S.: salutem (dixit). nova ... gignit ... hic Africa nostra: hic, "here," refers to Basel, Switzerland, where Erasmus is writing this letter. Erasmus is adapting to his situation the proverb Semper Africa novi aliquid apportat ("Africa is always bringing something novel"), found in Erasmus Adages III.VII.10. Another, older version of the proverb is found in Pliny the Elder's Naturalis Historia 8.42, unde etiam vulgare Graeciae dictum semper aliquid novi Africam adferre ("whence it is commonly said in Greece that Africa always brings something novel": Pliny is speaking of animals, however). Aristotle may be Pliny's source: "Libya always brings something new" (Aristotle, History of Animals 606b20). eius sunt generis, ut arbitrer: predicate genitive eius generis prepares for the result clause ut arbitrer, primary sequence. nec tibi gratum futurum (esse) legere nec mihi tutum (futurum esse)  scribere: the leading verb arbitrer takes indirect statement. The indirect statement consists of  two elements: 1) accusative legere plus infinitive nec futurum (esse), which has gratum as predicate accusative agreeing with legere, plus 2) accusative scribere plus infinitive nec (futurum esse), which has tutum as predicate accusative agreeing with scribere. duodecimum Calendas Octobris: in Roman date conventions, this refers to the 12th day before the Kalends of October: i.e. the 20th of September (counting inclusively, as usual for Romans), but Georgius Carpentarius de Brugg (in Vischer and Stern, 412) reports that these events occurred on the 19th of September, and so perhaps Erasmus is not counting inclusively. Calendas (pl. acc.) is the first day of each month. Octobris is an adjective (as are all Latin months) modifying calendas. Ioannes Frobenius: famous printer, Erasmus' great friend and host in Basel. efulsisset: cum temporal clauses referring to the past often take subjunctive, because a notion of causation is hard to avoid (but cf. closely preceding cum interim vitreas fenestras ferit fulmen: cum + indicative is "purely temporal"): secondary sequence (i.e. demiror and prospicio are historic presents referring to the past, hence they spark secondary sequence). vertisset: si = "whether" here, introducing an indirect question dependent on prospicio: secondary sequence pluperfect refers to time before the leading verb prospicio. minaretur: subjunctive: secondary sequence, but imperfect subjunctive refers to time contemporaneous with the leading verb prospicio. nihil video periculi: Erasmus frequently puts two words that together form a phrase on either side of a verb (cf. eius sunt generis and meo commercatus est hortatu). Nihil frequently takes a partitive genitive (cf. plus fulgoris soon after). hilarior: the comparative is not only comparative: it also means "quite ____" and even "too ____" (cf. vehementius in the next sentence). gigantum moles: the giants once attacked the Olympian gods on Mt. Olympus. Moles refers to Mt. Ossa and Mt. Pelion, which the giants tried to stack on top of each other to reach Olympus. Zeus smote them. Salmonea et Ixionem: Salmoneus was Sisyphus' brother. He tried to imitate Zeus' thunder and lightning, for which Zeus smote him to Tartarus. Ixion committed murder twice, but he offended Zeus by trying to seduce Juno, for which Zeus smote him and had him bound to a wheel in Tartarus. 

Iulius Pontifex ... Florentiae: While Julius II, "the warrior pope," was attacking Bologna in 1506, Erasmus went to Florence. Bononia: the Roman name for Bologna. insonuisset: cum temporal clauses referring to the past have subjunctive to identify circumstances more broadly than just the time: secondary sequence. aliquid parum laeti nuntii: aliquid often takes genitive in Latin (cf. nihil and plus in preceding section: for example, aliquid verbi means "some word" or perhaps "some sort of word." parum means "not particularly," "not," or "not very" and modifies laeti. inquam: inquam accompanies direct speech, not indirect speech. In this sentence, Erasmus quotes his own words to himself. nuntians ... tres ictas: nuntians takes indirect speech: accusative tres (virgines) is the accusative and ictas (esse) the infinitive. After that, Erasmus lapses back into direct speech with exanimata est, extincta (sc. est), and afflicta (sc.est), which are likely still the surgeon's report, but could be something Erasmus learned later and is reporting here rather than part of the surgeon's report. Were they in a relative clause that formed part of the indirect speech, they would have been subjunctive. collegio virginum: it is unclear which school or nunnery in Basel is meant here.

