1431.(1.) When two prepositions belong to one and the same substantive, the substantive is expressed with the first. With the second, the substantive is repeated, or its place is taken by a pronoun: as,
contrā lēgem prōque lēge, L. 34, 8, 1,against the law and for the law.partim contrā Avītum, partim prō hōc,Clu.88,partly against Avitus, partly for him. If, however, the two prepositions accompany the same case, the substantive need not be repeated: as,intrā extrāque mūnītiōnēs, Caes.C.3, 72, 2,inside and outside the works.
1432.(2.) The second preposition is often used adverbially, without any substantive: as,et in corpore et extrā,Fin.2, 68,both in the body and outside.
1433.In general a preposition precedes its case: see178.
1434.Disyllabic prepositions sometimes follow their substantives. Thus, in Cicero,contrā,ultrā, andsine, sometimes stand after a relative; so likewiseinterin Cicero, Caesar, and Sallust; occasionally alsopenesandpropter. Forversus, see1414; forfīnī, 1419; fortenus, 1420.
1435.Of monosyllables,adanddēoften follow a relative. Alsocumoften in Cicero and Sallust, and regularly in Caesar. With a personal or a reflexive pronoun,cumregularly follows, asmēcum,nōbīscum,sēcum.
1436.In poetry and late prose, prepositions are freely put after their cases.
1437.In oaths and adjurations,peris often separated from its proper accusative by the accusative of the object: as,per tē de͡ōs ōrō, T.Andr.538,I beg thee by the gods,in the gods’ name.
1438.Adverbs qualify verbs, adjectives, or adverbs.
(a.) With verbs, all sorts of adverbs are used: as, of Place:quis istīc habet?Pl.B.114,who lives in there?Time:tum dentēs mihi cadēbant prīmulum, Pl.Men.1116,my teeth were just beginning then to go. Number:bis cōnsul fuerat P. Āfricānus,Mur.58,Africanus had twice been consul. Degree, Amount:Ubiī magnopere ōrābant, 4, 16, 5,the Ubians earnestly entreated.Dumnorīx plūrimum poterat, 1, 9, 3,Dumnorix was all-powerful. Manner:bene quiēvit, libenter cibum sūmpsit, Plin.Ep.3, 16, 4,he has slept beautifully, he has relished his food. (b.) With adjectives and adverbs, oftenest adverbs of degree or amount only, or their equivalents, such asbene,ēgregiē, &c.: as,valdē dīligēns,Ac.2, 98,very particular.ēgregiē fortis,DO.2, 268,exceptionally brave. Adverbs of manner, however, are also used, especially in poetry: as,turpiter hīrtum, H.E.1, 3, 22,disreputably rough, i.e. disreputable and rough.
1439.An adverb is sometimes used with the meaning of an adjective: as,
reliquīs deincēps diēbus, 3, 29, 1,the remaining successive days.dē suīs prīvātim rēbus, 5, 3, 5,in relation to their personal interests.undique silvae, Plin.Ep.1, 6, 2,the surrounding woods. Particularly when the substantive expresses character, like an adjective: as,vērē Metellus,Sest.130,a trueblooded Metellus.rūsticānus vir, sed plānē vir,TD.2, 53,a country man, but every inch a man.
1440.Perfect participles used as substantives are commonly qualified by an adverb, and not by an adjective. Particularly sodictum,factum,inventum,respōnsum, withbeneandmale, and their synonymes: as,rēctē ac turpiter factum, 7, 80, 5,heroism and cowardice.bene facta male locāta male facta arbitror, E. inOff.2, 62,good deeds ill put, bad deeds I count. In superlative qualifications, however, the adjective is preferred.
1441.Other substantives also may be qualified by an adverb, when a verb construction or a participle is implied: as,C. Flāminius cōnsul iterum,Div.1, 77,Flaminius in his second consulship.ō totiēns servos, H.S.2, 7, 70,time and again a slave.ictū comminus,Caecin.43,by a hand-to-hand blow.pūblicē testem,V.2, 156,a government witness.populum lātē rēgem, V. 1, 21,a nation regnant wide.lātē tyrannus, H. 3, 17, 9,lord paramount far and near.
