the idea of
_possibility_ which the gerundive sometimes has (but only in negative
sentences or interrogative sentences implying a negative answer, and in
conditional clauses) see Madvig, 420, Obs.; Roby, 1403. -- HAEC QUIDEM: a
short summary of the preceding arguments, preparatory to a transition to a
new subject, introduced by _venio nunc ad_. The succession of two clauses
both containing _quidem_ seems awkward, but occurs in Fin. 5, 80 and
elsewhere. -- HONESTUM SIT: 'does him honor'. -- UT ANTE DIXI: in 26, where
see the notes. -- POTEST ESSE: Meissner (n. on 27) says that Cicero's rule
is to say _potest esse, debet esse_ and the like, not _esse potest_ and the
like. It is true that _esse_ in such cases is very seldom separated from
the word on which it depends, but _esse potest_ is just as common as
_potest esse_; the difference to the sense is one of emphasis only, the
_esse_ having more emphasis thrown on it in the latter case.

51. MIHI ... VIDENTUR: see Introd. -- HABENT RATIONEM CUM 'they have their
reckonings with', 'their dealings with'; a phrase of book-keeping. --
IMPERIUM: so Verg. Georg. 1, 99 _exercetque frequens tellurem atque imperat
agris_; ib. 2, 369 _dura exerce imperia et ramos compesce fluentes_; Tac.
Germ. 26 _sola terrae seges imperatur._ -- SED ALIAS ... FAENORE: put for
_sed semper cum faenore, alias minore, plerumque maiore_. -- VIS AC NATURA:
'powers and constitution'. These two words are very often used by Cic.
together, as in Fin. 1, 50 _vis ac natura rerum_. -- GREMIO: so Lucret. 1,
250 _pereunt imbres ubi eos pater aether In gremium matris terrai
praecipitavit_, imitated by Verg. Georg. 2, 325. -- MOLLITO AC SUBACTO:
_i.e._ by the plough. _Subigere_, 'subdue', is a technical word of
agriculture; so Verg. Georg. 2, 50 _scrobibus subactis_; see also below,
59.

P. 22. -- OCCAECATUM: 'hidden'. _Caecus_ has the sense of 'unseen' as well
as that of 'unseeing' or 'blind'. -- OCCATIO: Cicero's derivation, as well
as Varro's (De Re Rust. 1, 31, 1) from _occidere_, because the earth is cut
up, is unsound. _Occa_ is _rastrum_, probably from its _sharp_ points (root
_ak-_); _occatio_ therefore is 'harrowing'. -- VAPORE: 'heat'. This word
has not in the best Latin the meaning of our 'vapor'. -- COMPRESSU: a word
found only here in Cicero's writings and elsewhere in Latin only in the
ablative case, like so many other nouns whose stem ends in _-u_. --
DIFFUNDIT ET ELICIT: 'expands and lures forth'. -