XLV.  However, the Greeks must judge of that matter for themselves.  We are not allowed to use our words in that manner, not even if we wish to; and this is shown even by those unpolished speeches of Cato.  It is shown by all the poets except those who sometimes had recourse to a hiatus in order to finish their verse; as Naevius—­

“Vos, qui accolitis Istrum fluvium, atque Algidam.”

And again—­

“Quam nunquam vobis Graii atque Barbari.”

But Ennius does so only once—­

“Scipio invicte.”

And we too have written,—­

“Hinc motu radiantis Etesiae in vada ponti.”

For our countrymen would not have endured the frequent use of such a liberty, though the Greeks even praise it.  But why should I talk about vowels? even without counting vowels, they often used contractions for the sake of brevity, so as to say—­

  Multi’ modis for imdtis modis. 
  Vas’ argenteis for vasis argenteis. 
  Palmi et crinibus for palmis et crinibus. 
  Tecti’ fractis for tectis fractis.

And what would be a greater liberty than to contract even men’s names, so as to make them more suitable to verse?  For as they contracted duellum into bellum, and duis into bis, so they called Duellius (the man I mean who defeated the Carthaginians in a naval action) Bellius, though his ancestors were always called Duellii.  Moreover, they often contract words, not in obedience to any particular usage, but only to please the ear.  For how was it that Axilla was made Ala, except by the flight of the larger letter? and so the elegant usage of Latin conversation takes this letter x out of maxilla, and taxilla, and vexillum, and paxillum.

They also joined words by uniting them at their pleasure; so as to say—­sodes for si audes, sis for si vis.  And in this word capsis there are no less than three[62] words.  So ain for aisne, nequire for non quire, malle for magis velle, nolle for son velle.  And again, we often say dein for deinde, and exin for exinde.  Well, need I give any more instances?  Cannot we see easily from whence it arises that we say cum illis, but we do not say cum nobis, but nobiscum? because if it were said in the other way, the letters would clash in a discordant manner; as they would have clashed a minute ago if I had not put autem between them.  This is the origin of our saying mecum and tecum, not cum me, and cum te, so that they too might be like nobiscum and vobiscum.

XLVI.  And some men find fault with all this; men who are rather late in mending antiquity; for they wish us, instead of saying Deum atque hominum fidem, to say Deorum.  Very likely it may be right, but were our ancestors ignorant of all this, or was it usage that gave them this liberty?  Therefore the same poet who had used these uncommon contractions—­