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2601. Vitium capiunt, ni moveantur aquae.
The words are part of a verse couplet: Cernis, ut ignavum corrumpant otia corpus: / ut capiunt vitium, ni moveantur aquae.
2602. Pluit vitium ubi pluit aurum.
[pluo: rain, fall like rain] Of course, the most famous instance of "raining gold" (when Jupiter seduced Danae) is not exactly an example of moral virtue! Here, of course, the metaphor is about the superabundance of money (gold), and how that leads to a superabundance of moral failings.
2603. Neque Iuppiter ipse, sive pluat, seu non, unicuique placet.
[seu: = sive: or if, or, whether...or] Here Jupiter is the weather god, and how the weather - rainy or not - cannot please everyone. For an Aesop's fable on this subject, see the story of the the woman and her two daughters.
2604. Nunc pluit, nunc claro.
[nunc: now] The "nunc...nunc" conveys the idea in English of "at some times... at other times." In other words: the weather is always changing... along with the other vicissitudes of life.
2605. Aut nunc aut numquam.
Note how the "aut...aut" construction is equivalent to the English expression "either...or"
2606. Nunc est dicendum, nunc cum ratione silendum.
Here is another "nunc...nunc" (at some times... at other times...) construction, this time with gerundives that express the idea of necessity: nunc est dicendum, "sometimes you should speak."
2607. Sine nunc meo me vivere modo.
[sino: permit, allow] Note that the word "sine" here is the imperative of the verb "sino," which means to permit or allow. It takes an accusative and infinitive complement: sine me vivere. The words are from Terence's Andria.
2608. Dum fata deusque sinebat.
The words are from Vergil's Aeneid, 4.
2609. Dum fata sinunt, vivite laeti.
[laetus: happy, glad, cheerful] The words are from Seneca's tragedy, Hercules Furens.
2610. Laetus sorte tua, vives sapienter.
Note the future tense: vives.
2611. Satis est beatus, qui potest laetus mori.
Note how the adjective laetus agrees with the subject of the verb potest; in English, we would probably use an adverb instead: qui potest laetus mori, "who can die happily."
2612. Miscentur tristia laetis.
[tristis: sad, gloomy, sorrowful] The words are from Ovid's Fasti, 6.
2613. Noli tristis esse.
You can find these words in the Roman Breviary: Noli tristis esse, velut apud saeculum derelictus: nam nec te fides vitaque tua tali morte privabit.
2614. Multi scire volunt, sed vere discere nolunt.
[scio: know] You can also find the saying in this form: Omnia scire volunt omnes, sed discere nolunt.
2615. Si vis scire, doce.
Of course, every teacher knows that teaching is the best way to expand your own knowledge.
2616. Quod scimus, docere debemus.
Compare these words of Erasmus: parati vel candide docere quod scimus vel ingenue discere quod ignoramus.
2617. Hoc unum scio: me nihil scire.
Note that "me nihil scire" is an accusative+infinitive construction in indirect statement: (that) I know nothing.
2618. Nil scio nisi nescio.
Compare the previous saying: Hoc unum scio: me nihil scire.
2619. Si sciret equus se esse equum, optaret esse homo.
Note that the imperfect subjunctives convey a contrary-to-fact situation: Si sciret equus... (if the horse knew - but he does not).
2620. Nemo scit quantum nescit.
Note that this is not an indirect question (that would be quantum nesciat) - instead, this is an implied comparison: Nemo scit (tantum) quantum nescit. I would say that is definitely true: our ignorance always exceeds our knowledge!
2621. Minus saepe pecces, si scias, quid nescias.
The subjunctives pecces and scias express a hypothetical situation; the subjunctive nescias is a subjunctive in an indirect statement.
2622. Quis est ita sapiens, qui omnia plene scire potest?
The words are from Thomas à Kempis, De Imitatione Christi.
2623. Nec scire licet omnia.
The impersonal express licet takes an infinitive complement: scire omnia. Notice how the infinitive phrase wraps nicely around the verb!
2624. Nullus omnia scire potest.
You can also find the saying in these forms: "Nemo enim potest omnia scire" and "Nemo est, cui omnia scire datum sit."
2625. Multi multa sciunt, nemo omnia.
Note the parallel structure: Multi multa sciunt, nemo omnia (scit).
2626. Multi multa sciunt, se autem nemo.
Again, another parallel saying, this time with a chiastic inversion: multi/nemo and multa/se.
2627. Multi multa sciunt, et seipsos nesciunt.
Compare the earlier saying: Multi multa sciunt, se autem nemo.
2628. Scito teipsum.
The famous admonition to "know thyself" was also the title of one of the philosophical treatises by Peter Abelard.
2629. Nihil dulcius quam omnia scire.
Note how the infinitive phrase here, omnia scire, is being used as a noun.
2630. Ex eventu sciemus.
Note the future tense: sciemus.
2631. Experiundo scies.
The words are from Terence's Heauton Timorumenos; note the archaic form of the gerund: experiundo.
2632. Nisi causas scimus, nihil scimus.
Compare the difference between knowing the causes of things and learning only from the outcome: Ex eventu sciemus.
2633. Magna est res scire vivere, maior scire mori.
Notice how the infinitive phrases are being used as nouns: scire vivere and scire mori.
2634. Scis horas; nescis tuam.
The hora in question here is the hora ultima, the hour of death.
2635. Qui uti scit, ei bona.
This is a motto of the Berwick family. The words are from Terence: Qui uti scit, ei bona; illi, qui non utitur recte, mala.
2636. Scienter utor.
Note how the participle, sciens, can be made into an adverb: scienter.
2637. Scire uti felicitate maxima felicitas est.
Note how the infinitive phrase - scire uti utilitate - functions as a noun in this sentence, serving as the subject of the verb.
2638. Multum scit qui nihil scit, si tacere scit.
You can also find the saying in this form: Qui nihil scit, satis scit, si tacere noverit.
2639. Scire loqui decus est, sed plus est scire tacere.
Note how both infinitive phrases - scire loqui and scire tacere - are functioning as nouns in this saying.
2640. Qui pauca legit, pauca scit.
You can also find this idea expressed with a cum clause: Cum pauca legat, pauca scit.
2641. Neque natare, neque litteras scit.
This saying shows how the verb scit can take a noun as its complement (litteras scit) or an infinitive (natare scit).
2642. Nil aliud scit necessitas quam vincere.
Compare the saying you saw earlier: Necessitas rerum omnium potentissima.
2643. Sciens cavebo.
The words are from Terence's Adelphoe.
2644. Rosam cape; spinas cave.
[spina: thorn, spine] Notice the nice word play with cape-cave in Latin; I'm not sure how we would do that in English.
2645. Nulla rosa sine spinis.
This is a motto of the Hilbert family.
2646. Post spinas, palma.
The palma here is the metaphorical palm awarded to the victor; compare the saying you saw earlier: Non sine pulvere palma.
2647. Ad gloriam per spinas.
Compare the previous saying; now instead of the metaphorical palma, there is the abstract reward - glory.
2648. Spina etiam grata est, ex qua exspectatur rosa.
This is another one of the sayings collected by Publilius Syrus.
2649. Veritas et rosae habent spinas.
Of course, the rose's thorns are literal... the thorns of truth are metaphorical!
2650. Antiquior omnibus veritas.
[antiquus: ancient, aged, old] Note that omnibus expresses the comparison: antiquior omnibus, "older than all things."
Scala 54 (2651-2700)
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