[ 20 ] 
upon fome occafion or other*. But that does not prevent an 
enquiry, whether they were not meant originally to exprefs dif- 
tiné& and fpecific times, and whether they are not more fre- 
quently ufed according: to thofe original meanings than to any 
other. 
To begin with the aorifts. That the aorifts are often ufed 
without difcrimination as mere paft indefinites, cannot be denied; 
but this is true alfo of the preterimperfec, and of the preterplu- 
perfe&. They are frequently ufed as paft indefinites, but no 
man would venture to fay, that the two laft are therefore not 
diftint tenfes, having proper and original meanings of a definite 
nature, as I think has alfo the firft aorift. The queftion is not 
what takes place in practice. This may arife from abufe, from 
negligence; for we may be fure that the beft Greek writers, as 
well as the beft Englifh, are fometimes negligent; or from the 
neceflity which the poets felt of accommodating the length and - 
fize 
* Wyoodxeote, ufed as a future. Bf{chines cont. Ctes, fec. 8th. Mereywoar, dysvorze, 
ufed as preterpluperfeéts. Dem. de corona, fec. so. In the 11th book of Homer, 
line 296, #€:¢rxs, ufed as an indefinite, though a preterpluperfeét. Every one knows 
that aorifts are often ufed as prefents and futures. Thefe inftances, out of ten 
thoufand, happen at this moment to occur to me; but they teem in every page of 
every Greek author ; nor is it_poffible to mifs them. It appears to me, however, and 
it may well afford matter for furprife, that the more ancient authors, and particularly 
Homer, are more nice and difcriminating in the ufe of the tenfes than the more mo- 
dern; and that Dr. Clark could not haye found any book that would have fupported 
his analogy of the tenfes nearly fo well as his and the world’s favourite author. Lan- 
guages certainly advance gradually to perfeCtion; but perhaps in fimpler times there 
is, if I may be allowed the expreflion, lefs luxury and wantonnefs in the ufe of language 
as of every thing elfe; or perhaps the ufes of life do not require fuch various appli- 
cations of it. 