1442.An adverb sometimes takes the place of a substantive: as,cum amīcī partim dēseruerint mē, partim etiam prōdiderint,QFr.1, 3, 5,since my friends have some of them abandoned me, and others again have actually betrayed me, i.e.aliī . . . aliī.postquam satis tūta circā vidēbantur, L. 1, 58, 2,finding every thing round about looked pretty safe, i.e.quae circā erant.palam laudārēs, sēcrēta male audiēbant, Ta.H.1, 10,his outward walk you would have admired; his private life was in bad odour, i.e.quae palam fīēbant.
1443.(1.) The negative oftenest used in declaration or interrogation isnōn,not: as,
nōn metuō mihi, Pl.B.225,I fear not for myself.nōn semper imbrēs nūbibus hīspidōs mānant in agrōs, H. 2, 9, 1,not always from the clouds do showers on stubbly fields come dripping dropping down.nōn dīcēs hodiē?H.S.2, 7, 21,will you not say without delay?
1444.nōnis a modification ofnoenumornoenu, compounded ofne,no, and the accusativeoinomoroenum, the older form ofūnum,one thing.noenumoccurs in Plautus twice, in Ennius, Lucilius, Afranius, and Varro, once each, andnoenuoccurs twice in Lucretius (99).
1445.Negation is often expressed by other compounds ofne. In such cases the Latin idiom frequently differs from the English, and a transfer of the negative is required in translation.
Such compounds are: (a.) Verbs, such asnegō,nequeō,nesciō,nōlō: as,negat vērum esse,Mur.74,he maintains it is not true. (b.) Nouns, such asnēmō,neuter,nūllus,nihil: as,nēminī meus adventus labōrī fuit,V.1, 16,my visit did not trouble anybody. (c.) Adverbs, such asnumquam,nusquam. (d.) Similarly, the conjunctionnequeis used forand not,but not, unless a single word is to be emphasized or contrasted: as,nec frūstrā, 8, 5, 3,and not in vain.
1446.A formnecis used rarely in old Latin in the sense ofnōn: as,tū dīs nec rēctē dīcis, Pl.B.119,thou dost abuse the gods, i.e.nōn rēctēormale dīcis. After Plautus’s time,necfornōnoccurs in a few set combinations, such asnec opīnāns,not expecting, and, from Livy on,necdum,not yet, i.e.nōndum.
1447.The formnēusually introduces an imperative or a subjunctive, as will be explained further on. Butnēis also used in the combinationnē . . . quidem,not even,not . . . either, with the emphatic word betweennēandquidem: as,nē tum quidem, 1, 50, 2,not even then.nē Vorēnus quidem sēsē vāllō continet, 5, 44, 6,Vorenus did not keep inside the palisade either.
1448.The adjectivenūllusis sometimes used, chiefly in colloquial language, fornōnornē(1051): as,Philotīmus nūllus vēnit,Att.11, 24, 4,no Philotimus has shown himself.nūllus crēduās, Pl.Tri.606,you needn’t believe it at all.
1449.(2.) The negativehautorhaud,not, is used principally with adjectives and adverbs, less frequently with verbs: as,
(a.)haud mediocris vir,RP.2, 55,no ordinary man.rem haud sānē difficilem,CM.4,a thing not particularly hard.haud procul,CM.15,not far. In all periods of the language often combined withquisquam,ūllus,umquam,usquam. (b.) In old Latinhaudis freely used with all sorts of verbs, especially withpossum. In Cicero, it occurs here and there with a few verbs, such asadsentior,errō,īgnōrō,nītor,amō, but is principally confined tosciō, in the combinationhaud sciō an,I don’t know but(1782). Caesar useshaudonce only, and then in this combination.
1450.A shorter form,hau, occurs often in old Latin, and a few times in the classical period: as,heic est sepulcrum hau pulcrum pulcrai fēminae, CIL. I, 1007, 2, on the burial site of a woman,here is the site not sightly of a sightly dame. In Plautus it is juxtaposed withsciō, makinghausciō, i.e.nesciō.
1451.(3.) Negation may also be intimated by such words asvix,hardly,parum,not . . . enough,not quite,minus,less,not,minimē,least of all,male, &c.
1452.Two negatives in the same sentence are usually equivalent to an affirmative.
