In the following sentences, both these circumstances will be found to unite, 'If thou injure another, thou wilt hurt thyself; He has a hard heart; and if he continue impenitent he must suffer; He will maintain his principles, though he lose his estate; Whether he succeed, or not, his intention is laudable; If he be not prosperous, he will not repine; If a man smite his servant, and he die,' &c. In all these examples, the things, signified by the verbs, are uncertain, and refer to future time. But in the instances, which follow, future time is not referred to; and therefore, a different construction takes place. If thou livest virtuously, thou art happy; Unless he means what he says, he is doubly faithless; If he allows the excellence of virtue, he does not regard her precepts; If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayst, &c. Though he seems to be simple and artless, he has deceived us; Whether virtue is better than rank or wealth, admits not of any dispute.'

It appears from the tenor of the examples adduced, that the rule abovementioned may be extended to assert, That in cases wherein contingency and futurity do NOT concur, it is NOT proper to turn the verb from its signification of present time, nor to vary its form or termination or in other words, That when future time is NOT referred to, the varied form of this tense must NOT be used. The verb should then be in the indicative form, whatever conjunctions may attend it.

If these rules, which seem to form the true distinction between the indicative and the conjunctive terminations of the subjunctive mood, were adopted and established in practice, we should have, on this point a principle of decision simple and precise, and readily applicable to every case, that might occur.

Exercises in False Syntax. If he acquires riches they will corrupt his mind, and be useless to others. Though he urges me yet more earnestly, I shall not comply, unless he advances more forcible reasons. I shall walk into the fields to-day unless it rains. Though he be high he hath respect to the lowly. Whether he improve or not, I cannot determine. Though the fact be extraordinary it certainly did happen. Unless he learns faster he will be no scholar. Though he falls he shall not be utterly cast down. On condition that he comes I will consent to stay. If virtue rewards us not so soon as we desire, the payment will be made with interest. However that affair terminates, my conduct will be unimpeachable. Till repentance composes his mind, he will be a stranger to peace. Whether he confesses or not, the truth will certainly be discovered. If thou censurest uncharitably, thou wilt be entitled to no favor. If thou censure uncharitably, thou deservest no favour. If Charlotte desire to gain esteem and love, she does not employ the proper means. Unless the accountant deceive me, my estate is considerably improved. Though at times the ascent to the temple of virtue appears steep and craggy, be not discouraged. Persevere until thou gainest the summit; there all is order, beauty and pleasure. Though self-government produce some uneasiness, it is light, when compared with the pain of vicious indulgence. Whether he think as he speaks, time will discover. Though virtue appear severe, she is truly amiable. Though success be very doubtful, it is proper that he endeavors to succeed.

5. The second person singular of the imperfect tense, in the subjunctive mood, is also very frequently varied in its termination; as, "If thou loved him truly, thou wouldst obey him; Though thou did perform, thou hast gained nothing by it.' This variation, however, appears to be improper. Our present version of the Scriptures, to which we refer, as a good grammatical authority in points of this nature, decides against it. If thou knewest the gift,' &c. John iv. 10. If thou didst receive, why dost thou glory?' &c. 1 Cor. iv. 7. See also Dan. v. 22. But it must be remembered that the verb be, and passive verbs in certain constructions, are very properly varied from the indicative form, the imperfect tense of the subjunctive mood; as, 'If he were here, I should be happy; I should feel grateful indeed, if I were now in health; She would not be vain, though she were admired; If he were treated with kindness, he would not be ungrateful; Were I in his situation I might conduct no better.'

From an examination of these and similar examples, it appears, 1st, That

The verb, in the varied form of the imperfect tense, refers to present time; as, If he were here,' that is, If he were now here;' so, 'If I were now in health;' — 2d, That it has a negative signification, implying the absence of the passion, or being, denoted by the verb; thus, If she were beautiful, she would have many admirers,' implies that, she is not beautiful;' and If I were in health, implies that I am not in health;'- and 3d, That it is uniformly attended by another verb in the imperfect tense of the potential mood; as, 'I would assist you, if I were able; If he were here, he could inform us.' And these three circumstances, it is believed, will be found to concur, in all instances where this form of the verb is properly used. Hence it may be assumed as a general Rule,

That the varied form of the imperfect tense, subjunctive, must be used only when a reference is made to PRESENT time; and that the verb has then a negative signification, and must be preceded or followed by another verb, in the imperfect tense of the potential mood.*

When no reference is made to present time, the indicative form should be used; as, 'If he was here, I did not see him; If she was handsome then, she is ugly enough now; Though she was admired, yet she was not vain; If I was treated with kindness, I have not been ungrateful.'