3]
Ad similem itaque sonitum surrexi et prospicio quae sit coeli facies. Ad laevam erat serenitas, ad dexteram conspicio novam nubis speciem, velut e terra sese proferentis in sublime, colore propemodum cinericio, cuius cacumen velut inflexum sese demittebat. Dixisses scopulum quempiam esse vertice nutantem in mare. Quo contemplor attentius, hoc minus videbatur nubi similis. Dum ad hoc spectaculum stupeo, accurrit famulorum unus quem domi reliqueram, admonens ut subito me domum recipiam; civitatem armatam in tumultu esse. Nam is mos est huic reipublicae, ut sicubi fuerit exortum incendium, confestim armati procurrunt ad tuendas portas ac moenia. Nec satis tutum est armatis occurrere; ferrum enim addit ferociam animis, praesertim ubi nihil est periculi. Hortus autem in quo studebam erat pone moenia. Recurro domum, multis obviis armatis. Aliquanto post rem totam didicimus, quae sic se habebat.

surrexi et prospicio: note the shifts in tense, here from perfect to historic present, later back to past tense (erat): this letter has many such shifts. quae sit: indirect question, hence subjunctive; primary sequence dependent on prospicio, but note that, in an otherwise similar use in the first paragraph, prospicio was also a historic present but took secondary sequence minaretur. The shifting tenses are not confusing but add vividness. dixisses: past contrary-to-fact subjunctive (one can easily imagine an omitted protasis such as "si adfuisses"). quo attentius ... hoc minus: correlatives, "the more attentively, ... the less ...." Both quo and hoc are ablatives of degree of difference dependent on the comparatives (hoc cannot be subject of videbatur because similis is a predicate nominative and the two don't agree in gender). ut ... me ... recipiam; civitatem ... esse: indirect command followed by indirect statement, both dependent on admonens. huic reipublicae: predicate dative conveying ownership. Note that reipublicae declines both parts of itself, even if it is used as one word (cf. cuiusmodi at the end of §1 above). ut ... sicubi fuerit exortum... procurrunt: ut introduces a nominal ut clause which acts 1) as a noun in apposition to is mos: procurrunt would likely be subjunctive in Cicero, because it is in a nominal ut clause, and 2) the apodosis of a general condition. fuerit exortum is future perfect as a protasis to the general condition.

4]
Paucis ante diebus in unam turrim earum quibus moenia ex intervallis muniuntur, delata fuerant aliquot vasa pulveris bombardici. Ea cum magistratus iussisset reponi in summa camera turris, nescio quorum incuria reposita sunt in imam turrim. Quod si vis pulveris in summo fuisset, tectum modo sustulisset in aera, reliquis innocuis. Ac miro casu per rimas illas speculatorias fulmen illapsum attigit pulverem, moxque vasa omnia corripuit incendium. Primum impetus incendii tentavit an esset oneri ferendo possetque totam molem in altum tollere. Idque testantur qui viderunt turrim iuxta partes imas hiantem semel atque iterum, sed rursus in se coeuntem. Ubi vis ignis sensit molem esse graviorem quam ut totam posset subvehere, eo conatu relicto totam turrim in quatuor partes immani crepitu dissecuit, sed tanta aequalitate ut amussi geometrica factum videri posset, ac per aera aliam alio sparsit. Ipse pulvis accensus in altum se recepit, qui flamma consumpta cinericiae nubis praebebat speciem. Vidisses immania fragmenta turris, avium ritu, volitare per aera; quaedam ad ducentos passus deferri, qua dabatur liberum aeris spatium; alia civium domos longo tractu demoliri.

