conjugated without auxiliaries. The Subjunctive too will fare no better; fince it so nearly resembles the Indicative, and is formed by means of conjunctions, expreffed or understood, which do not more effectually fhow the varied intentions of the mind, than the auxiliaries do which are used to form the Potential Mood.

Some writers have given our moods a much greater extent than we have affigned to them. They affert that the English language may be faid, without any great impropriety, to have as many moods as it has auxiliary verbs ; and they allege, in fupport of their opinion, that the compound expreffions which they help to form, point out those various difpofitions and actions, which, in other languages, are expreffed by moods. This would be to multiply the moods without advantage. It is, however, certain, that the conjugation or variation of verbs, in the English language, is effected, almost entirely, by the means of auxiliaries. We must, therefore, accommodate ourselves to this circumstance; and do that by their assistance, which has been done in the learned languages, (a few inftances to the contrary excepted,) in another manner, namely, by varying the form of the verb itself. At the fame time, it is neceffary to fet proper bounds to this bufinefs, fo as not to occafion obfcurity and perplexity, when we mean to be fimple and perfpicuous. Inftead, therefore, of making a feparate mood for every auxiliary verb, and introducing moods Interrogative, Optative, Promiffive, Hortative, Precative, &c. we have exhibited fuch only as are obviously distinct; and which, whilst they are calculated to unfold and display the fubject intelligibly to the learner, feem to be fufficient, and not more than fufficient, to answer all the purposes for which moods were introduced.

From Grammarians who form their ideas, and make their decifions, respecting this part of English Grammar, on the principles and conftruction of languages, which, in thefe points, do not fuit the peculiar nature of our own, but differ confiderably from it, we may very naturally expect grammatical schemes that are neither perfpicuous nor confiftent, and which will tend more to perplex than inform the learner. See pages 84, 85.

SECT. 5. Of the Tenfes.

TENSE, being the diftinction of time, might feem to admit only of the present, past, and future; but to mark it more accurately, it is made to confift of fix variations, viz. the PRESENT, the IMPERFECT, the PERFECT, the PLUPERFECT, and the FIRST. and SECOND FUTURE TENSES.

The Prefent Tenfe reprefents an action or event as paffing at the time in which it is mentioned : as, "I rule; I am ruled; I think; I fear." ;

The prefent tenfe likewife expreffes a character, quality, &c. at prefent exifting: as, "He is an able man ;"" She is an amiable woman." It is alfo ufed in fpeaking of actions continued, with occafional intermiffions, to the prefent time: as, "He frequently rides ;" "He walks out every morning;" "He goes into the country every fummer." We fometimes apply this tenfe even to perfons long fince dead as, "Seneca reafons and moralizes well;" "Job fpeaks feelingly of his afflictions."

The prefent tenfe, preceded by the words, when, before, after, as foon as, &c. is fometimes used to point out the relative time of a future action: as, "When he arrives he will hear the news;" "He will hear the news before he arrives, or as foon as he arrives, or, at farthest, soon after he arrives ;""The more fhe improves, the more amiable fhe will be."

In animated historical narrations, this tense is sometimes fubftituted for the imperfect tenfe : as, "He enters the territory of the peaceable inhabitants; he fights and conquers, takes an immenfe booty, which he divides amongst his foldiers, and returns home to enjoy an empty triumph."

The Imperfect Tenfe reprefents the action or event, either as past and finished, or as remaining unfinished at a certain time past: as, "I loved her

for her modesty and virtue;" "They were travelling poft when he met them."

The Perfect Tenfe not only refers to what is paft, but also conveys an allufion to the prefent time: as, (6 I have finished my letter;" "I have feen the perfon that was recommended to me."

