STNONTMOUS TERMS. 109 



and fuggefts, that the philofopher occupies a point at which he 

 is difpofed to reft, without making any attempt to go to ano- 

 ther, in which he might fail. Vagus again is oppofed to certus, 

 and implies, that he is free from that want of determination 

 as to the point he is to arrive at, which is peculiar to vaga- 

 bonds. 



Pai.ari agrees with vagari, in implying the act of roving 

 without any fettled direction ; but differs both from it and 

 errare, in fuggefting the difperfion of a multitude and the 

 ftraggling of fcattered parties. The two former verbs apply ei- 

 ther to one or a number, and have no reference to any party 

 with which they were previoufly connected. It is otherwife 

 with palari; which fuppofes more than one feparated from a 

 company that has been broken* 



Fcemina palantes agit, atque haec agmina vertit * ? 



" Teucrorum auxilia, fceda fuga difperfa, totis campis pa- 

 " lantur f." 



The purity of the following expreffion in Lucretius, in 

 which errare and palari are found in the fame fentence, may 

 be queftioned : 



Defpicere unde alios queas paffimque videre 

 Errare, atque viam palantes quaerere vitae %. 



The fame wanderers cannot be both with and without an object: 

 at the fame time. While palari then marks only their number 

 and their difperfion, the terms " viam quaerere vitse" an- 

 nexed to it mew, that it is not to be underftood in its full ex- 

 tent. 



Magnus 



* Vtrg. ^En. 11. 736. X Lucret. 2. 9. 



f Tacit. Hift. 4. 18, 



