DICTIONARY

OF

CLASSICAL AND FOREIGN QUOTATIONS.

1. A aucun les biens viennent en dormant. (Fr.) Prov.

Good things come to some people while they sleep. 2. Ab abusu ad usum non valet consequentia. (L.) Law

Max.—The abuse of anything is no argument against its

proper use. 3. Ab actu ad posse valet illatio. (L.)-From what has

taken place we may infer what will happen.
The uniformity of nature furnishes a ground of induction, upon
which we may conclude that a similar condition of things
being given, what has happened once will happen again. In
the same way a man's habits afford presumption for the re.
currence of certain eventualities in his life. A. B. left the
turf for the stock exchange ; it is likely that he will speculate

on the one as he did on the other, ab actu ad posse, etc. 4. Ab alio expectes alteri quod feceris. (L.) P. Syr. ap. Sen. Ep. 94.-A8

you have done to others, expect others to do to you. Cf. Vulg. Luc. 6, 31. 5. A barbe de fol on apprend à raire. (Fr.) Prov.—Men learn

to shave by beginning on the beard of a fool. Similar to

Fiat experimentum, etc., q.V. 6. A ben conoscer la natura dei popoli, convien esser principe,

ed a conoscer ben quella dei principi convien esser popolare. (It.) Mach. ?—To be well acquainted with the dispositions of a people, one should be a prince; and to know well the disposition of a prince, one should be of

the people. 7. Abends wird der Faule fleissig. (G.) Prov.-Towards

evening the lazy man begins to be busy.

8. Abeunt studia in mores. (L.) ?—Pursuits grow into habits.

One can by habit get absorbed in what was at first most

distasteful. 9. Abi hinc in malam crucem! (L.) Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 163.

-Go and be hanged ! (2.) Abi in malam rem! Plaut.

Pers. 2, 4, 7.-Go to the deuce ! 10. Abiit, excessit, evasit, erupit. (L.) Cic. Cat. 2, 1, 1.

He has departed, retreated, escaped, broken away. Said of
Catiline's flight from the senate on the discovery of his

conspiracy. A good description of any one absconding. 11. Abi, ludis me, credo. (L.) Plaut. Most. 5, 1, 32.-Off

with you, you are fooling me, I guess. 12. Ab initio. (L.)—From the beginning. Anything which

has been irregularly done must be begun ab initio, afresh,

as though nothing had been done in the matter. 13. Ab inopia ad virtutem obsepta est via. (L.) Prov.

. Poverty obstructs the road to virtue. It is so easy to be

good when one is well off. 14. Abnormis sapiens crassaque Minerva. (L.) Hor. Ep. 2,

( 2, 3.--Of plain good sense, untutored in the school. Full

of mother-wit. A shrewd sensible fellow. 15. A bon chat bon rat. (Fr.) Prov.-A good rat for a good

cat. Opponents should be well matched. Set a thief to catch a thief. An old poacher makes the best game

keeper. 16. Ab ovo Usque ad mala. (L.) Hor. S. 1, 3, 6.-From eggs

to apples. From the beginning to the end : eggs and
apples being respectively the first and last courses at a
Roman dinner.
The phrase applies to any topic, or speaker, monopolising the
whole of the conversation at dinner from soup to dessert, or at

any other time. 17. Abracadabra. Ancient cabalistic word of Persian origin,

said to contain the name of Mithras the sun-god. A
paper written with the letters of the spell, so as to form
an inverted pyramid, was anciently worn as an amulet
against fevers and ague, viz.

a bra cad a bra
a bra ca d a b
a bra cad
a brac
a br

а

a

a

)

18. Absente auxilio perquirimus undique frustra,
Sed nobis ingens indicis auxilium est. (L.)?

Use of an index.
Without a key we search and search in vain,
But a good index is a monstrous gain.-Ed.

(See Notes and Queries, 2d Ser. 6, 146.) 19. Absentem qui rodit amicum,

Qui non defendit alio culpante, solutos
Qui captat risus hominum, famamque dicacis;
Fingere qui non visa potest, commissa tacere
Qui nequit, hic niger est, hunc tu, Romane, caveto.

(L.) Hor. S. 1, 4, 81.
blackguard.
The man that will malign an absent friend
Or when his friend's attacked, does not defend ;
Who seeks to raise a laugh, be thought a wit,
Declares “he saw,” when he invented it :
Who blabs a secret-Roman, friend, take care,

His heart is black, of such an one beware. -Ed. 20. Absint inani funere næniæ,

Luctusque turpes et querimoniæ;
Compesce clamorem, ac sepulcri
Mitte supervacuos honores. (L.) Hor. C. 2, 20, 21,

,
Weep not for me.
No dirges for my fancied death;

No weak lament, no mournful stave ;
All clamorous grief were waste of breath,

And vain the tribute of a grave. —Conington. 21. Absit invidia. (L.)- All offence apart. 22. Absit invidia verbo. (L.) Liv. 9, 19, 15.—1 say it with

out offence. 23. Absit omen. (L.)—May the omen mean nothing!

