. 4. Words of a doubtful meaning fitly disposed in the same Sentence increase the Elegancy as Jura te velle servare jura And Lingua puerorum facilè discit diversas linguas Hence the Distick so much celebrated Quid facies facies Veneris si veneris ante Ne sedeas sed eas ne pereas per eas A word so placed betwixt two that it matters not to which it is referred is an Elegancy as Opus caeptum urgeas vehementer oro For here it is a question whether I mean the work is to be mightily hastned or that I mightily desire it And yet which way so ever you take it it will not be amiss and more full if you understand it both ways But if yet you have a mind to speak it very perspicuously you may do it by a Comma or a Repetition thus Ut opus urgeas vehementer oro Ut opus urgeas vehementer oro Ut opus vehementer urgeas vehementer oro A. Proceed to the second part B. Secondly by putting instead of the usual speech and common language Idiotical and proper only to the Latine tongue as if instead of Magister studiorum meorum one should say more latinely Meus à studiis A. What do you call this Ornament B. This second part is called Idiotism and in specie Latinism Graecism Hebraism c. when this Language or that hath an elegancy unknown to others A. What is Idiotism B. Idiotism is an emphatical custom of speaking proper and peculiar to some one tongue Or thus Idiotism or Idiom is a propriety phrase or form of speaking peculiar to its own tongue which cannot be rendred word for word into any other language but with much barbarity and baldness of expression A. How many fold is Idiotism B. Idiotism is two fold or there are two sorts of Idiotism i. e. Lexical and Grammatical Of the first in Latine this may be an example Potiri rerum to reign of the latter this Potiente rerum Augusto when Augustus reigned A. What mean you by Lexical Idiotisms B. By Lexical Idiotisms I mean such as cannot be translated out of Latine into English Greek c. word for word or iisdem verbis as Audire bene Dare verba c. A. What mean you by Grammatical Idiotisms B By Grammatical I mean such as cannot be translated by the same Case Person Tense c. as Sole orto c. Of Lexical Idiotisms see a plentiful Harvest in Mr. Walker's Idiomatical Dictionary of Grammatical here A. How many are the general subjects of Grammatical Idiotisms B. The general subjects of Grammatical Idiotisms are two A. Which are they B. 1. Single words 2. Phrases A. In what heads of single words are Grammatical Idiotisms found B. 1. In Substantives 2. In Adjectives 3. In Pronouns 4. In Verbs 5. In Participles 6. In Adverbs A. How many Rules do you observe in delivering the Idiotisms of Substantives B. Four. A. Which is the first Rule B. It is an Elegancy instead of the Substantive or Abstract to use the Adjective or concrete in the neuter Gender either singular or
Aegyptiis ferimus Zythum for referimus Decerptum for discerptum Animus mihi est ita tractare literas ut neminem depretiem Ab iis oris longe dissiti erant Daci In terras longinquas dissitásque for remoti remotas Hodiéque for hodie quoque Juxta Stoïcos for secundum Stoîcos de Stoîcorum sententiâ Collaterales sunt quorum alter alterius latus claudit for which Horace said tegit Catullus adhaeret Muto sumere est mutuari for mutuam Non vero for non autem Nuspiam clathrus legitur Nuspiam aequè peccatum Hoc nuspiam extat for nusquam Ex Hispaniâ Paenos petituri obiter visemus Sardos for pretereuntes or in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In transitu in trancursu per viam Primum universè aliqua praemittam de longè vetustissimis Aeuropae linguis tum particulatim dicam de linguae Latinae natalibus for separatim seorsum Passivus est error for vulgaris by his own confession Praeclara eorum reperta sine quibus esset defraudaremur magnâ doctrinarum parte for absque quibus esset c. But certainly there is nothing can make Latin so impure and debase it so much as Xenism or Peregrinity Which is the usage of Latin words in conformity to the Idiotisms or proper custom of other Languages And this Vice this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greeks call it this foolish affectation began so early to taint the Latin Tongue that Sallust himself cannot plead not guilty when charg'd by Quintilian for saying Amat fieri in imitation of the Greek Idiom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Latin solet Muretus also among other learned men must pardon my boldness if I call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for saying Non me latet because forsooth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence lateo seems to be formed is construed with an Accusative Case whereas Latet me is no more Latin