228 THEORY of the 



u dans l'ame des autres, le fentiment profond dont on eft pene- 

 " tre. Cette definition convient a l'eloquence meme du filence, 

 " langage energique et quelquefois fublime des grandes paf- 

 " lions ; a l'eloquence du gefte, qu'on peut appeller l'eloquence 

 " du peuple, par le pouvoir qu'elle a pour fubjuguer la multi- 

 " tude, toujours plus frappee de ce qu'elle voit que de ce qu'elle 

 " entend ; enfin a cette eloquence adroite et tranquille, qui fe 

 " borne a convaincre fans emouvoir, et qui ne cherche point a. 

 " arracher le confentement, mais a l'obtenir. Cette derniere 

 " efpece d'eloquence n'eft peutetre pas la moins puifTante ; on 

 " eft moins en garde contre l'infinuation que contre la force." 

 D'Alembert Difcours a V Academie Fran^oife^ et Reflexions fio 

 V Eloquence Oratoire. Melanges, Vol. II. p. 304, 305. 319. 



Of all the moods of thought which are commonly exprefTed 

 by grammatical moods, the indicative (comprehending the 

 fimple fubjunclive) though one of the moft important, and 

 moft frequently employed, is plainly one of the leaft animated 

 or interefting, from the nature of the thought expreffed by it, 

 which is merely proportion, that is, affirmation and negation. 

 Though animation and force be little needed, yet brevity and 

 quicknefs are of much confequence in the expreffing of this 

 combination of thoughts. Had we not an indicative mood to 

 exprefs it briefly, and in one word, our converfation and wri- 

 ting would be intolerably flow and tedious, and confequently 

 feeble and difigreeable. We mould be obliged to employ at 

 leaft two verbs inftead of one, and after all fhould have but 2. 

 very inaccurate and clumfy expreffion of a thought, which we 

 fhould wifh to communicate as precifely and diftinclly as poffi- 

 ble. Fuit Ilium could not be refolved into Dico Ilium fuijfe j 

 for dico is itfelf an indicative, refolvable in the fame way with 

 fuit j aio, inquam, q(fero, affevero, &c. me dicer e. Without the ufe 

 of grammatical moods, we could get no nearer to a refolution 

 of fuit Ilium than ego dicer e fuijfe Ilium, Or dropping the in- 

 flections which ferve to diftinguifli the infinitives from the 



moods, 