nescio quorum incuria: nescio quorum, "of some people": nescio has no effect on the syntax (a frequent phenomenon: nescio + a relative means "some _______"). cum magistratus iussisset: concessive cum takes subjunctive. quod si ... fuisset, ... sustulisset: past contrary-to-fact condition. quod si, an idiom, = "but if." reliquis innocuis: ablative absolute; innocuus, -a, -um can be either active "harmless, harming no one," or passive "unharmed," unlike its English derivative "innocuous" which is only active. rimas speculatorias: small openings from which to fire weapons or look out, called "loopholes" in English. esset ... posset: subjunctive in indirect question, secondary sequence. oneri ferendo: the dative of purpose is sometimes used with gerundives (Allen & Greenough §505): for example, esse solvendo = literally "be for paying" = in good English "be able to pay." oneri ferendo occurs several times in Classical Latin and clearly means "able to bear the burden" here. vis ignis sensit: the fire is anthropomorphized (also in previous sentence with tentavit). posset: subjunctive in a result clause prepared for by graviorem quam. posset: result clause subjunctive, prepared for by tanta. vidisses: a contrary-to-fact protasis can easily be imagined here, such as si adfuisses (cf. dixisses in §3). volitare ... deferri ... demoliri: infinitives in indirect speech dependent on vidisses. ad ducentos passus: ad + numbers can mean "up to ... ."

5]
Non procul a turri magistratus curarat exstruendas aediculas quasdam. Hae lateris unius impetum excepere. Tantus autem erat fragor tamque subitus, ut qui erant in propinquo putarent rupto coelo mundum in chaos abiturum. Nec ridiculum putabatur quod vulgo dici solet: Quid si coelum ruat? In agris multi sunt ruina oppressi, multi sic membris vel truncati vel afflicti ut miserandum spectaculum praeberent obviis: e quibus aiunt exstinctos numero duodecim, misere vexatos quatuordecim. Sunt qui credant hoc ostento quiddam portendi in futurum; ego (magis ἐπιφήτης quam προφἠτης) nihil aliud arbitror significari quam incogitantiam eorum qui casum eum non usque adeo rarum non praecaverint. Nec mirum si pulvis ille levissimus disiecit saxeum aedificium: etiam si turrim eam undique ducentorum pedum cinxisset paries, ignis ille subitus ac vehemens disiectis obstaculis omnibus erupisset in suum locum. Quid autem vento mollius? Et tamen inclusus terrae cavis Boreas nonne montes totos concutit, terram hiatu diducit, et interdum campos spatiosos in collem erigit?

curarat: = curaverat, an alternate form. excepere: = exceperunt, an alternate form. tantus ... tamque: demonstratives like these often prepare for result clauses such as ut putarent. abiturum: sc. esse, indirect speech dependent on putarent. sic: another way to prepare for a result clause (ut ... praeberent). credant: subjunctive in a relative clause of characteristic, primary sequence. hoc ostento quiddam portendi: hoc ostento is ablative of means dependent on the passive infinitive portendi, whose subject is quiddam. magis ἐπιφήτης quam προφἠτης: Erasmus rejects the idea that he is a prophet (προφἠτης) and suggests instead a nonce-word, ἐπιφήτης, which means something like "commentator." Some editions omit this parenthetical remark. praecaverint: perfect subjunctive in a relative clause of characteristic, primary sequence. Nec mirum si: note that the si ... clause is not really a protasis (the apodosis does not result from it, as is usual in a true conditional): the si ... clause here is equivalent to indirect speech, "It is no wonder that ... ."  si ... cinxisset, ... erupisset: past contrary-to-fact conditional.

6]
Quis hoc machinarum genus excogitavit? Olim artes ad humanae vitae usum repertas diis attribuit antiquitas, veluti medicinam Apollini, agricolationem Cereri, vitis culturam Baccho, furandi artificium Mercurio. Huius inventi laudem non puto cuiquam deberi, nisi vehementer ingenioso cuipiam, nec minus scelerato cacodaemoni. Si quid tale comminisci potuisset Salmoneus ille, potuisset vel ipsi Iovi medium unguem ostendere. Et tamen hic nunc Christianorum atque adeo puerorum lusus est. In tantum apud nos decrescit humanitas, accrescit immanitas.

antiquitas: placing the subject at the end of the sentence is not usual word order. furandi artificium: furandi is a gerund, genitive defining what the artificium is, as in "a ring of gold." si ... potuisset, ... potuisset: past contrary-to-fact conditional. medium unguem ostendere: although the gesture is mentioned in several texts, based on the similar wording, Erasmus is perhaps thinking of Juvenal Satire 10 51-3, which says that Democritus ridebat curas nec non et gaudia volgi,/ interdum et lacrimas, cum Fortunae ipse minaci/ mandaret laqueum mediumque ostenderet unguem ("he used to laugh at the worries and joys of the masses, sometimes even their tears, while he told threatening fortune to go hang and showed her the middle finger").

