Page:Correspondence of Marcus Cornelius Fronto volume 2 Haines 1920.djvu/291

 of these plans, and a sketch of the actual thing, he asked what was the estimate for completing the whole work; and on the architect saying that about 300,000 sesterces would seem to be required, one of Fronto's friends said "and another 50,000 there or thereabout."

2. Then Fronto postponing the discussion which he had begun, as to the cost of the bath, turned to the friend, who had said that another 50,000 there or thereabout was required, and asked him what he meant by the expression praeter propter.

And the friend answered, "It is not my word; you can hear numbers of people using it. But as to its meaning, you must not ask me but the grammarian yonder," indicating at the same time a person who was present of no small note as a teacher of grammar at Rome.

3. Then the grammarian, influenced by the meanness of a word in very common use,said,"The question is quite unworthy of our discussion. For the word is somehow too vulgar and more often to be met with in the conversation of mechanics than of educated men."

But Fronto at this point shewing more earnestness in his tone and looks said:

"And so this word appears to you, master, improper and faulty, which M. Cato and M. Varro and many generations of our predecessors used as indispensable and good Latin?"

4. Here Julius Celsinus reminded us that the very word which we were enquiring about occurred also in the tragedy of Ennius called Iphigenia, and 275