examination would bear out this result. In the mean time valeat quantum.] We may draw the same conclusion from his frequent use of tam, tantus, tot and totiens. All of these words involve a reference which is sometimes to the knowledge or feelings of others and sometimes to his own experience; and thus the thought assumes the character of a reminiscence or an appeal. Some of the more striking instances are III. 4. 3 tam graciles uetuit contemnere Musas, IV. 14 (15). 11 Dirce tam uero crimine saeua, IV. 10 (11). 20 tam dura traheret mollia pensa manu, and 1. 16. 18, 39, Iv. 3. 5 notes. tanti, worth that price,' is common, e. g. iv. 19 (20). 4, v. 11. 92; tantus I. 5. 26, &c. tot and totiens are also frequent, almost in the sense of plurimus and saepe IV. 11 (12). 32 totque hiemis noctes totque natasse dies, cf. v. 24; Iv. 7 (8). 2 uocis tot maledicta tuae; III. 26. 3 (20. 49) tot milia formosarum, cf. iv. 17 (18). 16, 23. 2, &c.: III. 17 (14). 5 quaerit totiens, v. 8. 27 cum fieret nostro totiens iniuria lecto, I. 5. 21 n. &c. This usage might perhaps be called a relative 'intensive,' tam gracilis, &c. so slight,' as you or I know well, being put for very slight.' The same is shewn by the frequency of phrases like aspice (cerne) 9 times, accipe (disce) 5 times, crede mihi 7 times; quaeris (quaeritis) 8 times, quaeso 7 times. It is not surprising that such a mind should have keenly felt what is due to himself or others, and that he should have been continually appealing to his or their deserts (1. 8. 17 n., 18. 15, 11. 5. 3, III. 7 (6). 47, Iv. 6 (7). 34, &c.) or that it should have recoiled from the strange and the unknown. This repulsion is manifest in the use of ignotus, I. 17. 17 ignotis circumdata litora siluis, 1. 5. 5, 111. 32 (26). 8 (compare quem non nouerit III. 16. 6 (13. 48): and nosse, &c. in the sense of 'feel' 1. 9. 20, &c.); externus III. 12 (10). 16 ab externo uiro; insolitus 1. 8. 8, 3. 29, with which may be contrasted 1. 12. 5 nec mihi consuetos amplexu nutrit amores, and sometimes in that of nouus I. 8. 30 n. muto, when metaphorical, is nearly always used in a bad sense. A change for Propertius is a change for the worse; 1. 18. 9, 1гī. 19 (16). 17, v. 11. 45. A melancholy and almost lachrymose disposition is shewn, on the Melancholy. one hand, by the frequency with which words like querelae, &c., flere, lacrima, &c. tristis and the like occur and, on the other, by the frequency of allusions to death and the grave, which has already been mentioned. This will be at once obvious by reference to any Propertian index, or to the articles on bustum, cinis, fauilla, fatum, funus, Manes, mors, puluis, ossa, rogus, sepulcrum in B. Kuttner's tract de Propertii elocutione. A temper like this could not fail to increase the wretchedness of an attachment which had in itself many seeds of unhappiness. It alloyed its pleasures and aggravated its pains, and threw over all the black inevitable shadow of death'. Weakness of will (besides some other characteristics already pointed out, such as sensitiveness and dislike of the unknown) is will. apparent from the large number of verbal tials.' periphrases which he employs and the Periphrases. way in which he uses them. Speaking generally, he prefers the potential to the actual. The capacity, the desire, the purpose, the preparation, the beginning, Weakness of Use of 'poten 1 This use of interjections like heu, a is remarkable. It shews a curious and almost irrational sympathy. If Propertius is contemplating a gloomy picture, he cannot help a sigh escaping him, no matter whether appropriate to his own position or not. Thus a heu breaks out in 11. 5. 8 where he is threatening Cynthia with punishment heu sero flebis amata diu; so a in a precisely similar way iv. 25. 14. Cf. 1. 1. 38 and note. This undercurrent of melancholy is apt to come to the surface whenever his feelings are disturbed. Thus in I. 27 (21) talis uisa mihi somno dimissa recenti, heu quantum per se candida forma ualet and Iv. 14 (15). 6. Compare v. 8. 