238 THEORT of the 



'Think of thv father, god-like Achilles, old like me, and on the 

 brink of the grave. Poflibly there is a force and propriety in the 

 ufe of the aoriftic imperative fji.vri(ra.i, inftead of the prefent im- 

 perative, which would be more intelUgible to Homer's coun- 

 trymen than it can be to us. Perhaps to them the diiFerence 

 between thofe two forms of the imperative mood might be as 

 great as it is to us between think of and be thinking of the im- 

 perative of the aorift being a more vehement, fudden and 

 urgent requeft or command than the imperative prefent ^vaou, 

 but yet not difrefpedtful, like the imperative perfeft fjuii^vna-o, 

 which, I believe, might be addreCTed to a flave, bvit could not, 

 with propriety, be employed by a fupplicant to an equal or to 

 a fu peri or. 



Some nicety and delicacy of this kind feems to be exprelTed 

 in the coiiclufion of Priam'' s fpeech, by the ufe of the impe- 

 rative prefent of one verb, and the imperative of the aorift of 

 another, in the fame line. 



AXX a-ihito Sing Aj^^iXiv, avrov r iXstia-ov, 

 M.VTia'ct.fAivog <rn ircnT^oi' 



Aihio, uiiou, aihov, is the imperative prefent of oi.ihof/.a.i ; eXujrov 

 is the imperative of the aorift of (Xion. The former feems a 

 more tranquil and cool requeft, or rather advice or fuggeftion, 

 and refers to a continued, or frequently repeated, adlion, ftate, 

 or habit, to wit reverence to the Gods. The latter is a more 

 urgent fupplication for immediate pity and favour ; as if he 

 had faid, Be ever mindful of your duty to the Gods, and injlantly (or 

 at this time, moment, l^c.) have pity on me. 



Whatever may be thought of thefe fpeculations and re- 

 finements, it can never be doubted, that if, inftead of the 

 imperative mood, we were to ufe a circumlocution, to exprefs 

 the warm and vehement fentiments of Priam, it would be in- 

 fupportable ; "Kkto-oi/.k! tri y.<jr,(r<x,(T&a.t a-n Tfctr^cg — uihic^ai rug hug — 

 aijiov iKinson. Such a flow and languid expreflion would have 



fuited 



