BOOK XVII. CHAP. I.

combined with the penthemimeral caesura of the heroic meter. 9 But also two syllables come together into one, as Virgil in the sixth: Fixerit aeripedem cervam licet, aut Erymanthi placarit nemora Although he may have pierced the bronze-footed deer, or calmed the groves of Erymanthus; he pronounced aeripedem bronze-footed as a tetrasyllable instead of a pentasyllable. But also a word is divided, as if I should say: respublica felix est the republic is happy, and res felix est publica the thing is happy, [it] is public; magister militum fortis the strong master of soldiers, militum fortis magister of the soldiers a strong master. Virgil in the third Georgic: Septem subjecta trioni lying beneath the seven stars [the North], for septemtrione the north, subjecta. Also, divided things can be joined, such as malefidi faithless, argiletum a clay pit, hujusmodi of this kind, malesana unhealthy/mad. Similarly, conjunctions belonging to sentences sometimes join two or more sentences; sometimes they are subtracted and dissolve them, as, Conticuere omnes intentique ora tenebant They all fell silent and intent held their mouths [faces]. The same [author] in the same [book]: Acamasque Thoasque, Pelidesque Neoptolemus primusque Machaon And Acamas and Thoas, and the son of Peleus Neoptolemus, and the first Machaon. And conversely: Alii navalibus, ite, ferte citi ferrum, date vela, impellite remos! Others, go to the ships, quickly bring the iron [swords/tools], give the sails, push the oars! Letters are transposed, as Teucre for Teucer. Likewise also syllables, as displicina for disciplina discipline. And also the word, as plebis tribunus tribune of the plebs for tribunus plebis plebeian tribune, and publica res public affair for respublica republic. Sentences also, as nutrivit filios ac peperit she nourished the sons and brought them forth for peperit et nutrivit she brought forth and nourished. Virgil in the second Aeneid: Moriamur, et in media arma ruamus Let us die, and let us rush into the middle of the weapons, for in media arma ruamus, et moriamur let us rush into the middle of the weapons, and let us die. 10 Furthermore, just as some elements are vowels, which complete a sound by themselves, while others are consonants, which cannot complete a sound without vowels...