Thus, withnōnfirst, an indefinite affirmative: as,nōn nēmō,somebody,a certain gentleman,one or another.nōn nūllus,some.nōn nihil,something,somewhat.nōn numquam,sometimes. Withnōnsecond, a universal affirmative: as,nēmō nōn,everybody,every human being.nūllus nōn,every.nihil nōn,every thing.numquam nōn,always.nōn possum nōn cōnfitērī,Fam.9, 14, 1,I must confess.nēmō īgnōrat,V.2, 111,everybody knows.
1453.Sometimes, however, in old Latin, a second negation is used merely to emphasize the negative idea: as,lapideō sunt corde multī, quōs nōn miseret nēminis, E. in Fest. p. 162,there’s many a man with heart of stone, that feels for nobody. For doubled negatives in compound sentences, see1660.
1454.The positive sometimes expresses an idea of disproportion: as,
prō multitūdine hominum angustōs sē fīnīs habēre arbitrābantur, 1, 2, 5,in view of their large numbers they thought they had a cramped place to live in. Generally, however, disproportion is expressed as in 1460 or 1461.
1455.When two things only are compared, the comparative is used: as,
uter igitur melior?Div.2, 133,which of the two then is the better?uter est īnsānior hōrum?H.S.2, 3, 102,which of these two is crazier?uter erātis, tūn an ille, maior?Pl.Men.1119,you were—which of the two the bigger, thou or he?
1456.The superlative is sometimes loosely used when only two things are meant: as,Numitōrī, quī stirpis maximus erat, rēgnum lēgat, L. 1, 3, 10,to Numitor, who was the eldest of the family, he bequeaths the crown, of two brothers, Numitor and Amulius.id me͡ā minumē rēfert, quī sum nātū maxumus, T.Ad.881,that is of small concern to me, who am the eldest son, says Demea, who has only one brother.
1457.From Cicero on, an adjective or adverb is sometimes compared with another adjective or adverb. In such comparisonsquamis always used.
In this case: (a.) Both members may have the positive form, the first withmagis: as,Celer disertus magis est quam sapiēns,Att.10, 1, 4,Celer is more eloquent than wise.magis audācter quam parātē,Br.241,with more assurance than preparation. Or (b.) Both members may have the comparative suffix: as,lubentius quam vērius,Mil.78,with greater satisfaction than truth.pestilentia minācior quam perniciōsior, L. 4, 52, 3,a plague more alarming than destructive.
1458.But sometimes the second member is put in the positive, even when the first has the comparative suffix: as,ācrius quam cōnsīderātē, Ta.H.1, 83,with more spirit than deliberation. And sometimes both members: as,clārīs maiōribus quam vetustīs, Ta. 4, 61,of a house famous rather than ancient.
1459.The comparative may be modified by ablatives of difference, such asmultō,far,aliquantō,considerably,paullōorpaulō,a little,nimiō,too much,ever so much(1393). Also byetiam,even,still, and in Catullus, Sallust, Vergil, and later Latin bylongē,far,adhūc,still.
1460.The comparative of an adjective or adverb often denotes that which is more than usual or more than is right: as,
solēre aiunt rēgēs Persārum plūrēs uxōrēs habēre,V.3, 76,they say the Persian kings generally have several wives.senectūs est nātūrā loquācior,CM.55,age is naturally rather garrulous.stomachābātur senex, sī quid asperius dīxeram,DN.1, 93,the old gentleman always got provoked if I said anything a bit rough.
1461.The comparative of disproportion is often defined by some added expression: as,
prīvātīs maiōra focīs, J. 4, 66,something too great for private hearths(1321).flāgrantior aequō nōn dēbet dolor esse virī, J. 13, 11,the indignation of a man must not be over hot(1330). In Livy and Tacitus byquam prōwith the ablative: see the dictionary. Sometimes a new sentence is added: as,sum avidior, quam satis est, glōriae,Fam.9, 14, 2,I am over greedy of glory. Forquam utorquam quī, see1896.
1462.The comparative with a sentence of negative import is often preferred to the superlative with a positive sentence: as,
elephantō bēluārum nūlla prūdentior,DN.1, 97,of the larger beasts not one is more sagacious than the elephant, orthe elephant is the most sagacious of beasts.sequāmur Polybium, quō nēmō fuit dīligentior,RP.2, 27,let us follow Polybius, the most scrupulous of men. Fornēmōorquis, the more emphaticnihilorquidis often used: as,Phaedrō nihil ēlegantius, nihil hūmānius,DN.1, 93,Phaedrus was the most refined and sympathetic of men.
