III. In many of the following instances the reflexive notion of the middle voice is conspicuous; in others it is difficult to recognise. I will not pretend to trace it with the subtlety of some grammarians, contentionis cupidiores quàm veritatis,' 'more studious of contrast than reality.'

1. Mioloûr locare to let out for hire; Miσ0wσαι νηὸν τριακοσίων ταλάντων ἐξεργάσαolai HEROD. ii. 180. Locare ædem exstruendam.

2. Aireîv To ask.

3. Δανείζειν· Το lend.

4. Ὑποτιθέναι τὴν οἰκίαν DEM. 842, 8): Tomortgage one's house. Ta

λάντου For a talent.

ESCHIN. 68, 25.

1. Μισθοῦσθαι conducere
= to hire. μ. νηὸν ἐξοι-
κοδομῆσαι· Conducere
ædem ædificandam.
HEROD. V. 62. μ. τινα
ταλάντου Το engage
his services at a talent
a year. HEROD.iii. 131.
2. Αἰτεῖσθαι Το borrow
money. Orat. Att. 32,
46. VALCK. Amm. 13.
Menand. p. 165, ed.
Mein.
3. Δανείζεσθαι· Το get lent
=to borrow. ἐπὶ μετ
γάλοις τόκοις (DEMOS.
13, 19, at high inter-

est.

4 Οἱ ὑποθέμενοι (DEMOS. 841,20): The mortgagees those who have advanced money on a

mortgage.

5. An epigram (Anal. Br. 1, p. 175) describes a blind man

carrying a lame one, as

πόδας χρήσας,

Lending feet and

ὄμματα χρησάμενος,

borrowing eyes.

So also, ἔχρησε· Of the god who gave the re

sponse.

6. Τιμωρεῖν τινι To help a

man.

7. Λείπειν Τo leave.

8. Αμύνειν τινι (THvc. vi. 80): To defend another.

9. Φέρειν. Το carry of.

10. Θείναι νόμους• Of a despot who makes laws binding on others.

ἐχρήσατο· Of the vo

tary who consults the oracle.

6. Τιμωρεῖσθαι· Το help oneself.

7. Μνημόσυνα λείπεσθαι. To leave memorials behind one on dying— generally in aor. HEROD. vi. 1o9.

8. Αμύνεσθαι· Το defend oneself: with collateral notion of requital

or revenge.

9. Φέρεσθαι τὰ πρῶτα Το win and hold the first prize. The middle is used of everything one gets for oneself; emphatically, for one's Own use and profit, which one takes and carries to one's own home.' LIDD. Lex. Φέρειν. Α, v. 3.

1ο. Θέσθαι νόμους• Of a legislator who makes laws binding on himself as well as others.

XEN. Mem. iv. 4, 19, ὅτι οἱ ἄνθρωποι τοὺς ἀγράφους νόμους ἔθεντο· Ἐγὼ μὲν θεοὺς οἶμαι τοὺς νόμους τούτους τοῖς ἀνθρώποις θεῖναι.

II. Ἐγγυᾶν θυγατέρα τινι II. Ἐγγυᾶσθαι θυγατέρα (HEROD. vi. 57): Το παρά τινος (ΗEROD.

14. Περαιοῦν τινα ποταμόν 14. Περαιοῦσθαι· Το cross

XI. COMPARATIVES.-That subtle perception of the laws of proportion which is a prominent trait of the Greek mind, led to the frequent use of comparative where the Englishman employs positive terms; e.g. (HEROD. iii. 145), Τῷ τυράννῳ ἦν ἀδελφεὸς ὑπομαργότερος • Hebetioris ingenii, rather stupid. i. 116. ἐδόκεε ἡ ἀπόκρισις ἐλευθερω Tépη eivaι It seemed rather a cool reply.' 'Justo libe

rior.' It may often be rendered by too, very, slightly,

etc.

If any two properties of the same object are compared, they are signified by the comparatives of their proper adjectives, and connected by ǹ, e.g.; Oátтwv ǹ σopάTEPOS* 'Rather rash than prudent'-'too rash to be prudent.'

If the subject at one time is compared with itself at another, so as to signify an increase in degree, the genitive of the reflexive pronouns ἐμαυτοῦ, σεαυτοῦ, ἑαυτοῦ, is used, accompanied by αὐτός. Tavc. iii. II, δυνατώτεροι αὐτοὶ αὑτῶν ἐγίγνοντο ‘They were becoming more and more powerful.' The superlative is used to mark that the subject possesses the quality in the highest degree. XEN. Mem. i. 2, 26, ὅτε δεινότατος σαυτοῦ ἦσθα· ‘When you surpassed yourself so completely.'

When the incompatibility of two objects is denoted, the comparative of the adjective is used with ǹ kaтà, or, more rarely, ἢ πρός e. g. Thuc. vii. 75, μείζω ἢ κατὰ δάκρυα πεTov@óτas 'Sufferings too terrible for tears'; cf. Livy, xxi. 29, 'prælium atrocius, quam pro numero pugnantium, editur;' the battle was fought with an obstinacy disproportioned to the number of the combatants.' Sometimes an infinitive is added by way of further definition. PLATO. Cratyl. p. 392, A., Ταῦτα μείζω ἐστὶν ἢ κατ' ἐμὲ καὶ σὲ èţevpeîv• ‹ Too difficult for you* and me to discover.'

XII. THE DEMONSTRATIVE.-The Greek construction of clauses brings out the demonstrative with a degree of precision which would be thought extremely stiff and pedantic in English, e.g. Βούλεται, ὃ τῆς νυκτὸς εἶδεν ἐνύπνιον, τοῦτο διηγήσασθαι ‘He wishes to describe the dream

* The Greek, like the Latin, idiom reverses the rule of modern courtesy.

E