GRAMMAR. 395. 
nal ther than any: cco of dead unchangeable mater, H 
lar in beeeedd ton motions of the most palpable tia 
kind, and then gradually becomes acquainted with more 
- delicate phenomena, such as the motions and changes 
of the human countenance, which he infers the 
existence of thoughts’ in other persons, and judges of 
their nature. In acquiring this knowledge, he is gui- 
ded by a and by a comparison betwixt the 
motions of others and those of which he is conscious as 
the natural accompaniments of his own thoughts. _- 
The helplessness of man as an individual, and the 
- support which he is capable of deriving from the ser- 
vices of his fellows, create perpetual occasions on which 
he wishes for their assistance ; and one of the-earliest 
as well as the most frequent objects of his es is to 
influence them to orm those motions for which he 
finds occasion. These nécessities are prior:to the mere 
luxury of a mutual communication of knowledge and 
opinion. This fact seems to oe out imperative sen-~ 
tences as the earliest forms o ee 
On this account, it is not historically correct to con- 
sider the imperatives J, veni, fac, and dic, as brief modes 
invented in the progress of language for expressing 
thoughts originally conveyed by means of such affirma- 
tive sentences as jubeo' or precor te ire, venire, facere, 
and dicere. The act of commanding, or uesting, 
does not require to be mentioned. It is ly exhi- 
~" hited. Jubeo te ire is something more than J. It is a 
in the form of an affirmative sentence ; and 
| the same relation to this imperative which the sen- 
tence “I affirm that man is mortal,’ has to the shorter 
one, ‘* Man is mortal.’”” When we speak, there is no 
meaning in affirming that we speak; and in like man- 
ner, when we give a command, or make a request, there 
is no meaning in telling that we do so, unless we intend 
to enforce a iance with our wishes by an addition- 
al idea contained in the verb prefixed, as by addressing 
ourselves particularly to the fears of another in the ver! 
jubeo, rine his kindness in the verb precor.. A com- 
mand it, in strict propriety, to be given, before it 
can Seccuae the subject of an afhemations- 
_ As the imperative is an immediate consequence of 
our wishes, advantage might be taken of that circum- 
stance to represent it as'an “assertion that such wishes 
exist.” But the circumstance of being the consequence 
of our wishes is common to it with all our actions, as 
well as all our words. It is rather, however, to be con- 
sidered as an execution of our wishes, than an assertion 
of their existence. It is a call of attention; a mode of 
influencing the volitions of other persons, and thus pro- 
ducing, on their part, certain trains of action. 
impera- ~ Incortoboration of this view of the subject, we find that 
fh) 
lbvn 
_— 
Nes 
form in t 
words signifying voluntary motion exist in the shortest 
fhe imperative of the verb. This isthe case in all 
the languages, ancient and modern, which we have had 
access to examine. Exemplifications of this in the Latin 
language are afforded in the words already named, J, vent, 
” fac, dic, and duc; or the common examples of the conju- 
ions in elementary grammars, ama, doce, lege, audi. 
he same comparative brevity takes place in the English. 
language, as in the words, “ go,” come,” “ do,” “ say,” 
bring,” “love,” “ teach,” “ read,” and “hear,’”? which 
never stand by themselves except in the imperative mood. 
Even when the idea expressed by any verb, in either lan- 
guage, is introduced as an object ing which an as- 
sertion is to be made, the word employed is longer than 
the imperative. In Latin, the sylable reis in this case 
added to those which constitute the imperative. From a- 
ma we have ama-re, and from the other imperatives, do- 
ce-re, lege-ne, and audi-RE; also, i-RE, veni-RE, dice-RE, 
ERE, duc-ERE, In-English, we prefix the word ro, or Universal 
add the syllable 1No ; as, To read or read-ing is an im- Graunar. 
roving occupation.” « Men of intellectual refinementde- “~*~” 
light in read-ing, or delight to read.”” In some instances, 
the word is equally short in its application to other uses 
as in the imperative. Of this the noun “love” is an ex- 
ample, being equally short, and indeed the same word, 
with the imperative of the corresponding verb. Such in- 
stances, however, are rare. Brevity, therefore, appears 
to be an original character of imperatives ; ‘a circum- 
stance conformable with the theory, that they ought 
to be considered as original modes of speech, and not 
as abbreviations of affirmative sentences. The affirma- 
tive form, instead of illustrating the imperative mood, 
renders it cumbersome, and destroys. its characteristic 
animation. 
To those who have not previously considered this Apparent 
subject, the» brevity of imperatives may appear,’ in exceptions. 
point of fact; liable to some exceptions. The Chi- 
nese language is said to. have noamperatives. That 
; however, in so-far‘as we can judge fronr our 
scanty knowledge of its structure, seems to: owe this 
psi rae na to affectation and’ refinement, which 
ve induced men in speaking: to prepare the 
hearer by means of distant and amy 2 circumlo- 
eutions, instead of using direct imperatives, in ‘order 
to avoid the apprehended: indelicacy of dictating: ar 
abrupt change of direction to his thoughts. This 
modification probably took place after men had learn- 
ed to keep their own objects and their own influence 
out of view, and to appear solely attentive to the con- 
venience and pleasure of others. | In a light nearly si- 
milar we are to consider those forms in the languages of 
modern Europe; originating in ceremony, by which 
single persons are addressed in the plural number. 
Another question may here be asked, Why does this 
alleged brevity of the imperative not extend to the third 
person, and the plural number? Why are the words,, 
amato, amate, amatote, and:amanto, corm ively long? 
Would not this fact seem to intimate that the circum- 
stance of being imperative does not of itself determine 
this brevity of form? To this we answer, that the word 
called the third person of the imperative, is not pr ss 
ly an imperative as. directed tothe person addresses 
expresses either a simple wish, or specifies some conse= 
quence of an action which the speaker wishes him to per- 
form. The command is then learned by inference, and 
not conveyed in the word. The imperative in the second. 
person of the plural number is, indeed, a real imperative; 
but it is tobe observed, that it is not of so early natural 
origin as the imperative singular. It requires a parti- 
cular arrangement to render it applicable. It implies 
not merely a wish that a certain action should be per- 
formed, but a knowledge that it is capable of being 
performed by a plurality of people, and that their cone 
currence in it will promote the same object, or fulfil a 
variety of objects that are alike desirable. Hence it 
robably deserves to be considered as equally remote 
= the original imperative with the other uses of the 
signs of locomotion. 
Since, then, imperatives are not to be considered) as The relation 
contracted affirmations, it remains to inquire in what which impe- 
relation they stand to sentences of the latter kind ? ftives bear 
Whether these are originally two. distinct species of **S*™05s- 
sentences, merely ing in the general. character 
which is common to all language, that of being intended 
ta produce appropriate thoughts in the addressed? 
In tracing the nature and origiri of human language, ay Jan. 
it appears to us, on the whole, most strictly agreeable guage 1m. 
to the natural history of our species, to consider all lan. rznarivr. 