1463.In colloquial language, a comparative suffix is sometimes emphasized by the addition ofmagis: as,mollior magis, Pl.Aul.422,more tenderer. And sometimes by a mixture of construction, the comparative is modified byaequē, like the positive: as,homo mē miserior nūllus est aequē, Pl.Mer.335,there’s not a man so woebegone as I, formiserioralone, oraequē miser.
1464.The comparative with the ablative is particularly common, when a thing is illustrated by some striking typical object, usually an object of nature. In such illustrations, the positive withasis commonly used in English: as,lūce clārius,V.2, 186,plain as day.ō fōns Bandusiae, splendidior vitrō, H. 3, 13, 1,ye waters of Bandusia, as glittering as glass.melle dulcior ōrātiō, E. inCM.31,words sweet as honey.ventīs ōcior, V. 5, 319,quick as the winds.vacca candidior nivibus, O.Am.3, 5, 10,a cow as white as driven snow.caelum pice nigrius, O.H.17, 7,a sky as black as pitch.dūrior ferrō et saxō, O. 14, 712,as hard as steel and stone.
1465.When more than two things are compared, the superlative is used to represent a quality as belonging in the highest degree to an individual or to a number of a class: as,
proximī sunt Germānīs, 1, 1, 3,they live the nearest to the Germans.hōrum omnium fortissimī, 1, 1, 3,the bravest of these all.
1466.The superlative may be strengthened by the addition of such words asūnus,preeminently, usually with a genitive,maximē,quam, with or without a form ofpossum,as possible, &c., &c. (1892). In old Latin bymultō; from Cicero on, bylongē,far, andvel,perhaps,even: as,
cōnfirmāverim rem ūnam esse omnium difficillimam,Br.25,I am not afraid to avouch it is the one hardest thing in the world.longē nōbilissimus, 1, 2, 1,the man of highest birth by far.quam maximīs potest itineribus in Galliam contendit, 1, 7, 1,he pushes into Gaul by the quickest marches he can.quam mātūrrimē, 1, 33, 4,as early as possible.
1467.The superlative is also used to denote a very high degree of the quality.
This superlative, called theAbsolute Superlative, or theSuperlative of Eminence, may be translated by the positive with some such word asmost,very: as,homo turpissimus,V.4, 16,an utterly unprincipled man. Often best by the positive alone: as,vir fortissimus, Pīsō Aquītānus, 4, 12, 4,the heroic Piso of Aquitain(1044).
1468.In exaggerated style, the superlative of eminence may be capped by a comparative: as,stultior stultissumō, Pl.Am.907,a greater than the greatest fool.ego miserior sum quam tū, quae es miserrima,Fam.14, 3, 1,I am myself more unhappy than you, who are a most unhappy woman.
1469.In the active voice, the subject is represented as performing the action of the verb.
1470.By action is meant the operation of any verb, whether active or passive, and whether used intransitively or transitively.
1471.The active of one verb sometimes serves as the passive of another: thus,pereō,go to destruction,die, serves as the passive ofperdō,destroy, andvēneō,go to sale,am sold, as the passive ofvēndō,put for sale,sell. Similarlyfīō,become,get to be,am made, is used in the present system as the passive offaciō,make(788).
1472.In the passive voice, the subject is represented as acted upon.
1473.The object accusative of the active voice becomes the subject of the passive voice (1125); and the predicate accusative of the active voice becomes a predicate nominative with the passive voice (1167).
Thus (a.) in the active construction:illum laudābunt bonī, hunc etiam ipsī culpābunt malī, Pl.B.397,the one the good will praise, the other e’en the bad themselves will blame. In the passive:laudātur ab hīs, culpātur ab illīs, H.S.1, 2, 11,he’s praised by some, by others blamed. Active:cīvēs Rōmānōs interficiunt, 7, 3, 1,they slay some citizens of Rome. Passive:Indutiomarus interficitur, 5, 58, 6,Indutiomarus is slain. (b.) Active:mīlitēs certiōrēs facit, 3, 5, 3,he informs the soldiers. Passive:certior factus est, 2, 34,he was informed.
1474.Verbs which have two accusatives, one of the person and one of the thing in the active voice, generally have the person as subject in the passive, less frequently the thing: see1171.