48. the effort in an action impress him more than the attained and completed result: and thus, where other writers would use a simple verb, we find in Propertius an infinitival expression. In this and similar questions it is well to bear in mind that the question of degree is of the highest importance. For while, on the one hand, it is true that in many passages a writer may have chosen a word for the same reasons that might have guided other writers to its choice and that consequently its employment is a recognition of the requirements of the passage and not a trace of the author's personality, so on the other if he habitually throws his thought into such a form that only a particular word or phrase is appropriate, it cannot be pleaded that he has yielded to a necessity, when that necessity has been created by himself1. The following tables will put the facts more clearly. Propertius uses the following verbal periphrases. Verbs denoting capacity. possum, very common, 74 times (Kuttner): often a mere expletive, e.g. v. 10. 24 uincere cum Veios posse laboris erat. queo, I. 18. 4, 11. 7. 4. nequeo, twice. ualeo, 1. 14. 7 non tamen ista meo ualeant contendere amori, where observe that the subj. makes the expression still more vague. Denoting desire or purpose. uolo, with inf. 31 times (subjunctive uelim, uellem 17 times) often with no particular force, e.g. III. 1. 9. cupio, with inf. 9 times: often otiose; as in I. 9. 19, IV. 8 (9). 2. 1 In the case of Propertius the strength of the following argument is not weakened by a conscious choice of expression, still less by a desire to mystify. libet, 4 times; can frequently be dispensed with, c. g. IV. 4 (5). 25. utinam, atque utinam, o utinam, 14 times. meditor, II. 2. 1. quaero, III. 6 (5). 13. Denoting preparation, beginning and effort. It can incipio, 11 times; always with inf. except in III. 13 (11). 36 when a verbal noun replaces it. often be spared, e.g. v. 1. 120, &c. According to Kuttner it is very rare in the elegiac poets. coepi, twice, v. 4. 74, 11. 78. It is wanted in neither place. conor, 4 times (3 times in the first person). tempto, III. 32 (26). 73 where it has its proper force. Denoting constraint or its absence. cogo, 19 times (cogor 9 times). Especially noteworthy is its use within the sphere of love, 1. 13. 32 illa suis uerbis cogat amare Iouem, II. 4. 9, v. 5. 8, and above all 1. 4. 2 quid me tam multas laudando, Basse, puellas mutatum domina cogis abire mea? fero, Iv. 6 (7). 47 non tulit...audire. 8 times in sense of 'holding out against.' patior, with acc. and inf. 10 times. perpetior, 1. 22. 7. It occurs licet, 18 times altogether with subj. and inf. sino, with acc. and inf. 11 times (once with acc.); sometimes curiously used, e g. III. 15 (13). 38. ueto, with acc. and inf. 8 times. IV. 13 (14). 21 is very curious, lex Spartana uetat discedere amantes 'allows them not to be separated.' prohibeo, III. 7 (6). 21. = iubeo, occurs 5 times (out of 8) where another verb meaning 'causing' or the like would be more appropriate; thus I. 3. 40 noctes me miseram quales semper habere iubes. Denoting fear or its absence. metvit, timet, with inf., 1. 14. 19, 20 illa neque Arabium metuit transcendere limen nec timet ostrino, Tulle, subire toro. uereor, I. 14. 23 non ulla uerebor regna...despicere; non ego nunc uereor occurs 3 times. ausus, ausim, 8 times. Denoting habit. soleo, 17 times. consueui, I. 17. 25 omnia consueui timidus perferre superbae iussa neque arguto facta dolore queri (a perfect revelation of character). site. sueuit, v. 10. 17. Denoting acquaintance or knowledge and its oppo scio, 1. 2. 12. noui, 3 times, e. g. III. 24 (20). 13 semper, formosae, non nostis parcere uerbis. disco, 9 times, e. g. 1. 10. 13 non solum uestros didici reticere dolores. doctus, v. 6. 24. Periphrases by means of verbs of saying or thinking. dico with no especial force. Pass. 1. 9. 8, 19. 11 semper tua dicar imago, 11. 8. 6 nec mea dicetur quae modo dicta meast. Act.-Phrases like 1. 11. 26 dicam Cynthia causa fuit' are not uncommon. fero, 1v. 16 (17). 20 uirtutisque tuae, Bacche, poeta ferar, cf. IV. 8 (9). 60 and III. 9 (8). 11. habeo, pass. 11. 4. 24 quicquid habetur amor and in IV. 12 (13). 62. puto and reor also occur; but generally add something to the sense. |