I pray there be no ugly meaning in it! 24. Abstineto a fabis. (L.) ?-Abstain from beans. I.e., keep

clear of elections : where, as at Athens, the election of

public magistrates was balloted for with beans. 25. Abundans cautela non nocet. (L.) Law Max.—Excessive

precaution cannot do any harm. E.g., in the purchase of property the buyer cannot be too careful in requiring

a good title with the estate he is treating for. 26. Abundant dulcibus vitiis. (L.) Quint. 10, 1, 129.-They

abound in seductive faults. Said of any one whose very errors are charming.

27. Ab uno ad omnes. (L.)–From one to all. Motto of Earl

of Perth and Melfort. 28. Ab urbe conditâ, or A. U. C. (L.)- From the building of

the City. The date from which the Romans reckoned :

generally considered as being 752 B.C. 29. Abyssus abyssum invocat. (L.) Ps. 41, 7.- Deep calleth

unto deep. 30. A causa perduta parole assai. (It.) Prov. — Words in

plenty when the cause is lost. Plenty of advice when it

is useless. 31. Accedas ad curiam. (L.) Law Term. - You may go to the

Courts. A writ which removes a plaint from an inferior

court (generally the county court) to a higher one. 32. Accede ad ignem hunc; jam calesces plus satis. (L.) Ter.

Eun. 1, 2, 5.-Approach this fire, you will soon be warmer

than you like. Said of the beauty of Thaïs. 33. Acceptissima semper Munera sunt, auctor quæ pretiosa

facit. (L.) Ov. H. 17, 71.—Those presents which derive
their value from the donor, are always the most acceptable.

Cf. Shakesp. Hamlet, 3, 1, 98:
You gave-with words of so sweet breath composed,

As made the things more rich.
34. Accipe nunc Danaum insidias, et crimine ab uno
Disce omnes.

(L.) Virg. A. 2, 65. Now listen while my tongue declares The tale you ask of Danaan snares, And gather from a single charge Their catalogue of crimes at large. —Conington. You may judge of the defendant's character from a single charge established

against him. Crimine ab uno disce omnes. 35. Accipe nunc victus tenuis quid quantaque secum

Affert. Imprimis valeas bene. (L.) Hor. S. 2, 2, 70.
Now listen for a space while I declare
The good results that spring from frugal fare.

Imprimis, health.—Conington. 36. Accipe quæ nimios vincant umbracula soles ; Sit licet et ventus te tua vela tegent. (L.) Mart. 14, 28.

Umbrellas.
An umbrella for the sun you'll handy find,

Or it may serve as shelter from the wind. – Ed. 37. Acclinis falsis animus meliora recusat. (L.) Hor. S. 2, 2, 6.

The mind that's ta'en with outward shows
Will always truthful things refuse.— Ed.

38. Accusare nemo se debet nisi coram Deo. (L.) Law Max.

-No man is bound to accuse himself unless it be before his God. When culprits wish to make confession, it is not received without their being cautioned by the court as to the consequences and permitted to put in a plea of

not guilty.
39 Acer, et indomitus : quo spes, quoque ira vocasset,

Ferre manum, et nunquam temerando parcere ferro :
Successus urgere suos : instare favori
Numinis : impellens quicquid sibi summa petenti
Obstaret: gaudensque viam fecisse ruina.

(L.) Luc. 1, 146.
Julius Caesar.
Undaunted, keen : where Hope or Passion called
He'd fight, nor ever sheathe the murderous sword.
To push advantage, follow up his star
(If Fortune smiled), and overturn all odds
That kept him from the prize-such was his plan:

Pleased at the ruins that bestrewed his way. — Ed. 40. Acheruntis pabulum. (L.) Plaut. Cas. 2, 1, 12.--Food

for Acheron. A vicious abandoned character. A ne'er

do-weel.
41. Ach! warum, ihr Götter, ist unendlich

Alles, alles, endlich unser Glück nur? (G.) Goethe,
Pandora.-Alas! why, ye gods, is all, all eternal, our

happiness alone fleeting / 42. Ach wie glücklich sind die Todten! (G.) Schill. Das

Siegesfest. —Ah! how happy are the dead! 43. A caur vaillant rien d'impossible. (Fr.) Nothing is im

possible to a valiant heart. Motto of Jeanne d'Albret of Navarre, mother of Henry IV., and adopted by him as

his own devise. 44. A confesseurs, médecins, avocats, la vérité ne cèle de ton

(Fr.) Prov.–From confessors, physicians, and lawyers, do not hide the truth of your case. Tell them the worst, that the remedy may be all the more speedy

and effectual. 45. Acribus, ut ferme talia, initiis, incurioso fine. (L.) Tac.

A. 6, 17.-As is generally the case with such movements, an impulsive beginning and a careless termination. It is comparatively easy to launch a movement amid every sign of excitement and zeal, the difficulty is to sustain action when the first novelty of the thing has worn off.

cas.