7]
Olim Corybantes tympanorum et tibiarum strepitu homines compellebant in rabiem. Habet enim ille sonitus miram vim ad commovendos animos. At horribilius sonant nostra tympana, nunc anapaestis, nunc pyrrhichiis perstrepentia. At his nunc pro tubis Christiani utimur in bello, quasi illic non satis sit esse fortem, sed oporteat furere. Quid autem dixi de bello? Utimur in nuptiis, utimur diebus festis, utimur in templis. Ad furiosum illum sonitum procurrunt in publicum virgines, saltat nova nupta, ornatur festi diei celebritas, qui tum est maxime laetus, si toto die per urbem obambulat plusquam Corybanticus tumultus. At ego arbitror apud inferos non alio organo celebrari dies festos, si modo sunt illic ulli. Plato putat magni referre quo genere musices uteretur civitas, quid dicturus si hanc musicam audisset inter Christianos? Iam hoc musicae genus quod simul et flatile est et pulsatile, in templis sollemne, quibusdam non placet, nisi bellicam tubam longe superat. Nec id satis; sacrificus vocem ad tonitrui fragorem effingit, nec alii magis placent aliquot Germaniae principibus. Adeo nostris ingeniis nihil est dulce quod non sapiat bellum. Sed desino iocari.

corybantes: priests of the the mother goddess, Cybele, who danced and made a great noise with drumming. ad commovendos animos: ad + gerundive commovendos + animos expresses purpose. anapaestis ... pyrrhichiis: anapests are a Greek metrical foot consisting of two short syllables followed by a long syllable, typically used by the Greek chorus when it marches onto the scene in a tragedy, whence the phrase "marching anapests." The "Pyrrhichian" dance was a lively Greek war dance, referred to by Homer, Xenophon, and Plato among others. It is associated with a metrical term for two short syllables. quasi ... non ... sit esse fortem, sed oporteat ...: quasi introduces comparative clauses, which are of two sorts: they either refer to something real (verb in indicative) or something imagined and not real (hence subjunctive), as here. esse fortem is a nominal infinitive which is the subject of sit. magni referre: magni is genitive of value. referre is an impersonal infinitive in indirect speech dependent on putat. musices: a Greek genitive. This Greek form is also used in Latin by Quintilian in ancient times, but musicae, the native Latin form, occurs a bit more often in Classical Latin. All uses of both forms are Late Classical Latin. It is interesting that in the next sentence we find hoc musicae genus, which has the native Latin genitive. uteretur: subjunctive because all subordinate clauses in indirect speech are subjunctive, secondary sequence (putat must be felt as a historic present) (contrast si modo sunt illic ulli in the previous sentence, where the indicative indicates that it is not part of the indirect speech, but added as an afterthought). civitas, quid dicturus: the punctuation is a bit strange here, because quid dicturus looks like an indirect question if preceded by a comma, and yet an indirect question does not logically/grammatically work with what precedes, unless there is a lapse of structure and dicturus picks up on something implied in thought, something that can take an indirect question. If that is the case, perhaps a dash to indicate the break in syntax would help. Or perhaps a word is missing: if it were to say "Plato who ...., what would he say if ... ?" In any case, it looks as if the conditional quid dicturus si ... audisset is meant to be a past-contrary-to fact conditional in indirect speech. If so, then dicturus should probably be completed with fuerit to form the "periphrastic perfect subjunctive" meaning "what would he have said." A period might have made more sense, but in that case dicturus should have been dixisset to make an ordinary past contrary-to-fact condition. audisset: syncopated form = audivisset. tonitrui: this noun was fourth declension tonitrus, -us in Classical Latin.

8]
Bene vale.
Datum Basileae sexto Calendas Octobris. Anno M.D.XXVI.

Basileae: locative. sexto Calendas Octobris: again, Octobris is an adjective. sexto Calendas indicates 6 days before the Calends, which puts it on the 25th (if counting inclusively) or the 26th of September.

Bibliography:

Vischer, Wilhelm and Stern, Alfred, Basler Chroniken, Leipzig, 1872.

