244 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. 
It would seem accordingly that what occasioned subjunctive 
usage must have been dependence. Yet conceivably the fear¬ 
ing might have a contributory influence. Let it then appear 
how far dependence can develop subjunctive usage, without 
cooperation on the part of fear. In short, let fear be replaced 
by any other idea, e. g. belief or knowledge. Accordingly, “I 
believe or I know that he has come.” In this expression un¬ 
deniably the indicative spelling and pronunciation prevail. But 
the coordinate “I don’t believe that he has come” can hardly 
be held to intend the “has” to be taken as assertive; for, if 
it so be taken, the speaker is expressing by “I don’t believe” 
an absence of belief in what, by “he has come,” he expresses 
himself as believing. Obviously what is intended is no more 
than what is intended by “I don’t believe him to have come.” 
Analogously, what is intended by “I believe (or “know”) that 
he has come” is presumably no more than what is intended by 
“I believe (or “know”) him to have come.” In short, the value 
of “has” is really subjunctive. Otherwise—that is, if “has” 
were indicative=assertive=expressive of belief, or knowledge 
—“I believe or know” would be the merest repetition, equally 
vexatious to the speaker and the hearer. 
The Grammar rule accordingly may be restated thus: Strictly 
dependent clauses require unassertive forms of the verb; the 
particular form conventionally employed in a dependent sub¬ 
stantive clause, to express what is feared, is, in Latin, the 
subjunctive. 88 
Accordingly the clauses most of all in need of explanation 
are those in which the verb of the dependent clause appears 
to be indicative—clauses sometimes to be explained as exhibit¬ 
ing unassertion followed by assertion (see pp. 129-134)—more 
often, as employing an indicative form with subjunctive value. 
88 The reasons, independent of conventionality, which, in the sub¬ 
stantive clause, determine the use of rather one (e. g. the subjunctive) 
than another variety of verbal noun, will be examined later. 
