True Living. Ille potens sui Laetusque degit, cui licet in diem Vel sole puro; non tamen irritum Quodcunque retro est efficiet." "That man is master of himself, and spends life happily, who can say each day, 'I have lived: to-morrow let the Almighty mantle the sky with dark clouds or clear sunshine, he shall not efface the past.’“ Sweet Home. Ille terrarum mihi praeter omnes Angulus ridet. “That little spot of earth has charms for me above all others." Referring to home. Adversity. Genius. Prosperity. Ingenium res Adversae nudare solent, celare secundae. "Adversity is wont to reveal genius; prosperity to conceal it." Truth. Inter sylvas Academi quaerere verum. "Amid the groves of the Academy to seek for truth." This was the grove near Athens where Plato taught and which became celebrated as a place of ancient learning. Cheerfulness. Sweet and Bitter. Laetus in praesens animus, quod ultra est Oderit curare, et amara lento "The mind that is cheerful in the present will be indifferent to the dangers beyond, and meet the bitters of life with a complacent smile. Nothing is blessed on every side.” Improvement with Age. Lenior et melior fis, accedente senecta? "Are you becoming milder and better with advancing years ?" Horace's question is a good one for us to ask. Poverty. The Miser. Magnas inter opes inops. "Poor in the midst of great wealth." The laconic description of a miser, who neither knows the proper use of money, nor dares to spend it. 66 Money. Nullus argento color est nisi temperato Splendeat usu. 'Money has no splendor of its own unless it shines by temperate use." Homer. Mistakes. Quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus! "Even the worthy Homer sometimes nods.” Self-denial. Quanto quisque sibi plura negaverit, A Dis plura feret. "The more a man denies himself, the more shall he receive from the gods." Masters. Artists. Qui praegravat artes Infra se positas, extinctus amabitur idem. "He who is master of the arts over which he presides will still be loved when dead." Influence. Early Impressions. Quo semel est imbuta recens servabit odorem Testa diu. A cask will long preserve the flavor with which it was filled when new." A striking illustration of the susceptibility of youthful minds for retaining first impressions either of good or evil. Follow these Si quid novisti rectius istis Candidus imperti; si non, his utere mecum. "If you know of anything better than these maxims, candidly impart it; if not, with me adopt these." Nature. Disposition. Education. Sincerum est nisi vas, quodcunque infundis acescit. “Unless the vessel be clean, whatever you pour into it will sour.“ If the youthful mind is not properly prepared, the lessons will be turned to bad purpose. LIVY. BORN 59 B.C.— DIED 17 A.D. BUT little is known concerning the early life of Livy, except that he was born at Patavium about 59 B.C., lived chiefly at Rome, and practiced as a rhetorician. The work by which he is most widely known is his celebrated Annales, consisting in all of one hundred and forty-two books, divided apparently into groups of ten books or decades each, and comprising a history of Rome from the founding of the city to the year 10 B.C. Only thirty-five of these books are now extant. They include the first ten books, extending from the founding of Rome to the year 294 B.C.; books XXI to XXX, covering the period from 219 B.C. to 201 B.C.; and books XXXI to XLV, covering the period from 201 B.C. to 167 B.C. Considered as a work of art, or scanned by the critical eye of modern scholarship, the Annales cannot be highly estimated, for they often lack in accuracy of detail and in that keen discrimination which we now regard as essential; but they are, nevertheless, the work of a masterly genius, fluent in narrative, interesting in style, and invaluable as a mine of information concerning the events portrayed. He lived to the age of eighty and attained such distinction that Quintilian com pares him to Herodotus, and a certain Spaniard of his time is said to have traveled the entire distance from Gades to Rome expressly to see him. Honor declined Returns. Spreta in tempore gloria interdum cumulatior redit. "Honor prudently declined returns quite frequently with greater luster."- Liber II, 47. Reputation. Esteem. Famae ac fidei damna majora sunt, quam quae aestimari possunt. "The loss of reputation and esteem is greater than mankind can estimate."- Lib. III, 72. Necessity. Necessitas ultimum et maximum telum est. "Necessity is the last and greatest weapon."— Lib. IV, 28. Rewards. Courage. Nihil non aggressuros homines, si magnis conatis magna praemia proponuntur. "When great rewards are offered for great achievements, there is nothing men will not attempt.” — Lib. IV, 35. Honor. Ambition. Modesty. Gratia atque honos opportuniora interdum non cupientibus sunt. "Honor and favors frequently are more accessible to those who are not ambitious."- Lib. IV, 57. Fortune. Bravery. Eventus docuit fortes fortunam juvare. "The event gave evidence that fortune aids the brave." — Lib. VIII, 29. Skill. Judgment. Deliberation. Bono imperatori haud magni fortunam momenti esse; mentem rationemque dominari. "To the good commander, fortune is of slight importance; judgment and deliberation win the day."— Lib. XXII, 25. Leadership. Advice. Primum esse virum, qui ipse consulat, quid in rem sit, secundum eum, qui bene monenti obediat; qui nec ipse consulere nec alteri parere sciat, eum extremi ingenii esse. "That man is greatest who himself can formulate wise counsels in the eventful moment; he is next who follows good advice; but he who knows not how to plan or follow discreetly the plans of others lacks most in point of ability.” — Lib. XXII, 29. Glory. Modesty. Gloriam qui spreverit, veram habebit. "He who courts not glory shall enjoy it most." — Lib. XXII, 39. Haste. Omnia non properanti clara certaque erunt, festinatio improvida est et caeca. "All things are indistinct and doubtful to the hasty; haste is both improvident and blind.” — Lib. XXII, 39. Evil. Notissimum quodque malum maxime tolerabile. "The evil with which men are most familiar seems most to be endured." -- Lib. XXIII, 3. Fortune. Effort. Facile est momento quis velit, cedere possessione magnae fortunae; facere et parare eam, difficile atque arduum est. "It is easy, whenever one wishes, to yield possession of a fortune; but to make and gain it is a task of utmost toil.” — Lib. XXIV, 22. |