The principal clause, on which a final clause depends, is often to be supplied from the context:— ac nē longum sit ... iussimus (Cat. 3.10) , and , not to be tedious, we ordered , etc. [Strictly, in order not to be tedious , I say we ordered. ] sed ut ad Dionȳsium redeāmus (Tusc. 5.63) , but to return to Dionysius. sed ut eōdem revertar, causa haec fuit timōris (Fam. 6.7.3) , but , to return to the same point, this was the cause of fear. satis incōnsīderātī fuit, nē dīcam audācis (Phil. 13.12) , it was the act of one rash enough, not to say daring. By a similar ellipsis the Subjunctive is used with nēdum (sometimes nē ), still less, not to mention that: — nēdum salvī esse possīmus (Clu. 95) , much less could we be safe. nēdum istī nōn statim conquīsītūrī sint aliquid sceleris et flāgitī ; ( Leg. Agr. 2.97 ), far more will they hunt up at once some sort of crime and scandal. nēdum in marī et viā sit facile (Fam. 16.8) , still less is it easy at sea and on a journey. quippe secundae rēs sapientium animōs fatīgant; nē illī corruptīs mōribus victōriae temperārent (Sall. Cat. 11 ), for prosperity overmasters the soul even of the wise; much less did they with their corrupt morals put any check on victory. With nēdum the verb itself is often omitted: as, aptius hūmānitātī tuae quam tōta Peloponnēsus , nēdum Patrae (Fam. 7.28.1) , fitter for your refinement than all Peloponnesus , to say nothing of Patræ.

For Substantive Clauses involving purpose , see §§ 563 - 566 .

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