108 On the UTILITY of defining 
‘* Maxime vero mirabiles funt motus earum quinque ftellarum, 
“que falfo vocantur errantes*.’’ It is in this laft example 
faid, that there is both-defign, and the power of fulfilling de- 
fign, in the author of that feemingly irregular motion obferved 
by the planets. Evrare is applied to animals grazing. They 
direct their motion not in a ftraight line, and may often mifs 
the beft of the pafture they are in quett of. 
Mille mez Siculis evant in montibus agnz +. 
—-— armento teneras evrante per herbas f. 
Vacari differs from errare in implying, that the wanderer 
means only to quit the {pot he occupies, and has no intention 
to dire&t his courfe to any particular place. The perfon errans 
commits a miftake, which the perfon vagans never can, becaufe 
he has formed no plan that can be fruftrated. “ Non fumus 
“ ii quorum vagetur animus errore, nec habeat unquam quid 
“ fequatur §.’”>—“ Curandum eft ne vagum villicum, nec aver- 
“* fum contubernio fuo habeamus **.”—‘* Nam fuit quoddam 
“* tempus quum in agris homines paffim beftiarum more vaga- 
** baniur ++.’ Men, at the period referred to, were vagabonds, 
who, knowing no place more defirable than another, continually: 
changed their abode. 
Tue following figurative acceptation of errans and vagus: 
feems to confirm what has been faid of the verbs with which 
they are refpectively connected. “ Eft enim et philofophi, et pon- 
“ tificis, et Corr, de diis immortalibus habere non errantem 
et vagam, ut academici, fed ut noftri, ftabilem certamque fen- 
“ tentiam {}.” In the antithefis, errans is oppofed to /labilis, 
“ 
and. © 
* Cic. Nat. D. 36. a. ** Colum. 12. I. 
+ Virg. Ec. 2. 21. ++ Cic. de Inv. 1. 2. 
t Ov. Met. 15. 14. tt Cic. Nat. D. 26. a. 
§ Cic. Off. 34, a. 
