MOODS of VERB S. 235 



of DEMOSTHENES. H (BxXstrds, sits pot, wsguovrsg etXX^Xwv vvvb&vsffbcu 

 zaroc rqv ccyopcw, \syzrcci rt kocivov; ysvoiro yag uv ri Kauvorsgov, q M-ocksouv 

 uvqg AOqvaiovg KCirocToXs^uv, xa; rcc ruv "EWtjvoov tiioiKav ; rsQvqits QiXik- 

 rog ; ov y,a, At 1 aXX' a.<rdsvsr ri ($' v^iv diaipsgst ; &c. 



The juftnefs of Longinus's remark on this pafTage, and 

 indeed his general obfervation with refpect to the animation and 

 force of interrogation, employed as a figure of rhetoric, can, 

 I think, admit of no difpute. But even the truth of it, and 

 our ready acquiefcence in it, implies that he was, and that we 

 too are, fenfible of fomething more animated and forcible in 

 an interrogation, even literally employed, as in common life, 

 than in a circuitous expreflion of the fame thought ; elfe it 

 never could have been employed, nor thought of, as an ani- 

 mated figure of fpeech. 



Even the fimple interrogation, Who is that? is evidently 

 more animated and forcible, as well as more concife, than I de- 

 fire you to tell me who that is, or / defire to he informed who that is. 

 The fame is equally obvious with refpect to go, come, do this, 

 te fpeclem, te teneam, vy.iv y,sv dsoi dotev, if we compare them with 

 / order you to go, I command you to come, I defire you to do this, 

 cupio te fpeclare, opto te tenere, "k(trroy,u,i rag 6sxg vy.iv hdovoit, or, 

 "hsy — Xitra- — Qsvg vyuv lo — ; which is employing merely the 

 roots, without any inflection whatever of the three verbs, the 

 meaning of all of which, to wit, affirmation, wifh, and giving, 

 is briefly, but fully and clearly, and confequently forcibly ex- 

 prefled by the Greek optative hoisv. 



The more urgent the occafion is, and the more interefted 

 the paflions become, the more important is the brevity and 

 force of thefe moods to the expreflion of our thoughts. This, 

 which is obvious even in common life, is ftill more ftriking in 

 thofe animated and interefting reprefentations of real life, which 

 we have in dramatic poetry ; to a great part of which it may 

 fairly be faid that thefe moods are effential. 



G g 2 In 