1475.An emphasizing or defining accusative, or an accusative of extent or duration, is occasionally made the subject of a passive: as,
haec illīc est pugnāta pugna, Pl.Am.253,this fight was fought off there(1140).tōta mihī dormītur hiems, Mart. 13, 59, 1,all winter long by me is slept, i.e.tōtam dormiō hiemem(1151).
1476.The person by whom the action is done is put in the ablative withaborā(1318); the thing by which it is done is put in the instrumental ablative (1377); as,
(a.)nōn numquam latrō ā viātōre occīditur,Mil.55,once in a while the robber gets killed by the wayfarer.respondit, ā cīve sē spoliārī mālle quam ab hoste vēnīre, Quintil. 12, 1, 43,he said in reply that he would rather be plundered by a Roman than sold by an enemy(1471). (b.)ūnīus virī prūdentiā Graecia līberāta est, N. 2, 5, 3,Greece was saved from slavery by the sagacity of a single man, i.e. Themistocles. Very often, however, the person or thing is not expressed, particularly with impersonals.
1477.When the person is represented as a mere instrument, the ablative is used withoutab(1378); and when collectives, animals, or things without life are personified, the ablative takesab(1318): as,
(a.)neque vērō minus Platō dēlectātus est Diōne, N. 10, 2, 3,and Plato on his part was just as much bewitched with Dion. (b.)eius ōrātiō ā multitūdine et ā forō dēvorābātur,Br.283,his oratory was swallowed whole by the untutored many and by the bar.
1478.Sometimes the person by whom the action is done is indicated by the dative of the possessor: see1216. And regularly with the gerund and gerundive construction (2243).
1479.Only verbs of transitive use have ordinarily a complete passive. Verbs of intransitive use have only the impersonal forms of the passive (1034): as,
diū atque ācriter pugnātum est, 1, 26, 1,there was long and sharp fighting.tōtīs trepidātur castrīs, 6, 37, 6,all through the camp there was tumult and affright.mihī̆ quidem persuādērī numquam potuit, animōs ēmorī,CM.80,for my part, I never could be convinced that the soul becomes extinct at death(1181). Similarly verbs which have a transitive use may also be used impersonally: as,di͡ēs noctīsque ēstur, bibitur, Pl.Most.235,there is eating and drinking all day and all night(1133).
1480.The complementary dative of a verb in the active voice is in poetry very rarely made the subject of a passive verb: as,invideor, H.AP.56,I am envied.imperor, H.E.1, 5, 21,I charge myself.
1481.The passive had originally a reflexive meaning, which is still to be seen in the passive of many verbs: as,
exercēbātur plūrimum currendō et lūctandō, N. 15, 2, 4,he took a great deal of exercise in running and wrestling.dēnsōs fertur in hostīs, V. 2, 511,he tries to charge upon the serried foes.quod semper movētur, aeternum est,TD.1, 53,anything that is always moving, is eternal.
1482.The present participle of reflexives is sometimes used in a reflexive sense:as,exercēns,exercising oneself,exercising,ferēns,tearing along,vehēns,riding, andinvehēns,mounted on,pāscēns,browsing,versāns,playing,being,volvēns,rolling. Also the gerund: as,iūs vehendī,the privilege of riding.
1483.Passive forms ofcoepīanddēsinōare commonly used in the perfect system, when a dependent infinitive is passive: as,
litterīs ōrātiō est coepta mandārī,Br.26,oratory began to be put in black and white.veterēs ōrātiōnēs legī sunt dēsitae,Br.123,the old speeches ceased to be read. But the active forms are sometimes used by Cornificius, Sallust, and Livy, and regularly by Tacitus. The active forms are used withfierīalso, which is not passive (789); but even withfierī, Livy uses the passive forms.
1484.Similar attractions with a passive infinitive occur inpotestur, &c.,quīturandquitus sum,nequītur, &c., rarely, and mostly in old Latin: as,fōrma in tenebrīs nōscī nōn quitast, T.Hec.572,her shape could hardly be distinguished in the dark.
1485.Some perfect participles have an active meaning: as,adultus,grown up. See907, and also in the dictionarycautus,cōnsultus,concrētus,dēflāgrātus,incōnsīderātus,occāsus,nūpta.
1486.Many verbs have only passive inflections, but with the meaning of active inflections. Such verbs are calledDeponents.
