I.to bear before, to carry in front, to hold forth.
I. Lit.
A. In gen. (class.): “dextrā ardentem facem praeferebat,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 34, § 74; cf.: “alicui facem ad libidinem,” id. Cat. 1, 6, 13: “in fascibus insignia laureae,” Caes. B. C. 3, 71: “fasces praetoribus,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 9, § 22; Ov. F. 2, 336: “claram facem praeferre pudendis,” Juv. 8, 139.—
2. Pass. with mid. force: praelatus, riding by, hurrying past: “praelatus equo,” Tac. A. 6, 35: “praelatos hostes adoriri,” Liv. 2, 14 fin.: “praeter castra sua fugā praelati,” id. 7, 24; cf. id. 33, 27.—With acc.: “castra sua praelati,” hurrying past the camp, Liv. 5, 26.—
B. In partic., to carry in front, to bear along in public, and esp. in religious and triumphal processions: “signa militaria praelata,” Liv. 3, 29; 31, 49: “Pontico triumpho trium verborum praetulit titulum: veni, vidi, vici,” Suet. Caes. 37: “statuam Circensi pompā,” id. Tit. 2.—
II. Trop.
A. In gen., to carry before, to place or set before, to offer, present (very rare): “clarissimum lumen praetulistis menti meae,” Cic. Sull. 14, 40: suam vitam, ut legem, praefert suis legibus, to carry one's life before, let it shine before as a guiding law (the image is borrowed from the bearing of torches before a thing), id. Rep. 1, 34, 52 Mos.: apud consulem causam atque excusationem, to offer as a cause, as an excuse, Sisenn. ap. Non. 58, 17.—
B. In partic.
1. To place a person or thing before another in esteem, to prefer (very freq.): “quem cui nostrum non saepe praetulit?” Cic. Att. 9, 13, 8; so, “aliquem alicui,” id. Brut. 26, 101: “se alicui,” id. de Or. 2, 84, 342; Caes. B. G. 2, 27, 2; cf.: “virtute belli praeferri omnibus nationibus,” id. ib. 5, 54, 5: “pecuniam amicitiae,” Cic. Lael. 17, 63: “jus majestatis atque imperii ipsi naturae patrioque amori, id Fin. 1, 7, 23: vestram voluntatem meis omnibus commodis et rationibus,” id. Imp. Pomp. 24, 71: “ergo ille ... ipsis est praeferendus doctoribus ... Equidem quemadmodum urbes magnas viculis et castellis praeferendas puto, sic, etc.,” id. Rep. 1, 2, 3: “Brutus cuilibet ducum praeferendus,” Vell. 2, 69, 3: “puellam puellis,” Ov. M. 4, 56; Plin. 15, 23, 25, § 94: “hoc pueris patriaeque,” Juv. 6, 111: animam praeferre pudori, id. 8, 83.—With an object-clause, to choose rather, prefer: “cur alter fratrum cessare et ludere et ungi Praeferat Herodis palmetis pinguibus,” Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 184: “ut multi praetulerint carere Penatibus,” Col. 1, 3.—
2. With ref. to time, to take beforehand, to anticipate (very rare; “not in Cic.): diem triumphi,” Liv. 39, 5, 12: “nec bonus Eurytion praelato invidit honori,” Verg. A. 5, 541; cf.: praelato die, Form. Praet. ap. Dig. 2, 13, 1; 48, 10, 28; cf. “opem,” to bring beforehand, Stat. Th. 6, 476.—
3. To show, display, exhibit, discover, manifest, expose, reveal, betray, etc. (rare but class.): cum praeferremus sensus aperte, Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 8, 4: “avaritiam praefers,” Cic. Rosc. Am. 31, 87: “amorem,” Ov. H. 17, 36: “fons Calirrhoë aquarum gloriam ipso nomine praeferens,” Plin. 5, 16, 15, § 72: “aures in equis animi indicia praeferunt,” id. 11, 37, 50, § 137: “duae aquilae omen duplicis imperii praeferentes,” Just. 12, 16: “modestiam praeferre et lasciviā uti,” Tac. A. 13, 45 (but in id. H. 5, 1, praelatis is corrupted; “the correct read. is privatis): dolorem animi vultu,” Curt. 6, 9, 1: “sapientiae studium habitu corporis,” Plin. Ep. 1, 22, 6.