LET. IV.] TO NEBBIDIUS. Now here I used the word “ cnpi:”^ w ill you tell me whether it should be “ cupi” or “ cupiri?” And I am glad this has come in th e way, for I w ish you to instruct me in the inflexion of th is verb “ cupio,” since, when I compare similar verbs w ith it, m y uncertainty as to the proper inflexion increases. For “ cupio” is lik e “'fugio,” “ sapio,” “ jacio,” "capio but whether the iii- finitive mood is " fugiri ” or " fugi,” “ sapiri ” or " sapi,” I do not know. I m ight regard " ja ci ” and "capi m parallel instances answering m y question as to the others, were I not afi-aid lest some grammarian should “ catch ” and “ throw” me lik e a baU in sport wherever he pleased, by reminding me that the form of the supines “ j actum ” and “ captum ” is different from that found in the other verbs “ fugitum,” “ cnpitum,” and “ sapitum.” A s to these three words, moreover, I am likew ise ignorant whether the penultim ate is to be pronounced long and with circumflex accent, or without accent and short. I would like to provoke you to write a reasonably long letter. I beg you to le t me have what it w ill take some tim e to read. For it is far beyond m y power to express the pleasure which I find in reading w hat you write. L E T T E E I V . (A.D. 3 8 7 . ) TO NEBElblUS AUGUSTINE "s e n d s GREETING. 1. I t is very wonderful how com pletely I was taken by surprise, when, on searching to discover w hich of your letters stiU re­ mained unanswered, I found only one w hich held me as your debtor,— ^that, nam ely, in w hich you request m e to te ll you how far in th is m y leisure, which you suppose to be gi-eat, and which you desire to share w ith me, I am making progress in learning to discrim inate those things in nature w ith w h ic h the senses are conversant, from those about which the understanding is employed. But I suppose it is not unknown to you, that if one becomes more and more fu lly imbued w ith false opinions, ' Present infinitive passive of cupere, to desire. “ Infinitive passive of verbs signifying respectively to “ throw ” “ catch.”