The Mode is the Manner of representing the Being, Action, or Paffion. When it is fimply declared, or a question is afked, in order to obtain a declaration concerning it, it is called the Indicative Mode; as, "I love; lovest thou?" when it is bidden, it is called the Imperative; as, "love thou" when it is fubjoined as the end or defign, or mentioned under a condition, a fuppofition, or the like, for the most part de pending on fome other Verb, and having a Con junction before it, it is called the Subjunctive; as, "If I love; if thou love" when it is barely expreffed without any limitation of perfon or number, it is called the Infinitive; as, to love;" and when it is expreffed in a form in which it may be joined to a Noun as its quality or accident, partaking thereby of the nature of an Adjective, it is called the Participle; * loving [4]."

as,

[4] A Mode is a particular form of the Verb, denoting the manner in which a thing is, does, or fuffers: or expressing an intention of mind concerning such being, doing, or suffering. As far as Grammar is concerned, there are no more Modes in any language, than there are Forms of the Verb appropriated to the denoting of fuch different manners of reprefentation. For instance; the Greeks have a peculiar form of the Verb, by which they exprefs the fubject, or matter, of a Wish; which properly constitutes an Optative Mode: but the Latins have no fuch form; the fubject of a Wish in their language is subjoined to the Wish itself either expreffed or implied, as subsequent to it and depending on it: they have therefore no Optative Mode; but what is expreffed in

But

But to exprefs the Time of the Verb the English ufes alfo the affiftance of other Verbs,

that Mode in Greek falls properly under the Subjunctive Mode in Latin. For the fame reafon, in English the feveral expreffions of Conditional Will, Poffibility, Liberty, Obligation, &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 something 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 fame 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 thake? whose solid virtue

The fhot of accident, or dart of chance,

Could neither raze, nor pierce?"

Id. Othello.

Thefe fentences 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 Univerfal Grammar, there are in English no other Grammatical Modes than those above described.

As in Latin the Subjunctive fupplies the want of an Optative Mode, fo does it likewife in English, with the Auxiliary may placed before the Nominative Cafe: as, "Long may be live!"

called therefore 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 fall, 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,

Sometimes, chiefly when Almighty God is the Subject, the Auxis liary is omitted: as, "The LORD bless thee, keep thee !" Numb. vi. 24. But the phrafe with the Pronoun is obfolete: as; “Unto which he vouchsafe to bring us all!" Liturgy.

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 if 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 itself affo; which certain ancient Grammarians of great authority held to 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 difafed, and the Plural You is employed instead of it: we fay, You have; not, Thou baft. Though in this cafe we apply You to a fingle Perfon, yet the Verb too must agree with it in the Plural

Paft

Number: it must neceffarily be, You have; not, You bast. You was, the Second Perfon Plural of the Pronoun placed in agreement with the First or Third Perfon Singular of the Verb, is an enor mous Solecism: and yet Authors of the firft rank have inadver tently fallen into it. "Knowing that you was my old master'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 just 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 fingle Perfon. This 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 touchedft, or didft touch, in the Verb, as it indifpenfably ought to be, in the one or the other, of these two forms: You, who toucked; or Thou, who touchedft, or didft touch.

"What art show, speak, that on designs unknown,
While others fleep, thus
range the

camp alone?"

Pope's Iliad, x, go.

"Accept thefe grateful tears; for thee they flow; For thee, that ever felt another's woe." Ib. xix. 319. "Faultless thou dropt from his unerring skill,"

Dr. Arbuthnot, Dodfley's Poems, vol. i.

Again:
"Just of thy word, in every thought sincere;

Who knew no wish, but what the world might hear."

Pope, Epitaph.

Future

it ought to be your in the first line, or kneweft in the fecond.

C 2

1. I fhall, or will,

Future Time.

We

fhall,

2. Thou shalt, or wilt [7], have; Ye or will,

Imperative Mode.

3. He fhall, or will,

1. Let me have,

2. Have thou,

They

have.

Let us have,

Have ye,

or, Do thou have,

3. Let him have;

or, Do ye have, Let them have.

In order to avoid this Grammatical Inconvenience, the two dif tinct forms of Thou and You are often used promifcuoufty by our modern Poets, in the fame Poem, in the fame Paragraph, and even in the fame Sentence; very inelegantly and improperly : "Now, now, I seize, I clasp thy charms; And now you burst, ah cruel! from my arms.'

Pope.

[6] Hath properly belongs to the ferious and folemn ftyle; bat, to the familiar. The fame may be observed of doth and does,

"But, confounded with thy art,

Inquires her name, that bas his heart."

"Th' unwearied Sun from day to day

Does his Creator's pow'r display."

Waller.

Addifon

The nature of the style, as well as the harmony of the verse, seems to require in thefe places bath and dotb.

[7] The Auxiliary Verb will is always thus formed in the fecond and third Perfons fingular: but the Verb to will, not be ing an Auxiliary, is formed regularly in thofe Perfons: I will, Thou willeft, He willeth, or wills. "Thou, that art the author and bestower of life, canft doubtless reftore it alfo, if thou will', and when thou will: but whether thou will [wilt] please to restore it, or not, that Thou alone knoweft." Atterbury, Serm. I. 7.

Subjunctive