Allen, P.S., Selections from Erasmus, Oxford, 1908.
Allen, P.S., Opus Epistolarum Des. Erasmi Roterodami, Oxford, 1926.

Vocabulary

abeo, abire, abi(v)i, abiturum, go away

accendi, accendere, accendi, accensum, kindle, set on fire

accido, accidere, accidi, accisum, happen

accipio accipere, accepi, acceptum, take, receive (physically); take, receive (by hearing/learning)

accresco, accrescere, accrevi, accretum, increase, grow

accurro, accurrere, ac(cu)curri, accursum, run up, present oneself

addo, addere, addidi, additum, bring (to), add (to)

adeo, indeed

admoneo, admonere, admonui, admonitum, warn, remind

adversus, against (+ acc.)

aedicula, -ae, f., small buildings (habitation, chapel,etc.)

aedificium, -i, n., structure, building

aequalitas, -atis, f., balance, equality

aer, aeris, m., air

affligo, affligere, afflixi, afflictum, strike, dash

ager, agri, m., field
ago, agere, egi, actum, spend time (listed as "rare" without an object in Lewis and Short)

agricolatio, -onis, agriculture

aio, say

aliquantus, -a, -um, some (used of amounts or things that can be counted or measured)

aliquot, some, some few, a few

amoenitas, -atis, f., pleasantness, delightfulness

amplus, -a, -um, wide, spacious

amussis, -is, f., (carpenter's or mason's) rule or level

anapaestus, -a, -um, anapestic (i.e. containing anapestic metrical feet)

ante, adv., before; prep. + acc. before

antiquitas, -atis, f., antiquity, ancient times

apud, among (+ acc.); in the house of (+ acc.)

arbitror (1), judge, think

arceo, arcere, arcui, arctum, stave off, keep away

armatus, -a, -um, armed

ars, artis, f., skill

artificium, -i, n., trade, profession

assiduitas, -atis, f., constant attendance (to something)

attente, attentively; comparative attentius

attingo, attingere, attigi, attactum, strike, touch, contact

attribuo, attribuere, attribui attributum, attribute

avis, avis, f., bird

bellicus, -a, -um, martial, of war

bellum, -i, n., war

bombardicus, -a, -um, for bombarding (bombard- is found in 15th c. and later word)

by Zeus' lightning for daring to imitate lightning

cacodaemon (a Greek word), demonically possessed

cacumen, -inis, n., tip, summit, peak

Calendae, -arum, see Kalendae

Kalendae, -arum, f. pl., the first day of the month, the Kalends

camera, -ae, f., room, chamber

campus, -i, m, field

carus, -a, -um, dear

casus, -us, m., case, occasion, happening, occurrence

cavum, -i, n., hollow, cavity (from cavus, -a, -um, hollow)

celebritas, -atis, f., assembly, crowd

celebro (1), celebrate

chirurgus, -i, m., surgeon,

cinericius, -a, -um, ashen, like ashes

cingo, cingere, cinxi, cinctum, begird, surround

civis, civis, m., citizen

civitas, -atis, f., city

coelum, -i, n., sky, weather (caelum in Classical Latin)

coeo, coire, coi(v)i, coitum, go together, come together

coepi, coeptum, begin

collegium, -i, n., society, company, sodality, etc.

collis, collis, m., hill

color, coloris, m., color, complexion, tint

commercor (1), buy up, purchase

comminiscor, -i, commentus, devise, invent, contrive

commoveo, commovere, commovi, commotus, rouse, set in motion

compello (1), drive, impel

conatus, -us, m., effort

concutio, concutere, concussi, concussum, shake; shatter

confestim, immediately

conscendo, conscendere, conscendi, conscensum, mount, climb; enter, embark

consumo, consumere, consumpsi, consumptum, devour, bring to naught, consume

contemplor, (1), look, gaze at

contraho, contrahere, contraxi, contractum, draw together, assemble

corripio, corripere, corripui, correptum, seize, take

cotidie, daily

credo, credere, credidi, creditum, believe

crepitus, -us, m., clattering, noise

cultura, -ae, f., cultivation

curo (1), look to, cause to be done (+ gerundive)

