Colloquies of Erasmus, Volume I. by Desiderius Erasmus
page 232 of 655 (35%)
page 232 of 655 (35%)
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ridiculous, who, when they have spoken barbarously once, repeat the same
Thing much more barbarously; and then over and over again much more unlearnedly. This is not to abound with Sentences, but Solæcisms: Therefore, in the first Place, as I have said, the Thing is to be express'd in apt and chosen Words. 2. And then we must use Variety of Words, if there are any to be found, that will express the same Thing; and there are a great many. 3. And where proper Words are wanting, then we must use borrow'd Words, so the Way of borrowing them be modest. 4. Where there is a Scarcity of Words, you must have Recourse to Passives, to express what you have said by Actives; which will afford as many Ways of Variation, as there were in the Actives. 5. And after that, if you please, you may turn them again by verbal Nouns and Participles. 6. And last of all, when we have chang'd Adverbs into Nouns, and Nouns sometimes into one Part of Speech, and sometimes into another; then we may speak by contraries. 7. We may either change affirmative Sentences into negative, or the contrary. 8. Or, at least, what we have spoken indicatively, we may speak interrogatively. Now for Example Sake, let us take this Sentence. _Literæ tuæ magnopere me delectârunt. Your Letters have delighted me very much._ _Litertæ._ Epistle, little Epistles, Writings, Sheets, Letters. _Magnopere._ After a wonderful Manner, wonderfully, in a greater, or great Manner, in |
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