fi eed 
The author therefore of the article Aorift in the Nouvelle Ency- 
clopedie fhould not have laughed fo unmercifully at Mr. Demandre 
for giving the name of definites to tenfes which marked the paft 
time zndefinttely ; “ an odd reafon,” fays the article, “ and Mr. 
“* Demandre fhould have underftood himfelf before he began to 
“© write.” Mr. Demandre’s ideas were probably clearer than the 
critic's; but he leaves room for the criticifm, by referring the 
word definite to time. If he had, with me, intended the word 
to mark the perfetion or completion of action, the feeming con- 
tradiGtion would have vanifhed. 
6. To illuftrate this ftill further, Z wrzte, in one way of ufing 
the word, may be a definite, to wit, “ Iam a writer or author;” 
this is definite, for it expreffes imperfection, to wit, “ that I con- 
“ tinue to be fo,” but it immediately ceafes to refer to any precife 
point of time, though it does to the prefent epocha in general. 
On the other hand, J wrzte, the indefinite, meaning the mecha- 
nical at of writing, applies to this prefent individual moment, 
without exprefling extended time. 
7. So in other examples given by Dr. Beattie, of what he calls 
prefent indefinites, (and what I would call prefent definites). 
“* God is good,” “ two and two are four.” Thefe propofitions 
muft ever continue to be true. The time of the exiftence of thefe 
truths never can be perfe@ly paft; therefore they do not refer to 
any particular time or part of time. 
8. In the meaning which I have affigned to indefinites Mr. 
Harris agrees with me, though in a different mode of expreffion. 
. By 
