Universal 
Grammar. 
“Indicative 
use of the 
pluperfect. 
The future. 
Use of the 
subjunctive 
én interro- 
gation. 
Theory of 
Dr Gre- 
gory. 
434 
first suggested. The expedients adopted for varying 
Pe oe rt and fitting them for expressing, different 
particular meanings with precision, are entirely arbitra- 
‘ry, and often consist in an advantage taken of acciden- 
tal original synonymes. This last, stage of variation. is 
‘that which has given the, Latin language the form in 
which it is found in the writings of the classics, The 
varieties of phrase are not in general founded on corre- 
sponding differences in the direct etymological origin of 
the words. The indicative uses of the subjunctive mood 
therefore may on the whole be considered as. elliptical. 
The pluperfect subjunctive, when, used. indicatively, 
expresses a conditional assertion concerning the past, 
This is the meaning of it in the example already men- 
tioned, periissel, « he would have perished.” . Some- 
times it may be translated by ‘ ought to haye.” Thus 
in the fourth book of the Aineid, after Dido’s volun- 
tary death, her sister says, eadem me ad fata VOCASSES, 
« You ought to have invited me to share your fate.” 
This is a conditional preterite, and may be considered 
as implying, ‘If this had been the character: of past 
events, all would have been well.” . The past.is sub- 
joined to an implied regret, and resembles such an el- 
A as the following English phrase. “ If I had but 
seen him before he died !” 
The future subjunctive is justly considered as differ~ 
ing slightly in tense from the future indicative, by ex- 
pressing the ‘+ future completion, ofan event.” But it is 
not on that account deprived of the. peculiar character 
of the subjunctive mood ; nor can we think, with some,, 
that it differs from the future indicativein'tense alone. It 
is not used, in general, for the simple and unconditional 
assertion of this species of futurity. It is not probable, for 
instance, that it would be used for expressing the asser~ 
tion in the following sentence: ‘* As soon as you have fi- 
nished your letter, 1 shall have finished mine.” That the 
tense in this sentence may be literally expressed in Latin, 
the passive voice is preferred, as it supplies an indicative 
tense of this sort by the combination of the future in- 
dicative of the substantive verb with the past partici- 
ple. Quam literas tuas  scripseris, mew. etiam FINIT A 
gruNt. This combination is denominated in our gram- 
mars a future subjunctive of the passive voice... The 
cause of this denomination is, that it is similar in. tense, 
It unquestionably belongs to the indicative mood, while 
the others coupled with. itin our grammars are subjune- 
tive. The future of the subjunctive is indeed. like its 
other tenses used indicatively ; but like these others it 
is limited to uncertain and hypothetical assertions. 
The subjunctive mood of the verb is'on the whole a 
generic form applied chiefly to two less general. uses,.viz, 
subjunction, and the assertion of uncertain.or condition- 
al connections betwixt different objects. The property 
which these two uses of the. verb have in common is 
uncertainty. There is one use of this mood which we 
have not hitherto mentioned, as it. did not require to be 
separately illustrated, to. wit, interrogation ; as in this 
phrase, An sit quies scelerato? This will be considered 
as an instance of subjunction by those who allow, what 
we shall afterwards more fully state, that an interroga- 
tive sentence implies the imperative of the verb “ to tell.” 
Quis est signifies Dic mihi quis est. From this. it fol 
lows, as well as from the obvious nature of a ques 
tion, that uncertainty is also involved in that .applica- 
tion of the subjunctive. Its imperative application has 
vem already stated to be an instance of subjunction by 
ellipsis, ; 
In Dr Gregory’s memoir On the Theory of the Moods 
of Verbs, contained in the 2d vol. of the Edinburgh Phi- 
losophical Transactions, there are some apposite. obser- 
GRAMMAR. 
vations on the application of the subjunctive mood to a 
great variety of phrases mutually us, which had 
occasioned some difficulty, That author considers the ™ 
moods of the verb as formed for giving a direct repre. _ 
sentation of the feelings, intentions, or present actions - 
of the speaker, and resolves them into a variety of affir- 
mations in the first person singular. Oro or jubeo is, 
according to this theory, implied in the imperative ; dico, 
in the indicative ; opto, in the expression of wishes, and 
a variety of others on different occasions as suited to the 
various applications of the subjunctive. _ From the great 
diversity of feelings and purposes which may actuate 
a speaker, he infers that the real moods are too ntt- 
merous to be expressed by separate modifications of the 
verb without rendering language cumbersome and com« 
plicated ; but that those which are most common are 
expressed. in this manner, for the sake of giving a con 
densed force to the utterance of human thought. 
The view which we have given of the moods of verbs, 
and of language in general, differs from the princi ) 
now mentioned., We have considered language as not “ 
originally directed to the object of expressing sponta» 
neously and naturally our own thoughts, It executes 
our purposes, by arranging the signs of thought in that 
order which is in our opinion best fitted to influence 
another person ; an object which may be sometimes most 
successfully accomplished by concealing our own senti- 
ments. To express our mode of thinking is indeed. a very 
frequent object of language, and naturally has certain 
contrivances adapted,to it ; but to tell that we are speak= 
ing or asserting, seems to constitute no part of its object’ 
in addition to the use of the signs fitted for orming 
that office. The author, therefore, acknowledges that 
his principles have not. so full an application to the ins ( 
dicative as to the other moods, 
With whatever degreeof vehemence or of delicacymen 
wish to express their feelings, they are provided with 
means adapted to their object. Significant gestures and 
tones independent of language may be employed.. When = 
it is thought proper to exhibit the same animation in the 
form of written language, syllabic imitations of involun« 
tary exclamations are committed to writing, and are afters 
wards employed by rule. We. sometimes execute the 
same purpose by placing our communicable ideas in such 
a rts of view as tends to produce in others the feelings 
which occupy our own minds; sometimes by describing 
in more deliberate and explicit language the manner in 
which we are affected. La is on other occasions 
fitted for expressing the feelings of the speaker by el- 
liptical turns. of phrase, in which more is at first meant 
than is verbally stated.. These phrases are afterwards 
appropriated to. the expression of specific feelings. 
Moods of the verb which were originally of a more ges 
neral meaning may, by transpositions of words, or by an 
abruptness in. the manner of their introduction, besub+ 
jected. to such diversities as-to become characteristic of 
the most vehement, the most rapid, or the most’subtile 
modifications of sentiment. For example, instead of 
telling that we wish for the occurrence of a i 
event, we may. express the ardour of our wishes by the 
exclamation “ oh.’? ‘ Oh that. he would return!” Or, 
without.such an exclamation, we’ may: say, ‘ That) he 
would return!” or, “ That-he would. but return !”’ The 
Romans may be supposed _ to have at-one time been/in 
the habit of using eroul ui in this manner, Uti 
diret! But, as this might have beenambiguous from'be« 
ing too general, and might be sup Y 
signify some purpose entertained in) they 
another act, as, uli rediret, veniamei pollicate sunt; another + 
particle nam is introduced to indicate that this: kind of 
