Quales Principes, Tales Populi
Si studia et mores populi cognoscere curas,
Res facilis: vitam principis inspicias.
Source: Michaelis Verinus (c.1469-c.1487), Disticha. Meter: Elegiac.
The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There is only one word in this poem that is not on the DCC list:
If you endeavor to know (si curas cognoscere) the desires and morals of the people (studia et mores populi), it's an easy thing (res facilis): you should examine (inspicias) the ruler's life (vitam principis).
inspiciō, inspicere: examine, inspect, look at
cōgnōscō -gnōscere -gnōvī -gnitum: learn, understand
cūrō -āre: care for (+ acc.)
et: and
facilis -e: easy
mōs mōris m.: custom, habit; (pl.) character
populus -ī m.: people
prīnceps -cipis: first, chief
quālis -e: of what kind? what?
rēs reī f.: thing (rēs pūblica, commonwealth; rēs familiāris, family property, estate; rēs mīlitāris, art of war; rēs novae, revolution)
sī: if
studium -ī n.: eagerness, zeal
tālis tale: such
vīta -ae f.: life