than Patet me Nor indeed did ever Lucretius Plautus or Cicero use other than latet mihi For why Because forsooth the Greek is a Language of great elegancy will it be therefore praise-worthy always to use Latin words after the Greek way Why then let us e'en say with Vitruvius Nummus ex auri Poculum ex ligni for Nummus ex auro Poculum ex ligno and studium in Juris for studium in Jure because a Writer of Augustus's age thought good thus to Grecissate And in no wise less is Tacitus's evil-affectation who in the beginning of the 5th Book of his Annals writes thus Titus ut superior sui jam crederetur decorum se promtúmque in armis ostendebat Here our Historian indiscreetly imitates the Greek custom saying superior sui for superiorse which Lipsius not discerning and yet well knowing it was not right sterling Latin did what Criticks commonly do viz. go about to correct what they do not understand and so endeavoured ridiculously to amend and set it to rights thus Titus ut super fortunam crederetur c. Moreover if we consult Reason which Cicero adviseth all learned men to use as a Test or Touch-stone to try refine and purifie the corrupt custom of speaking we shall find that 't is absurdly done of him who after the Greek custom dares say Superior illius for in the Greek there is suppressed the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which governs the Genitive Case but in the Latin prae is ellipted which ever governs an Ablative Case In Greek therefore by regular Syntax we say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but figuratively and usually 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Latin according to Rule Major prae his charitas by a Figure Major his If you say Major horum why then you grecissate and are cacozélous laying aside both your Reason and Judgment But more intollerable are they that foist upon the Latin Tongue the Idioms of living Languages as the most learned Jesuit Johannes Mariana did in that Rex sumtus istos excusare debet for compendifacere ponere ad compendium sumtibus supersedere because in the Spanish Idiom it is said Escusar los gastos So Lipsius Orientales Imperatores in specie gestu cultu magis curiosi aut affectati for ista talia magis ducupantur venantur nimio studio persequuntur sunt putidi nimii in talibus because indeed the Italian Idiom bears it sc E troppo affettato in questo So Thuanus Rex Episcopum aliquando deponere potest for Episcopatu abigere exuere movere removere dimovere depellere detrudere desicere abire cogere or Episcopatum alicui abolere or abrogare His also is this Viginti ad minus dies because you must know the French say Au moins the Italians Al meno ò manco the Spaniards A lo menos which the Latins express thus Minimùm quod minimum est minimè and sometimes saltem duntaxat certè at vel And this reminds me of a novel expression that Dr. Busbey after Pasor upon the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uses viz. ut plurimùm most an end I know not by what authority Pasor says he in Lexico N. T. ad verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut plurimùm dicit resumi 1 quae in indefinito primô abjicitur Gr. Gram. Rud. p. 298. There are some of our own Country-men too that being deceived by the Idiom of our Mother-Tongue stick not to say Fidem dare alicui for credere because we commonly say to give credit or trust to any one or any thing Nay Dr. Robinson in his Phrase-book commonly called Winchester-Phrases appoints it Children for a Phrase Phr. 186. Title To believe or credit Whereas Fidem dare alicui is to promise or pass ones word to any body Nempe saith Scioppius cum fidem tibi dedi i. e. promisi ac veluti fidem meam apud te deposui tu mihi fidem habes sive est mihi apud te fides hoc est Tu mihi credis Instead of which Ausonius Manutius Scaliger alias Burdo and Dr. Robinson in the fore-cited place say newly and barbarously Tu mihi fidem adhibes whenas adhibere fidem is afferre fidem ad rem aliquà m uti fide even as adhibere diligentiam And here give me leave to observe to you that Lucretius innovated in saying Fidem dare for persuadere facere ut res habeat fidem or credatur l 5. Dictis dabit ipsa fidem res forsitan which he presently interprets thus Hoc ratio potius quam res persuadeat ipsa But note Fidem habeo signifies one while credere other whiles credi or credibile esse Certainly Mr. Merryweather shew'd himself to be more skilful in foreign and ancient customs than in the vernacular practice and usage of the Language of his own Country when in his Latin Translation of Religio Medici he turns this passage of the Author Yet have I not so shaken hands with those desperate Resolvers Roman-Catholicks as to stand