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3045.

Messieurs les gardes françaises, tirez! (Fr.)-Gentlemen of the French guard, fire!

Speech of Lord C. Hay at the battle of Fontenoy, 1745; to which the Comte d'Anteroches, Lieutenant of the French Grenadiers, replies, "Monsieur, nous ne tirons jamais les premiers, tirez vousmêmes" (Sir, we never fire first, please to fire yourselves). This, which M. Fournier (L'Esprit dans l'histoire) gives as the authentic account and as redounding to the chivalrous spirit of the French, tells equally, it seems to me, for the courtesy of the English officer. 3046. Métier d'auteur, métier d'oseur. (Fr.) Beaum. ?—The man who writes much, must dare much.

3047. Mettre les pieds dans le plat. (Fr.) Prov.-To put one's foot in it.

3048. Metuenda corolla draconis. (L.)-The dragon's crest is to be feared. Marquess of Londonderry and Earl Vane. 3049. Meum et tuum. (L.)—Mine and thine. The rights of personal property.

3050. Meus mihi, suus cuique est carus. (L.) Plaut. Capt. 2, 3, 40.-What is mine is dear to me, and so is his own to every man.

3051. Micat inter omnes. (L.) Hor. C. 1, 12, 46.-It shines amongst all. Jeu-de-mot, affixed as an inscription under the picture of a favourite cat.

3052. Mieulx serra. (Fr.)—Better times are coming. Lord Beaumont.

3053. Mieux vaut goujat debout qu'empereur enterré. (Fr.) La Font. Matrone d'Éph.-A fool on his legs is better than a buried emperor. Cf. Eccles. ix. 4.

3054. Mieux vaut un bon renom, que du bien plein la maison. (Fr.) Prov.--Better a good name than a house full of

riches.

3055. Mieux vaut un Tiens, que deux Tu l'auras.

(Fr.) Prov.

—A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

3056. Mieux vaut voir un chien enragé, qu'un soleil chaud en Janvier. (Fr.) Breton Prov.-Better see a mad dog than a hot sun in January.

3057. Mihi cura Non mediocris inest, fontes ut adire remotos Atque haurire queam vitæ precepta beatæ.

(L.) Hor. S. 2, 4, 93.

As for myself, I feel a thirst inbred

To drink these maxims at the fountain-head.-Conington.

3058. Mihi est propositum in taberna mori. (L.)?—I purpose dying in an inn.

3059. Mihi forsan, tibi quod negarit,

Porriget hora. (L.) Hor. C. 2, 16, 32.-Time may, perhaps, extend to me what it has denied to you.

3060. Mihi istic nec seritur nec metitur. (L.) Plaut. Epid. 2, 2, 80.-There is neither sowing nor reaping in this affair for me. It will not redound to my profit any way.

3061. Mihi misero cerebrum excutiunt

Tua dicta, soror: lapides loqueris. (L.) Plaut. Aul. 2, 1, 29.-Your words, sister, are battering my poor brains You speak stones.

out.

3062. Mihi tarda fluunt ingrataque tempora. (L.) Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 23.-The time goes by slowly and tediously to me.

3063. Militat omnis amans. (L.) Ov. Am. 1, 9, 1.—Every lover is engaged in warfare.

Cf. Militia species amor est: discedite segnes

Non sunt hæc timidis signa tuenda viris. Ov. A. A. 2, 233.
Love is a kind of war: sluggards, depart!

Its ranks cannot be kept by craven heart.-Ed.

3064. Mille hominum species et rerum discolor usus; Velle suum cuique est, nec voto vivitur uno.

(L.) Pers. 5, 52.

Countless the kinds of men of countless hues :
With each his own, and not another's views. -Ed.

3065. Mille verisimili non fanno un vero. (It.)
thousand probabilities do not make one truth.
3066. Millia frumenti tua triverit area centum,
Non tuus hinc capiet venter plus ac meus.

Prov.-A

(L.) Hor. S. 1, 1, 45.

Say you've a million quarters on your floor,
Your stomach is like mine; it holds no more.-Conington.

3067. Minima de malis. (L.) Prov. ap. Cic. Off. 2, 29, 105.—

Of two evils choose the least.

3068. Minus aptus acutis Naribus horum hominum.

(L.) Hor. S. 1, 3, 29.-Hardly fitted for the society of persons of such fastidious tastes. Not up to the level of very select society. Description of an honest country fellow.

3069. Minutiæ. (L.)—Trifles. To enter into minutiæ, means to discuss the most minute details and particulars of anything.

3070. Minuti Semper et infirmi est animi exiguique voluptas Ultio. (L.) Juv. 13, 189.-Revenge is always the delight of a weak and small mind.

3071. Mirabile dictu! (L.)-Wonderful to be told. (2.) Mirabile visu.-Wonderful to behold!

3072. Mirantur taciti, et dubio pro fulmine pendent.

Suspense.

(L.) Stat. T. 10, 920.

Amazement and suspense strike all men dumb,

Fearing which way the thunderbolt may come.-Ed.

3073. Miremur te non tua. (L.) Juv. 8, 68.—Give us something to admire in yourself, not in your belongings.

who boasts of his fine relations.

3074. Misce stultitiam consiliis brevem,

To one

Dulce est desipere in loco. (L.) Hor. C. 4, 12, 27.
And be for once unwise. While time allows,

"Tis sweet the fool to play.-Conington.

