A Complete Latin Grammar

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1860 edition. Excerpt: ...it is proper to me, ' &c., but meum eat, tuum est, &c. Obs. 2 In the case of adjectives of the third declension the genitive of quality is used after the substantive verb, instead of the nominative neuter; thus we say, atultum eat hoc facere, 'it is foolish (or the part of a fool) to do this;' but we say, insipientia eat, impudentis eat, not in-sipiens est, impudena est. (b) The quality of a particular person or thing is described by a genitive either immediately following the main noun, or predicated through the copulative verb; but this genitive must always be accompanied by an epithet; thus, Claudius erat somni brevissimi, ' Claudius was a man of very little sleep, ' i.e. a man who slept very little. Plurimarum palmarum vetus gladiator, ' an old gladiator, a of very many victories, ' i.e. who had obtained very many prizes. Non multi cibi accipies hospitem, sed multijoci, ' you will as your guest a man not of large appetite, but of many jokes.' And this genitive may be placed on a parallel footing w primary predicate; as Natura humana imbeciUa atque aevi brevis est, ' human is feeble, and of a short existence.' 06s. 1 For this use of the genitive of quality, it is not jj to substitute the ablative, especially when we can express it b/j-he possessed, ' a certain quality; thus, Goto singulari futt prude ntia, et tn-duatria, 'Cato was a man of (he possessed) extraordinary prudence and industry.' In some phrases we must use the ablative, because the genitive would refer us to the other signification of this construction; thus we must say, esse bono animo, esse genere atque animo regi ' to have a good courage, ' ' to possess the rank and feelings of a prm sse-rt boni animi means ' it belongs to, is" the characteristRi-age, ' fec.; i. e..