n8 On the UtlLItT of defining 



caufe. In the primitive and literal applications of humidus and 

 uvidus, they denote fubjecls furnifhed by the hand of nature 

 with the attributes they refpeclively denote. Thus, moifture 

 is naturally inherent in humid ground and in a ripe grape. 

 Drynefs, again, is the natural ftate of that which, being acci- 

 dentally wet, is then faid to be madidus. 



nam dum fe continet Aufter, 



Dum fedet et ficcat madidas in carcere pennas, 

 Contemnunt mediam temeraria lina Charybdin *. 



" Sed ille fcripfit ad Balbum ilium fafciculum epiftolarum totum 

 " fibi aqua madidum redditum efie f." This packet was fo much 

 wetted from an accidental caufe, that Cicero tells us the letter 

 addreffed to him was not legible. A fuperficial wetting would 

 produce this effect. It is not neceffary to fuppofe, that the 

 fafciculus would be drenched like the vejiis uvida before men- 

 tioned, which, from the poroufnefs of the materials, had ab- 

 forbed a quantity of water, and retained it as the fkin of the 

 grape does its juice. 



Madidus agrees with uvidus, in being applied to perfons 

 as well as to things, and in fuggefting the idea of drunkennefs. 

 He who was faid madere vino, was underftood to be " vino riga- 

 " tus," that is, bedewed with wine. 



Faciam ut fit madidus fobrius J. 



The wit of the comic poet here refls upon his apprehenfion, 



that madidus refers to an external or fuperficial wetting in its 



primitive fenfe. 



While 



* Juv. Sat. 5. 98. t Kant. Amph. 3. 4. 18. 



f Cic. ad Quint. Frat. 2. 14. 