3075. Misera est magna custodia census. (L.) Juv. 14, 304.The charge of a great estate is a miserable thing.

3076. Miserere mei, Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam. (L.) Vulg. Ps. 1. 1.—Have mercy on me, O God, after thy great goodness. Legend round the rim of the coronet of Garter King-at-Arms.

3077. Miser est qui se beatissimum non judicat, licet imperet mundo. . . . Non est beatus, esse se qui non putat; quid enim refert qualis status tuus sit, si tibi videtur malus ? (L.) Sen. Ep. 9.

He is wretched who does not think himself most happy, though he be master of the world.

"Not blest is he who thinks himself unblest,"

For what does it matter what your condition is, if it seem a bad one in your own eyes?

3078. Misericordia Domini inter pontem et fontem. (L.)? St. August.-The Lord's mercy may be found between bridge and stream. "Between the saddle and the ground, I mercy sought and mercy found."

3079. Miserum est aliorum incumbere famæ

Ne collapsa ruant subductis tecta columnis.

(L.) Juv. 8, 76.

Don't support yourself on others;
If the column falls, where are you?-Shaw.

3080. Miserum est opus,

Igitur demum fodere puteum, ubi sitis fauces tenet. (L.) Plaut. Most. 2, 1, 32.—It is wretched work to be beginning to dig a well when thirst has got you by the

weasand!

3081. Miserum istuc verbum et pessumum 'st, habuisse et nihil habere. (L.) Plaut. Rud. 5, 2, 34.-A miserable and hateful expression that, "I had, but have not."

3082. Mio μvýpovα σνμпóτην. (Gr.) Mart. 1, 28.-I hate a Μισῶ μνήμονα boon companion with a good memory.

tell tales out of school.

3083. Μισῶ σοφιστὴν ὅστις οὐχ αὑτῷ σοφός.

One should not

(Gr.)-I hate the

sophist who is not wise in his own affairs.

3084. Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens. (G.) Schill. Jungfrau von Orleans, 3, 6 (Talbot loq.).—With stupidity the Gods themselves battle in vain.

3085. Mitis depone colla, Sicamber! incende quod adorasti; adora quod incendisti! (L.) Greg. Turon. ?-Bow thy neck, gentle Sicambrian! Burn what thou hast adored (idols), and adore what thou hast burnt (the Cross)! Speech of St Remigius to Clovis, King of the Franks, at his baptism at Reims, 496.

3086. Mitte hanc de pectore curam. (L.) Virg. A. 6, 85.— Dismiss this anxiety from your mind.

3087. Mittimus. (L.) Law Term.—We send.

(1.) A writ for

transferring records from one court to another.

(2.) A

precept under the hand and seal of a Justice of Peace committing an offender.

3088. M. l'ambassadeur, j'ai toujours été le maître chez moi, quelquefois chez les autres; ne m'en faites pas souvenir. (Fr.) Louis XIV. to Lord Stair.-Mr Ambassador, I have always been master in my own affairs, and sometimes in those of other people.

to remind me of these things.

I beg your Lordship not

3089. Mobilium turba Quiritium. (L.) Hor. C. 1, 1, 7.—A crowd of fickle citizens.

3090. Modeste tamen et circumspecto judicio de tantis viris pronunciandum est, ne, quod plerisque accidit, damnent quæ non intelligunt. (L.) Quint. 10, 1, 26.—One ought in the case of such eminent men to speak with due deference and discretion, lest, like many persons, one should con

demn what one does not understand. Maxim to be remembered by would-be critics who can always find fault when they can do nothing else. Damnant quæ non

intelligunt, They damn what is above their comprehension.

3091. Modo vir, modo fœmina. (L.) Ov. M. 4, 280.-Now as a man, now as a woman. A person assuming either shape

at will.

3092. Modus omnibus in rebus, soror, optimum est habitu.

Nimia omnia nimium exhibent negotium hominibus ex se. (L.) Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 29.-In everything, sister, moderation is the best principle: any excess of itself

causes men excessive trouble.

3093. Modus operandi. (L.)-The way to do it. vivendi.-A way of living.

(2.) Modus An arrangement between two parties enabling them to live and act harmoniously either together or independently.

3094. Moi! dis-je, et c'est assez. (Fr.) Corn. Médée, 1, 5.Me! I replied, and is not that enough? Apart from all egotism, most of us, like Medea herself, find our own personality to be a tolerably important rôle in the drama of life.

3095. Molle meum levibusque cor est violabile telis, Et semper causa est, cur ego semper amem.

(L.) Ov. H. 15, 79.

Cupid's light darts my tender bosom move,
And that's the reason why I always love.-Pope.

3096. Mollissima corda

Humano generi dare se natura fatetur,

Quæ lachrymas dedit: hæc nostri pars optima sensus.
(L.) Juv. 15, 131.

When tears to man Dame Nature did impart,
It was to prove she'd given a feeling heart;
It is our noblest gift.-Ed.

3097. Mollissima fandi Tempora. (L.) Virg. A. 4, 293.-The most favourable opportunity for speaking. An opportune moment for pressing a request, or mentioning any delicate subject. This must be carefully watched for, since everything may depend upon securing the mollissima tempora fandi.

3098. Molliter austerum studio fallente laborem. (L.) Hor. S. 2, 2, 12.-The pursuit agreeably lightening the arduous. ness of the labour.

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