deambulatiuncula, -ae, f., a short walk

debeo, debere, debui, debitum, owe

decresco, decrescere, decrevi, decretum, be reduced, decrease, wane

defero, deferre, detuli, delatus, carry

demiror (1), wonder, be amazed

demitto, demittere, demisi, demissum, send down

demolior, demoliri, demolitus, demolish, destroy

desino, desinere, desivi, desitus, cease, stop

dexterus, -a, -um, right

diduco, diducere, diduxi, diductum, sever, split

disco, discere, didici, learn

disiicio, disiicere, disieci, disiectum, throw apart

disseco, dissecere, dissecui, dissectum, cut apart, cut into pieces

domuncula, -ae., f., little house

ducenti, -ae, -a, 200

dulcis, dulce, sweet, soft

duodecim, 12

duodecimus, -a, -um, 12th

ecce, behold, lo

effingo, effingere, effinxi, effictum, form, fashion; express

effulgeo, effulgere, effulsi, effulsum, gleam forth, shine forth

elegans, elegantis, choice, tasteful

emico (1), spring forth, become apparent

erigo, erigere, erexi, erectum, build up, raise up

error, -is, m., mistake

erumpo, erumpere, erupi, eruptum, burst forth, break forth

etenim= et + enim

evoco (1), call forth, summon

excipio, excipere, excepi, exceptum, receive, take

excogito (1), think up, invent

exorior, exoriri, exortum, arise

exstinguo, exstinguere, exstingui, exstinctum, kill, destroy;

facies, faciei, f., appearance

fallo, fallere, fefelli, falsum, trick, deceive; alleviate, make (something hard) light

famulus, -i/ -a, -ae, servant

fenestra, -ae, f., window

fere, approximately

ferio, ferire, feriturus, strike

ferocia, -ae, f., fierceness

ferrum, -i, n., iron; iron implement; sword

festus, -a, -um, festive

flamma, -ae, f., flame

flatilis, flatile, produced by blowing, wind

fragmentum, -i, n., chunk, fragment

fragor, -fragoris, m., crash, breaking

fulgor, fulgoris, m., lightning

fulmen, -inis, n., lightning

fulmino (1), hurl lightning

furiosus, -a, -um, raging, mad

furo, furere, furui, rage, rave

furor (1) steal

futurus, -a, -um, future participle of sum

genus, generis, n., type, sort, kind

gigas, gigantum, m., giant

gigno, gignere, genui, genitum, arise, come forth

gratus, -a, -um, welcome, pleasing

gravis, -e, heavy

habeo, habere, habui, habitum, have: se habere, be situated, be in ____ circumstance

hiatus, -us, m., opening, cleft

hic, here

hilaris, -e, cheerful, merry

hio (1), gape, open

hora, -ae, f., hour

horribilis, -e, horrible

hortatus, -us, m., urging

hortensis, -e, in a garden, garden (used as an adjective)

hortus, -i, m., garden

humanitas, -atis, f., humanity

ibi, there, in that place

ictus,  ictus, m., blow, stroke

illabor illabi, illapsum est, slip in, penetrate

imber, imbris, m., rain, rainstorm

immanis, -e, huge

immanitas, -atis, f., monstrosity, heinousness

impetus, -us, m., attack, assault; fury, force

impingo, impingere, impegi, impactum, strike (against/into)

imus, -a, -um, deepest part of, depths of,

includo, includere, inclusi, inclusus, confine, keep in

incogitantia, -ae, f., thoughtlessness

incuria, -ae, f., inattention, neglect

inferus, -a, -um, below, underneath

inflecto, inflectere, inflexi, inflexum, bend, bow, curve

ingeniosus, -a, -um, clever

innocuus, -a, -um, unharmed

inquam, I say, I said (a defective verb with present forms)

insono, insonere, insonui, resound

inter, among (prep. + acc.)

