STNONTMOUS TERMS. 119 



While madidus agrees with uvidus in the refpect juft men- 

 tioned, it differs from it in denoting proficiency in fcience and 

 in letters. 



Si quis Cecropiae madidus Latiaeque Minerva 

 Artibus, et vera fimplicitate bonus *. 



Non ille quanquam Socraticis madet 

 Sermonibus te negliget horridus. 



Narratur et prifci Catonis, 



Saepe mero caluiffe virtus "f. 



The critics have very properly explained madidus and madere, in 

 the above and other fuch paflages, by means of the term itn- 

 butus. Both the adjective and the verb refer to a veffel 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 nrft comes from con and 

 modus, and denotes, that the thing fpecified is neither more nor 

 lefs than it mould be, and poflefTes 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 J, 



he means, that thofe " cyathi" were neither more nor lefs than 

 they mould be. In confequence of this equality, each gueft 



got 



* Martial, i. 40. J Car. 3. 19. 12. 



f Hor. Car. 3. 21. 9. 



