This abominable sentiment has been often echoed, as for instance, by Martial. We all know the first to be true, but who will believe the last ?— Lasciva est nobis pagina, vita proba. Again more at full, in his epigram ad Cornelium: Quid si me jubeas Thalassionem Nec castrare velis meos libellos. Lib. i. epig. 36. Ovid was sure to adopt the tenets of such a school: Crede mihi distant mores a carmine nostri, Tully was of a directly opposite opinion: and though the following precept be more immediately directed against a fault of a different nature, it is equally applicable to the subject in question, both in his opinion and in the nature of things; and it is a subject of congratulation, that the public mind of the present day goes with the more correct doctrine, as evinced by the almost entire banishment of indelicate dramas from the modern stage :-" In primisque provideat, ne sermo vitium aliquod indicet inesse in moribus: quod maxime tum solet evenire, cum studiose de absentibus, detrahendi causa, aut per ridiculum, aut severe, maledice contumelioseque dicitur."-De Officiis, lib. i. So far is this author from believing that he shall have credit for his deeds whose words are offensive to good morals, that he in effect chimes in with the doctrine of a more holy school: Out of his own mouth shall a man be judged. EQUIVOQUES AND AMPHIBOLOGIES. Nullum esse verbum quod non sit ambiguum.-CIC. de Ora tore, lib. ii. THERE is a striking passage on this subject in the oratio pro Cocina: -" An non, cum voluntas, et consilium, et sententia interdicti intelligatur, impudentiam summam, aut stultitiam singularem putabimus, in verborum errore versari: rem, et causam, et utilitatem communem non relinquere solum, sed etiam prodere? An hoc dubium est, quin neque verborum tanta copia sit, non modo in nostra lingua, quæ dicitur esse inops sed ne in alia quidem ulla, res ut omnes suis certis ac propriis vocabulis nominentur? neque vero quidquam opus sit verbis, cum ea res, cujus causa verba quæsita sint, intelligatur? Quæ lex, quod senatusconsultum, quod magistratus edictum, quod fœdus, aut pactio, quod (ut ad privatas res redeam) testamentum: quæ judicia, aut stipulationes, aut pacti et conventi formula non infirmari aut convelli potest, si ad verba rem deflectere velimus: consilium autem eorum, qui scripserunt, et rationem, et auctoritatem relinquamus? Sermo mehercule et familiaris et quotidianus non cohærebit, si verba inter nos aucupabimur." The Latin critics have abundantly condemned these faults of expression: yet from the numerous instances quoted, the language seems to have been peculiarly liable to them. Quinctilian, lib. vii. cap. 10., brings forward several curious instances :"Unde controversia illa, Testamento quidam jussit poni statuam auream hastam tenentem.” "Hæres meus uxori meæ dare damnas esto argenti, quod elegerit, pondo centum." "Nos flentes illos deprehendimus." This same critic produces several instances of ancient pleasantry and graceful repartee; nor does he seem to turn with absolute disgust even from tickling and practical jokes: — " Neque hoc ab ullo satis explicari puto, licet multi tentaverint, unde risus, qui non solum facto aliquo dictove, sed interdum quodam etiam corporis tactu, lacessitur : præterea non, ut oratione moveri soleat: neque enim acute tantum ac venuste, sed stulte, iracunde, timide dicta aut facta ridentur : ideoque anceps ejus rei ratio est, quod a derisu non procul abest risus." — Lib. vi. cap. 4. This subject had been touched upon before, lib. i. cap. 10. Cicero says: "Suavis autem est, et vehementer sæpe utilis jocus, et facetiæ: quæ, etiamsi alia omnia tradi arte possunt, naturæ sunt propria certe, neque ullam artem desiderant." He goes on to produce a long string of them. The term sophist is closely connected with these degeneracies in wit and argument. Originally it signified a teacher of philosophy, as defined by Philostratus: but its more modern sense, according to Suidas, is ὁ ἐπηρεάζων ἑκὼν ἐν τοῖς λόγοις : that is to say, one who deals out calumnies and cavils in his speech, and that intentionally. Agreeable to this practice is the syllogistic mode of joking. We are told of a celebrated sophist in Paris, who had a high reputation for this kind of wit. He was in the habit of killing Charon in the following manner :— Morieris Charon, et sic argumentor. Omnis Caro moritur, Tu es Charo, Ergo morieris. The lawyers have not been exempt from this cacoethes of argumentation. "Testamentum lex est. Solus princeps potest condire legem. Ergo solus princeps potest facere testamentum.” This device was particularly convenient for the delivery of oracles; and the Dii minorum gentium kept a large stock of them for daily sale. They had the great merit of not being by possibility wrong witness this noted one : Ajo te acida Romanos vincere posse. Omens were often conveyed in this equivocal manner, and prophecies of death made vehicles of wit. When Pompey had lost the field of Pharsalia, an unfavourable prognostic occurred to him. As he was threading his escape, near the island of Cy, prus, he remarked a magnificent palace, and asking its name, was answered, Kaxobacia, the palace of the wicked king. The occurrence laid hold on his spirits. He could not help acknowledging that he was on the way to a treacherous and ungrateful man in the person of Ptolemy, to whom he had ren |