interdum, sometimes

interim, meanwhile

intervallum, -i, n, interval, distance between; ex intervallis, "at intervals"

inventum, -i, n., invention

invito, (1), invite

iocor (1), jest, joke

iterum, again, a second time

iubeo, iubere, iussi, iussus, order, command

iuxta, adv., near; prep. + acc., hard by, near

Ixion, Ixionis, m., for trying to seduce Juno, he was put in Tartarus and fastened to a wheel (not before he begat the Centaurs with a cloud which Zeus substituted for Juno)

laetus-a,-um, happy, glad

laevus, -a, -um, left

latus, lateris, n., side

laus, laudis, f., praise

lego, legere, legi, lectum, read

lenis, lene, soft

levis, leve, fine; light

liber, libera, liberum, free

longe, adv., far

longus, -a, -um, extended, long

ludo, ludere, lusi, lusum, play

lusus, -us, m., plaything, game, amusement

machina, -ae, f., contrivance

magistratus, -us, m., magistrate, official

magni refert, it makes a big difference, it matters greatly

mare, maris, n., sea

maxime, adv., most

medius, -a, -um, middle

membrum, -i, n., member, appendage

minor (1), threaten

minus, less

mirus, -a, -um, wonderful, astonishing

miserandus, -a, -um, lamendable, pitiable

misere, adv., wretchedly

modo, adv., only

moenia, moenium, n. pl., walls, ramparts

moles, -is, f., large mass, heavy bulk

mollis, -e, soft

mons, montis, m., mountain

mox, soon

mundus, -i, m., world

munio, munire, muni(v)i, munitum, fortify, defend, protect

musicus, -a, -um, musical (musices is a Greek genitive: the word derives from Greek μουσικός)

nam, for (causal conjunction)

narro (1), relate, tell, say

ncendium, -i, n., fire

nego (1), deny

nescio quis, nescio quid, someone, something (nescio does not affect the syntax of the rest of the sentence when used in this phrase)

nonne, interrogative particle expecting 'yes' in answer

novus, -a, -um, new, novel, strange

nubis, nubis, m., cloud

numerus, -i, m., number

nunc, now

nuntio (1), report, bring news

nuntius, -a, -um, bringing news, bringing a message (if a person, messenger; if a thing, message, news, tidings)

nuper, recently

nupta, -ae, f., bride

nuptiae, -arum, f. pl. wedding rites

nuto (1), sway, totter

obambulo (1), walk and meet

obrepo, obrepere, obrepsi, obreptum, creep up, approach sneakily

obstaculum, -i, n., hindrance

obtusus, -a, -um, dull, blunt

obvius, -a, -um, in the way, meeting (this word is used idiomatically, and so no single English translation quite works: it is used of people who are in the way and so liable to be met or seen by someone)

occurro, occurrere, occu(cu)rri, occursum, run up, run to meet

oculus, -i, m., eye

olim, once, at one time

onus, oneris, n., burden, weight

oportet, opportere, opportuit, it behooves, it is proper, it is fitting

opprimo, opprimere, oppressi, oppressus, crush, oppress

organum, -i, n., instrument

orno (1), decorate, furnish, adorn

ostendo, ostendere, ostendi, ostentus, show, demonstrate

ostentum, -i, n., portent, sign

paries, -etis, m., wall

parum, adv., too little, not

passus, -us, m., pace (measure of length)

pauci, paucae, pauca, few

paulus, -a, -um, little, small

periculum, -i, n., danger

perstrepo, perstrepo, perstrepui, perstrepitum, echo, resound

pes, pedis, m., foot

plane, by all means, assuredly, certainly

plus, pluris, more (takes gen. if singular, is an adj. if plural)

plusquam, adv., more than

pluvia, -ae, f., rain, rain shower

pomeridianus, -a, -um, afternoon, in the afternoon

pone, behind (+ acc.)

porta, -ae, f., gate, door

portendo, portendere, portendi, portentum, indicate, predict, foretell

post, after (either an adverb or a preposition + acc)

praebeo, praebere praebui, offer, present

praecaveo, praecavere, praecavi, praecautum, guard against, heed, prevent

praesertim, especially

primum, adv., at first

princeps, principis, m., leader, prince

procul, far

procurro, procurrere, procu(cu)rri, procursum, rush forth

profero, proferre, protuli, prolatus, bring forth, produce

propemodum, almost

propinquus, -a, -um, near, neighboring

prospicio, prospicere, prospexi, prospectum, look out, have a look

publicus, -a, -um, public

pulsatilis, -e, produced by striking, percussion

pulvis, pulveris, n., powder

pyrrhichius, -a, -um, pyrrhic (meter) (two short syllables are called a "pyrrhic")

quasi, as if

quatuor, four

quatuordecim, fourteen

quidam, quaedam, quoddam/quiddam, certain, somebody/something, one, a

quidem, indeed

quispiam, quaepiam, quippiam, somebody, something, anybody, anything; any, some

rabies, (no genitive has been found), rabiem, fury, rage, madness

rarus, -a, -um, rare, infrequent

recipio, recipere, recepi, receptum, betake oneself, go back

redeo, redire, redi(v)i, reditum, return

relinquo, relinquere, reliqui, relictum, leave

reperio, reperire, repperi, repertum, find, discover

repono, reponere, reposui, repositus, place, put, store

ridiculus, -a, -um, laughable

rima, -ae, f., crack, slit

ritu, in the manner of (+ gen.)

