But to exprefs the Time of the Verb the English ufes alfo the affiftance of other Verbs, called there &c. come all under the Subjunctive Mode. The mere expreffions of Will, Poffibility, Liberty, Obligation, &c. belong to the Indicative Mode: it is their Conditionality, their being fubfequent, and depending upon fomething preceding, that determines them to the Subjunctive Mode. And in this Grammatical Modal Form, however they may differ in other refpects Logically, or Metaphyfically, they all agree. That Will, Poffibility, Liberty, Obligation, &c. though expreffed by the same Verbs that are occafionally used as Subjunctive Auxiliaries, may belong to the Indicative Mode, will be apparent from a few examples. Which paffion could not shake? whose solid virtue The thot of accident, or dart of chance, Id. Othello. Could neither raze, nor pierce ?" These sentences are all either declarative, or fimply interrogative; and however expreffive of Will, Liberty, Poffibility, or Obligation, yet the Verbs are all of the Indicative Mode. It seems, therefore, that whatever other Metaphyfical Modes there may be in the theory of Universal Grammar, there are in English no other Grammatical Modes than those above defcribed. That the Participle is a mere Mode of the Verb, is manifeft, if our Definition of a Verb be admitted: for it fignifies being, doing, or fuffering, with the defignation of Time fuperadded. But it the effence of the Verb be made to confift in Affirmation, not only the Participle will be excluded from its place in the Verb, but the Infinitive itfelf alfo; which certain antient Grammarians of great authority held to fore fore Auxiliaries, or Helpers; do, be, have, fhall, will: as, "I do love, I did love; I am loved, I was loved; I have loved, I have been loved; I fhall, or will, love, or be loved." The two principal Auxiliaries, to have, and to be, are thus varied, according to Perfon, Number, Time, and Mode. Time is Prefent, Paft, or Future. то HAVE. Indicative Mode. Prefent Time. Perfon. } have. 3. He hath, or has [6]; They be alone the genuine Verb, denying that title to all the other Modes. See HERMES, p. 164. [5] Thou, in the Polite, and even in the Familiar Style, is difufed, and the Plural You is employed instead of it: we fay, You bave; not, Thou baft. Though in this cafe we apply You to a fingle Perfon, yet the Verb too muft agree with it in the Plural Number; it must neceffarily be, You beve; not, You haft. You was, the Second Perfon Plural of the Pronoun placed in agreement with the First or Third Perfon Singular of the Verb, is an enormous Solecifm: and yet Authors of the first rank have inadvertently fallen "Knowing that you was my old mafter's good friend." Addifon, Spect. No 517, "The account you was pleased to fend me." Bentley, Phileleuth. Lipf. Part II. See the Letter prefixed. "Would to God you was within her reach!" Bolingbroke to Swift, Letter 46. “If you was here." Ditto, Letter 47. “I am juft now as well, as when you was here." Pope to Swift, P. S. to Letter 56. On the contrary the Solemn Style admits not of You for a Single Perfon. This into it. C Paft hath led Mr. Pope into a great impropriety in the beginning of his Meffiah : "Thou my voice inspire, Who touch'd Ifaiah's hallow'd lips with fire!" The Solemnity of the Style would not admit of You for Thou in the Pronoun; nor the measure of the Verfe touched, or didft touch, in the Verb; as it indispensably ought to be, in the one, or the other, of these two forms: You, who touched or Theu, who touchedft, or didft touch. "What art thou, speak, that on defigns unknown, While others fleep, thus range the camp alone?" Pope's Iliad x. gð. « Faultless thou drept from his unerring skill.” Again : Dr. Arbuthnot; Dodfley's Poems, vol. i. "Juft of thy word, in every thought fincere; Pope, Epitaph. It ought to be your in the first line, or knewest in the fecond. In order to avoid this Grammatical Inconvenience, the two distinct forms of Thou and You are often used promifcuously by our modera Poets, in the fame Poem, in the fame Paragraph, and even in the fame Sentence; very inelegantly and improperly: "Now, now, I feize, I clafp thy charms; And now you burst, ah cruel! from my arms.' Pope. [6] Hath properly belongs to the serious and folemn ftyle; bas, to the familiar. The fame may be observed of doth and does. Prefent, To have: Paft, To have had. Participle. Prefent, Having: Perfect [8], Had: The nature of the style, as well as the harmony of the verse, seems to require in these places bath and dotb. [7] The Auxiliary Verb will is always thus formed in the second and third Perfon fingular: but the Verb to will, not being an Auxiliary, is formed regularly in thofe Perfons: I will, Thou willeft, He tuilleth, or wills. "Thou, that art the author and bestower of life, canft doubtless reftore it also, if thou will'ft, and when thou will: but whether thou will [wilt] pleafe to restore it, or not, that Thou alone knoweft." Atterbury, Serm. I. 7. [8] This Participle represents the action as complete and finished; and, being fubjoined to the Auxiliary to base, conftitutes the Perfect C 2 Times: I call it therefore the Perfect Participle. The fame, fubjoined to the Auxiliary to be, conftitutes the Paffive Verb; and in that state, or when used without the Auxiliary in a Paffive fenfe, is called the Paffive Participle. [9]" I think it be thine indeed; for thou liest in it." Shakefpear, Hamlet. Be, in the Singular Number of this Time and Mode, especially in the third Perfon, is obfolete; and is become fomewhat antiquated in the Plural. Imperative |