= 
SYNONYMOUS TERMS. 119 
WuiLe madidus agrees with uvidus in the refpect juft men- 
tioned, it differs from it in denoting proficiency in fcience and 
in letters. 
Si quis Cecropie madidus Latieque MInERVa 
Artibus, et vera fimplicitate bonus *. 
Non ille quanquam Socraricis madet 
Sermonibus te negliget horridus. 
Narratur et prifci CATONIS, 
Szpe mero caluiffe virtus 7. 
The critics have very properly explained madidus and madere, in 
the above and other fuch paflages, by means of the term im- 
butus. Both the adjeftive and the verb refer to a veflel tinc- 
tured in refpect to colour, tafte, or fmell, by a fluid with which 
it was wet when made to contain it. 
CoMMODUS, OPPORTUNUS, TEMPESTIVUS, agree in deno- 
ting the fuitablenefs of objects or events to thofe interefted in 
their nature, but differ in refpect to the circumftances upon 
which that quality is founded. The firft comes from con and 
modus, and denotes, that the thing {pecified is neither more nor 
lefs than it fhould be, and pofleffes an inherent aptitude for 
fome purpofe to which it is juft adequate. In the original ap- 
plication of commodus, it denotes the agreement of things as 
being adjufted by one common ftandard. Thus, when Ho- 
RACE fays, 
Mifcentur cyathis pocula commodis f, 
he means, that thofe “ cyathi” were neither more nor lefs than 
they fhould be. In confequence of this equality, each gueft 
got 
* Martial. 1. 40. t Car. 3.19. 12. - 
+ Hor. Car. 3. 21 9. : 
