I.to touch, feel, handle any thing (class.).
I. Lit.: “papillam,” Plaut. As. 1, 3, 71: “mullos,” Cic. Par. 5, 2, 38: “bestias manibus, Auct. B. afr. 72: arma,” Plin. 25, 6, 30, § 66: “caput dormienti,” Just. 1, 9, 17: “corpus hominis,” App. Flor. p. 362.—
II. Trop., to busy or occupy one's self with any thing, to handle, treat, to investigate, study any thing: “mentem omni cogitatione pertractans,” Cic. Fin. 2, 35, 118: “sensus mentesque hominum,” id. de Or. 1, 51, 222: “narrationem,” id. Inv. 2, 14, 45: “ad totam philosophiam pertractandam se dare,” id. N. D. 1, 4, 9: “pertractare ea quae rem continent,” id. Tusc. 4, 10, 23: “primum quae scripsi mecum ipse pertracto,” Plin. Ep. 7, 17, 7: “pertractare visu vulnera,” to explore, scan, Sil. 10, 452: mente, Vulg. Nahum. 1, 11.—Hence, * per-tractātē , adv., in a well-considered manner, elaborately, systematically: “nam pertractate facta est (fabula),” i. e. with a moral in view, Plaut. Capt. prol. 55.
