4 JULY 1998, Page 38

Vines veritas

Sir: it used to be one of the glories of The Spectator that Latin tags were never trans- lated. It was assumed — rightly — that readers had enough education to know them. Now I read (Don't get too physical', 27 June), `mens sana in corpore sano (a healthy mind in a healthy body)'. Is this part of the modern `dumbing down'? You really should not patronise readers.

0 tempora! 0 mores!

Sidney Vines 1 Willow Close,

Laverstock, Salisbury