MOODS of VERB S. 215 



more accurately the nature of the energies, actions, or accidents 

 denoted ,v »y the moods of verbs. 



Yet, iVom his uniformly employing the term energy to de- 

 note the general import of all moods, we may prefume, that 

 he had fome conception of that intimate relation between the 

 import of the accidents of fome and that of the moods of all 

 verbs. For he mull have known, that energy, though a com- 

 pound Greek word, and adlion, though a fimple Latin word, 

 when applied to the operations of mind, are perfectly fynony- 

 mous ; and he very properly mentions action as one of the chief 

 accidents denoted by verbs. 



His definition might even be fairly ftated thus. " A verb 

 *' is a word chiefly fignificant of accident, of the accident of 

 " the mind of the fpeaker relative to that accident," &c. For 

 this is only fubftituting the generic term accident for the fpecific 

 term energy or aciionj fo that the propofition, though lefs parti- 

 cular and accurate, would dill be true. 



II. That the energies exprefTed by the moods of verbs are 

 chiefly the facial operations of mind, as they have been very 

 properly termed by Dr Reid ; that is to fay, fuch as imply the 

 belief of fome other intelligent being to whom they relate, and 

 which cannot be fuppofed to take place in a folitary being. 



III. That the grammatical moods of verbs are concife modes 

 of expreffing fome of thofe combinations of thoughts, which 

 occur moll frequently, and are mod important and flriking. 



IV. That the number of grammatical moods is limited by 

 the fame circumftances which feem to limit the variety, preci- 

 fion, and perfection of language, in other refpects ; and parti- 

 cularly by the convenience of thofe who ufe it, and who in 

 general will have no more moods to their verbs, and no more 

 words or inflections of any kind, than they have abfolute oc- 



cafion 



