ative, having absorbed most
of the functions of the lost Lat. optative. [Madv. on _D.F._ II. 35 seems
to imply that he prefers the hypothesis of a suppressed protasis, but as in
his _Gram._ 351 _b_, obs. 4 he attempts no elucidation, I cannot be
certain.]

Sec.Sec.54--63. Summary. The Academics fail to see that such doctrines do
away with all probability even. Their talk about twins and seals is
childish (54). They press into their service the old physical
philosophers, though ordinarily none are so much ridiculed by them
(55). Democritus may say that innumerable worlds exist in every
particular similar to ours, but I appeal to more cultivated physicists,
who maintain that each thing has its own peculiar marks (55, 56). The
Servilii were distinguished from one another by their friends, and
Delian breeders of fowls could tell from the appearance of an egg which
hen had laid it (56, 57). We however, do not much care whether we are
able to distinguish eggs from one another or not. Another thing that
they say is absurd, viz. that there may be distinction between
individual sensations, but not between classes of sensations (58).
Equally absurd are those "probable and undisturbed" sensations they
profess to follow. The doctrine that true and false sensations are
indistinguishable logically leads to the unqualified [Greek: epoche] of
Arcesilas (59). What nonsense they talk about inquiring after the
truth, and about the bad influence of authority! (60). Can you, Cicero,
the panegyrist of philosophy, plunge us into more than Cimmerian
darkness? (61) By holding that knowledge is impossible you weaken the
force of your famous oath that you "knew all about" Catiline. Thus
ended Lucullus, amid the continued wonder of Hortensius (62, 63). Then
Catulus said that he should not be surprised if the speech of Lucullus
were to induce me to change my view (63).

Sec.54. _Ne hoc quidem_: the common trans. "not even" for "_ne quidem_" is
often inappropriate. Trans. here "they do not see this _either_," cf. n. on
I. 5. _Habeant_: the slight alteration _habeat_ introduced by Goer. and
Orelli quite destroys the point of the sentence. _Quod nolunt_: cf. 44. _An
sano_: Lamb. _an ut sano_, which Halm approves, and Baiter reads.
_Similitudines_: cf. 84--86. The impossibility of distinguishing between
twins, eggs, the impressions of seals, etc. was a favou