delectare

A salon is a gathering of stimulating people of quality under the roof of an inspiring hostess or host, partly to amuse one another and partly to refine their taste and increase their knowledge through conversation and readings, often consciously following Horace's definition of the aims of poetry, "either to please or to educate" "aut delectare aut prodesse est".

An article in the New York Times: "Commoner Captures Princess, Blog Version." Ann Althouse 2009

Tendit dum libet pedibus, quandoque vectatur equo, interdum ducitur vehiculo, nonnunquam vult ferri gestatorio, vel certè puellaribus brachijs, et visitat saepissimè praefatum praeciosius ædificium: atque hijs et modis alijs excogitat delectare visum pulchris, auditum suauibus, olfactum redolentibus, tactum lenibus, et gustum pascere delicatis.

The Voyages and Travels of Sir John Mandeville 2004

Tendit dum libet pedibus, quandoque vectatur equo, interdum ducitur vehiculo, nonnunquam vult ferri gestatorio, vel cert� puellaribus brachijs, et visitat saepissim� praefatum praeciosius 鎑ificium: atque hijs et modis alijs excogitat delectare visum pulchris, auditum suauibus, olfactum redolentibus, tactum lenibus, et gustum pascere delicatis.

The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation 2003

If this be so, the suggested derivations from the adjective _light_, and from the substantive _light_, fall to the ground: but MR. HICKSON will have been right in distinguishing Shakspeare's _delighted_ from the participle of the usual verb _to delight, delectare_ = gratify.

Notes and Queries, Number 39, July 27, 1850 Various

[266.1] "Aut prodesse volunt aut delectare poetae."

An Apology for the Life of Mr. Colley Cibber, Volume I 1889

Oportet igitur eloquentem ecclesiasticum, quando suadet aliquid quod agendum est, non solum docere ut instruat, et delectare ut teneat, verum etiam flectere ut vincat.

The Preacher and His Models The Yale Lectures on Preaching 1891 James Stalker 1887

Deinde addidit: Docere necessitatis est, delectare suavitatis, flectere victoriae ....

The Preacher and His Models The Yale Lectures on Preaching 1891 James Stalker 1887

Many books have nothing in them, but specious titles to commend them, they do nothing less than what they promise, they have a large and fair entry, which leads only into a poor cottage, but the scriptures have no hyperbolic and superlative styles to allure men, they hold out a plain and common gate and entry which will undoubtedly lead to a pleasant palace, others _et prodesse volunt et delectare_, but these certainly _et prodesse volunt et possunt_, — they both can profit you and will profit you.

The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning Hugh Binning 1640

Snfunt quoque, quae alios delectare poflint} cet trita nonnulla et falfa occurrant.

Bibliotheca historica. A.I.G. Meuselio ita digesta ut pæne novum opus videri possit 1793