ruina, -ae, f., ruin

rumpo, rumpere, rupsi, ruptum, break, burst

ruo, ruere, rui, rutum/ruiturus, rush down, fall down, tumble

rursus, again

sacrificus, -i, m., priest performing a sacrifice

salto (1), leap, jump

sapio, sapere, sapivi, taste of

satis, sufficient, enough; quite, sufficiently

saxeus, -a, -um, of rock

sceleratus, -a, -um, wicked, criminal

scopulus, -i, m., cliff, crag, rock

secedo, secedere, secessi, secessum, retreat, retire, withdraw

semel, once

sentio, sentire, sensi, sensum, discern, sense, perceive

serenitas, -atis, f., quiet, peacefulness

si quando, if ever

sicubi, if anywhere

significo (1), indicate, signify

similis, -e, similar

siquidem, since indeed, since; if indeed

soleo, solere, solui, solitum, be accustomed to, be wont to

solidus, -a, -um, solid, not hollow

sollemnis, -e, ceremonial, solemn

somnum, -i, n., sleep

sonitus, -us, m., sound

spargo, spargere, sparsi, sparsum

spatiosus, -a, -um, extended, large

spatium, -i, n., space; liberum spatium, open space

spectaculum, -i, n., sight, wonder

speculatorius, -a, -um, having to do with spies (here, windows to spy through)

spes, spei, f., hope

strepitus, -us, m., sound

studeo, studere, studui, study, apply oneself

stupeo, stupere, stupui, be struck senseless, be astonished

subduco, subducere, subduxi, subductum, remove, withdraw

subito, suddenly

subitus, -a, -um, sudden

sublimis, -e, lofty, high

subveho, subvehere, subvexi, subvectum, carry up, lift up (from below)

supero (1), outdo

surgo, surgere, surrexi, surrectum, rise

suspicor (1), suspect, think

sustuli, see tollo

tacitus, -a, -um, quiet

taedium, -i, n., boredom, tediousness

talis, -e, such, of such a quality

tamen, nevertheless, however

tectum, -i, n., roof

temperies, -ei, f., temperature

tempestas, -atis, f., storm

templum, -i, n., church, temple

tento (1), make an attempt; test, attempt

terrenus, -a, -um, earthly

territus, -a, -um, terrified (from terreo)

tertius, -a, -um, third

testor (1), testify, attenst, aver

tibia, -ae, f., flute

tollo, tollere, sustuli, sublatus, lift up, raise; remove, carry away

tonitrus, -us, m., or tonitruum, -i, n., thunder

tono (1), thunder, resound

totus, -a, -um, whole, entire

tractus, -us, m., stretch, extent (of something)

tres, trium, three

trunco (1), maim

tuba, -ae, f., trumpet

tueor, tueri, tuitus sum, guard, watch

tumultus, -us, m., uproar

turris, turris, f., tower

tutus, -a, -um, safe

tutus, -a, -um, safe

tympanum, -i, n., drum, tambourine

undique, on all sides, all around

unguis, unguis, m., finger (the middle finger, as today, indicated great contempt)

urbs, urbis f., city, town

usque adeo, all that (+ adj), so

usus, -us, m., use

vas, vasis, n., vessel, container

velut, just as, as if

veluti = velut

ventum, -i, n, wind

vertex, verticis, m., top, crown,

verto, vertere, verti, versum, translate; change, turn

vexo (1), injure, damage

virgo, virginis, f., maid, maiden

vis, vis, f., force, strength

vitis, vitis, f., vine, grapevine

vitreus, -a, -um, glass, of glass

volito (1), fly all around

vox, vocis, f., voice, tone

vulgo, commonly