OF ARTS AND SCIENCES : DECEMBER 6, 1864. 367 



expressed by the tense of the indicative, that mood in both Greek and 

 Latin having a tense for every variety of present, past, and future 

 time. 



11. Tlie great cause of obscurity on this point seems to be the dif- 

 ficulty of finding a proper definition of the use of the subjunctive in 

 protasis, and the supposed necessity of putting the indicative in strong 

 antithesis to this mood. Most grammarians assign to the Greek sub- 

 junctive in protasis the expression of possibility : thus Kriiger, whose 

 statement of the use of the indicative is by itself satisfactory, consid- 

 ers the subjunctive to denote " objective possibihty " ; Madvig says it 

 expresses " what is possible now or in the future." Biiumlein (in his 

 Untersuchungen uher die Griechisclien Modi) considers it in this and 

 in all its uses to denote "a tendency to reality" (erne Tendenz ziir 

 Wirklichkeii). As to the Latin subjunctive, we find a most remarkable 

 diversity of opinion among the best grammarians. Thus Zurapt says 

 that the present and perfect subjunctive with si, &c., imply that the 

 supposition conforms or may conform to the actual fact (dass die That 

 ihr entspricht, oder entsprechen Jcann). Madvig, on the other hand, 

 tells us that the present subjunctive with si, &c., expresses a possible 

 condition, which is supposed to be realized in the present and future, 

 implying, however, that it is not or will not be realized in fact. (His 

 words are. Das Prcisens im Conj. tcird gebraucht, wenn man eine noch 

 mogliche Bedingung als jetzt oder in der Zukunft stattjindend annimmt 

 und versuchsweise denkt, aber zugleich bezeichnet, dass sie doch nicht 

 wirklich ist oder werden wird). This disagreement between two such 

 scholars on so fundamental a matter is a strong proof that they both 

 look for the essential principle of the subjunctive where it cannot be 

 found. Each finds it easy to form or select an example adapted to his 

 own theory. Thus Zumpt gives " si velit, if he wish, or may wish, it 

 being implied that he either does wish, or at least may wish," — and 

 quotes. Dies deficiat, si velim numerare, &c. Madvig quotes. Me dies, 

 vox, latera deficiant, si hoc nunc vociferari velim, "as I may do, but 

 do not intend to do." These specimens will at least show that the 

 question we are discussing is not a settled one, beyond the need of a 

 new investigation. 



In one point all these authorities agree, — in looking for some prin- 

 ciple on which the use of the subjunctive depends, to be found either 

 in the nature of the act supposed or in the manner in which the 

 speaker conceives it. This, it seems to me, is the rock upon which 



