Scenas post tragicas multum juvat ire sub umbras:
After a tragedy it is very pleasant to go under the _Shades_.
The worst of these "Shades" is, that people are now and then apt to get
rather "too much in the sun" there.
These impersonals, interest, it concerns, and refert, it concerns, are
joined to any genitive cases, except these ablative cases feminine, mea,
tua, sua, nostra, vestra, and cuja, as
Interest magistratus tueri insulsos, animadvertere in acres.
It concerns the magistrate to defend the flats; to punish the sharps.
These genitive cases also, are added, tanti, of so much, quanti, of how
much, magni, of much, parvi, of little, quanticunque, of how much
soever, tantidem, of just so much; as
Tanti refert honesta agere;
Of such consequence is it to do honest things.
By this course of conduct, you certainly render yourself worthy of the
protection of the magistrate; although whether you thereby constitute
yourself a flat or not, is perhaps a doubtful question. Much may be said
on both sides. Dishonesty, it is true, may lead to being taken up; but
then honesty often leads to being taken _in_. Yet honesty is said to be
the best policy. Policy is a branch of wisdom, and "wisdom" they say "is
in the _wig_." Certain _wigs_ are retained at the _head_-- of affairs,
by a good deal of _policy_; perhaps the _best_ they could adopt-- a fact
that throws considerable doubt on the truth of the old maxim.
[Illustration]
Impersonal verbs which are put acquisitively, require a dative case; but
those which are put transitively an accusative, as--
A ministris nobis benefit:
We enjoy blessings from Ministers.
For instance-- No-- We cannot think of any just at present.
Me juvat per lunam errare, et "Isabellam" cantare:
I like to wander by moonlight, and sing "Isabelle."
The connexion between love and moonlight is as interesting as it is
certain. We shrewdly suspect that the said planet has more to do with
the tender passion than lovers are aware of.
But the preposition _ad_ is peculiarly _ad_ded to these verbs-- attinet,
it belongs, pertinet, it pertains, spectat, it concerns, as
Spectat ad omnes bene vivere:
It concerns all to live well--
When they can afford it.
An accusative case with a genitive is put after these verbs impersonal--
p[oe]nitet, it repents, taedet, it wearies, miseret, miserescit, it
pities, pudet, it shames, piget, it grieves, as--
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