1487.In many deponents, a reflexive, passive, or reciprocal action is still clearly to be seen: as,
nāscor,am born;moror,delay myself,get delayed;ūtor,avail myself;amplectimur,hug each other;fābulāmur,talk together;partīmur,share with one another.
1488.Some verbs have both active and deponent inflections: as,adsentiō,agree, more commonlyadsentior.mereō,earn, andmereor,deserve. See also in the dictionaryaltercor,auguror,comitor,cōnflīctor,fabricor,faeneror,mūneror,ōscitor,palpor,populor,revertor. The following have active inflections in the present system and deponent inflections in the perfect system:audeō,cōnfīdōanddiffīdō,gaudeō,soleō: see also801.
1489.In old Latin especially, many verbs which afterwards became fixed as deponents occur with active inflections also: as,adūlō,arbitrō,aucupō,auspicō,lūctō,lūdificō,morō,partiō,venerō, &c., &c.
1490.Verbs which are usually deponent are rarely found with a passive meaning: as,Sūllānās rēs dēfendere crīminor,LAgr.3, 13,I am charged with defending Sulla’s policy.
1491.When it is desirable to express the passive of a deponent, a synonyme is sometimes used: thus, the passive ofmīror,admire, may sometimes be represented bylaudor,am praised. Or some circumlocution: as,habet venerātiōnem quidquid excellit,DN.1, 45,anything best in its kind is looked on with respect, as passive ofveneror.familia in suspīciōnem est vocāta,V.5, 10,the household was suspected, as passive ofsuspicor.
1492.The perfect participle of deponents is sometimes used with a passive meaning. Some of the commonest of these participles are:adeptus,commentus,complexus,cōnfessus,ēmentītus,expertus,meditātus,opīnātus,pactus,partītus,testātus, &c., &c.
Declarations.
1493.The indicative mood is used in simple, absolute declarations: as,
arma virumque canō, V. 1, 1,arms and the man I sing.leve fit quod bene fertur onus, O.A.4, 2, 10,light gets the load that’s bravely borne.
1494.The negative used with the indicative is commonlynōn,not(1443). For other negative expressions, see1445-1451.
1495.Certain verbs and verbal expressions denoting ability, duty, propriety, necessity, and the like, mostly with an infinitive, are regularly put in the indicative, even when the action of the infinitive is not performed.
This applies to declarations, questions, or exclamations: as, (a.)possum dē ichneumonum ūtilitāte dīcere, sed nōlō esse longus,DN.1, 101,I might expatiate on the usefulness of the ichneumon, but I do not care to be long-winded.inter ferās satius est aetātem dēgere quam in hāc tantā immānitāte versārī,RA.150,it would be better to pass your days in the midst of howling beasts than to live and move among such brutish men. (b.)stultī erat sperāre,Ph.2. 23,it would have been folly to hope.quid enim facere poterāmus?Pis.13,for what else could we have done?(c.)licuit uxōrem genere summō dūcere, Pl.MG.680,I might have married a wife of high degree.nōn potuit pīctor rēctius dēscrībere eius fōrmam, Pl.As.402,no painter could have hit his likeness more exactly. (d.)quantō melius fuerat prōmissum patris nōn esse servātum,Off.3, 94,how much better it would have been, for the father’s word not to have been kept.
1496.The principal verbs and verbal expressions thus used are: (a.)possum,licet,dēbeō,oportet,convenit,decet. (b.)aequum,aequius,iūstum,fās,necesse est;cōnsentāneum,satis,satius,optābile,optābilius est;ūtilius,melius,optimum,pār,rēctum est;facile,difficile,grave,īnfīnītum,longum,magnum est;estwith the predicative genitive, or a possessive pronoun (1237). (c.) Similarly, but without an infinitive, forms ofsumwith a gerund, a gerundive, or a future participle.
1497.The imperfect of most of the above verbs and verbal expressions often relates to action not performed at the present time: as,
hīs aliās poteram subnectere causās; sed eundum est, J. 3, 315,to these I might add other grounds; but I must go. The context must determine whether the imperfect relates (a.) to action not performed either in the present as here, or in the past as in 1495, or (b.) to action performed in the past: as,sollicitāre poterat, audēbat,C.3, 16,he had at once the assurance and the ability to play the tempter’s part.