:

In the former example, it is fignified that the finishing of the letter, though pait, was at a period immediately, or very nearly, preceding the prefent time. In the latter inftance, it is uncertain whether the perfon mentioned was feen by the fpeaker a long or fhort time before. The meaning is, "I have feen him fome time in the courfe of a period, which includes, or comes to, the present time." When the particular time of any occurrence is fpecified, as prior to the prefent time, this tenfe is not used for it would be improper to fay, "I have feen him yesterday;" or, "I have finished my work laft week." In thefe cafes the imperfect is neceffary: as, "I faw him yesterday ;" "I finished my work laft week." But when we fpeak indefinitely of any thing paft, as happening or not happening in the day, year, or age, in which we mention it, the perfect must be employed as, "I have been there this morning ;" "I have travelled much this year :" "We have efcaped many dangers through life." In referring, however, to fuch a divifion of the day as is past before the time of our fpeaking, we ufe the imperfect : as, They came home this morn;" "He was with them this afternoon." The perfect tenfe, and the imperfect tenfe, both denote a thing that is paft; but the former denotes it in fuch a manner, that there is still actually remaining fome part of the time to flide away, wherein we declare the thing has been done; whereas the imperfect denotes the thing or action paft in fuch a manner, that nothing remains of that time in which it was done. If we fpeak of the prefent century, we fay, "Philofophers have made great difcoveries in the prefent century:" but if we fpeak of the laft century, we fay, "Philofophers made great difcoveries in the laft cen

ing;"

66

tury." "He has been much afflicted this year;" "I have this week read the king's proclamation;" "I have heard great news this morning :" in thefe inftances, "He has been," "I have read," and "heard," denote things that are paft: but they occurred in this year, in this week, and today; and still there remains a part of this year, week, and day whereof I fpeak.

In general, the perfect tenfe may be applied wherever the action is connected with the present time, by the actual existence, either of the author, or of the work, though it may have been performed many centuries ago; but if neither the author nor the work now remains, it cannot be ufed. We may fay, "Cicero has written orations ;" but we cannot fay, "Cicero has written poems;" because the orations are in being, but the poems are loft. Speaking of priefts in general, we may fay, "They have in all ages claimed great powers;" because the general order of the priesthood still exifts: but if we speak of the Druids, or any particular order of priests, which does not now exist, we cannot use this tenfe. We cannot fay, "The Druid priefts have claimed great powers; but muft fay, "The Druid priests claimed great powers;" because that order is now totally extinct. See PICKBOURN on the English verb.

The Pluperfect Tenfe reprefents a thing, not only as paft, but also as prior to fome other point of time specified in the fentence: as, "I had finished my letter before he arrived."

The First Future Tense represents the action as yet to come, either with or without refpect to the precife time: as, "The fun will rife to-morrow;" "I shall see them again."

The Second Future intimates that the action will be fully accomplished, at or before the time of another future action or event: as, "I fhall have dined at one o'clock;" "The two houfes will

have finished their bufinefs, when the king comes to prorogue them."

It is to be observed, that in the fubjunctive mood, the event being spoken of under a condition or fuppofition, or in the form of a wish, and therefore as doubtful and contingent, the verb itself in the prefent, and the auxiliary both of the present and paft imperfect times, often carry with them fomewhat of a future tenfe: as, "If he come to-morrow, I may speak to him ;"" If he fhould, or would come to-morrow, I might, would, could, or fhould fpeak to him." Obferve alfo, that the auxiliaries Should and would, in the imperfect times, are used to exprefs the fent and future as well as the paft: as, "It is my defire, that he fhould, or would, come now, or to-morrow;" as well as, "It was my defire, that he should or would come yesterday." So that in this mood the precife time of the verb is very much determined by the nature and drift of the sentence.

pre

The prefent, paft, and future tenfes, may be ufed either definitely or indefinitely, both with respect to time and action. When they denote cuftoms or habits, and not individual acts, they are applied indefinitely: as, "Virtue promotes happiness ;" "The old Romans governed by benefits more than by fear;" "I shall hereafter employ my time more usefully." In thefe examples, the words, promotes, governed, and shall employ, are used indefinitely, both in regard to action and time; for they are not confined to individual actions, nor to any precife points of present, past, or future time. When they are applied to fignify particular actions, and to ascertain the precife points of time to which they are confined, they are used definitely; as in the following inftances. My brother is writing ;" "He built the houfe laft fummer, but did not inhabit it till yesterday." "He will write another letter to-morrow."

6.

The different teníes alfo reprefent an action as complete or perfect, or as incomplete or imperfed. In the phrases, "I am writing," "I was writing," I fhall be writing," imperfect, unfinished actions are fignified. But the follow