132 'Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. 
The termination of “patulae” is of that special instructional 
type which I have elsewhere called associational. From it I 
learn nothing of absolute position in thought-structure, but only 
that the idea of breadth, known to be always adjunctive to some 
element expressed by a noun, must be associated with what is 
conceived as feminine and as singular (genitive or dative) or as 
plural (nominative or vocative). Accordingly, “patulae” can¬ 
not associate with “tu.” 
As a school-boy, at this point I deserted “tu” for the time, 
and rambled on in search of something for “patulae” to “go 
with,” ultimately mending text to suit my convenience, de¬ 
veloping “Tityre tu recubans sub tegmine patulae fagi.” Re* 
commencing operations on my thus improved hexameter, I 
had no difficulty in synchronizing idea-reception and thought- 
construction, stage by stage. 
Suppose however now that you take up the original text and 
read the line aloud—that it is absolutely new to me—that I 
however know the Latin language well. As far as “Tityre, tu” 
I operate as before. On reaching “patulae” I sense the situa¬ 
tion as before. But this time the idea of breadth must with¬ 
draw and wait till “fagi” is presented. 21 This idea has be¬ 
haved like a giddy actress, prematurely dashing on the stage 
and blurting out the merest interruption of proceedings. She 
must retire and bide her proper time, behind the scenes. Her 
contribution to the play will be effected on a second, later 
entrance. Meantime, no such contribution has been made. 
So also the first appearance, the withdrawal and the waiting 
of what is expressed by “patulae” are wasted, being quite 
irrelevant to the linguistic message sent or received, playing 
therein no truer part than a false start plays in a race. Lin¬ 
guistic business, interrupted by the appearance of “patulae,” is 
resumed when “recubans” appears, continuing in the usual 
methodical manner, materials being built into thought as fast 
as received, until the appearance of “fagi.” At this point the 
builder puts in place the idea expressed by “patulae,” wffiich, 
21 Rather, what waits may be “patulae” itself; for the idea of breadth 
is useless except as burdened with four distinct and severally possible 
associations with other ideas. 