Exercises in False Syntax.-If thou gave liberally, thou will receive a liberal reward. Though thou did injure him, he harbours no resentment. It would be well if the report was only the misrepresentation of her enemies. Was he ever so great and opulent, this conduct would debase him. Was I to enumerate all her virtues, it would look like flattery. Though I was perfect, yet would I not presume. Unless thou fought bravely thou wilt certainly be censured. Was she here, she would enjoy the scene. Though she was admired, she would not be vain. If she was rich, she would be admired. It is not known whether he was present or not. If he were present, I did not see him.

6.On the form of the auxiliaries in the compound tenses of the subjunctive mood, it seems proper to make a few observations. Some writers express themselves in the perfect tense as follows; If thou have determined, we must submit; Unless he have consented, the writing will be void;' but we believe that few authors of critical sagacity write in this manner. The proper form seems to be, 'If thou hast determined; unless he has consented,' &c. conformably to what we generally meet with in the Bible; 'I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.' Isaiah xlv. 4, 5. What is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained,' &c., Job xxvii. 8. See also, Acts xxviii. 4.

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Exercises in Fulse Syntax. - If thou have promised, be faithful to thy engagement. Though he have proved his right to submission, he is too generous to exact it. Unless he have improved he is not fit for the office. What shall it profit him if he have gained the whole world?

7. In the pluperfect and future tenses, we sometimes meet with such expressions as these; If thou had applied thyself diligently, thou wouldst have reaped the advantage; Unless thou shall speak the whole truth, we cannot determine; If thou will undertake the business, there is little doubt of success.' This mode of expressing the auxiliaries does not appear to be warranted by the general practice of correct writers. They should be, hadst, shalt, and wilt; and we find them used in this form, in the sacred Scriptures. 'If thou hadst known,' &c. Luke xix. 47. 'If thou hadst been here,' &c. John xi. 21. 'If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.' Ma't. viii. 2. See also, 2 Sam. ii. 27. Matt. xvii. 4.

Exercises in False Syntax. - If thou had succeeded, perhaps thou wouldst not be the happier for it. Unless thou shall see the propriety of the measure, we shall not desire thy support. Though thou will not acknowledge, thou canst not deny the fact. Whether thon had been guilty, or innocent, thou shouldst not have been angry. If thou will, thou mayst go.

* When this form of the verb be, is used before the infinitive mood it has a signification of futurity; as, If I were to go; if thou wert to go; if he were to go.'

Potential Mood.: The conjunction that, is frequently followed by the potential mood; as, 'I study, that I may improve; Thieves rise by night, that they may cut men's throats; Thou buildest the walls, that thou mayst be their king; He knows that I would not hurt him.'

It may not be superfluous, also to observe, that the auxiliaries of the potential mood, when applied to the subjunctive, do not change the termination of the second person singular. We properly say, If thou mayst or canst go; Though thou mightst live; Unless thou couldst read; If thou wouldst learn;' and not, 'If thou may or can go, &c.'

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Exercises in False Syntax. If thou may share his labors, be thankful and do it cheerfully. Unless thou can fairly support the cause, give it up honorably. Though thou might have forcseen the danger, thou couldst not have avoided it. If thou could convince him he would not act accordingly. If thou would improve in knowledge be diligent. Unless thou should make a timely retreat, the danger will be unavoidable. I have labored and wearied myself, that thou may be at ease. He enlarged on those dangers, that thou should avoid them.

SECTION 4.- Syntax of the Tenses.

1. In the use of words and phrases, which, in point of time relate to each other, a due regard to that relation should be observed.

Instead of saying, 'The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away;' we should say, 'The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away.' Instead

of 'I remember the family more that twenty years;' it should be, 'I have remembered the family more than twenty years.'

It is not easy, in all cases, to give particular rules for the management of the tenses and of words and phrases, which relate to one another in point of time, so that they may be proper and consistent. The best rule that can be given, is this very general one, To observe what the sense necessarily requires. It may, however, be of use to exhibit a number of instances, in which the construction is irregular. The following are of this nature.

'I have completed the work more than a week ago; I have seen the coronation at Westminster last summer. These sentences should have been, I completed the work, &c.; I saw the coronation,' &c. because the perfect tense extends to a past period, which immediately precedes, or includes the present time; and it cannot therefore apply to the time of a week ago, or to last midsummer.

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Charles has lately finished the reading of Henry's History of England;' it should be, Charles lately finished,' &c.the word lately referring to a time completely past, and not including the present time.

They have resided in Italy, till a few months ago, for the benefit of their health; it should be, 'They resided in Italy,' &c.

This mode of expression has been formerly much admired;' it ought to be, was formerly much admired,' &c.

'The business is not done here in the manner, in which it has been done some years since in Germany; it should be, in the manner, in which it was done,' &c.

'I will pay the vows, which my lips have uttered, when I was in trouble ;' it ought to be, which my lips uttered,' &c.

I have in my youth, trifled with health, and old age now prematurely assails me;' it should be, 'in my youth I trifled with health,' &c.

To preserve consistency in the time of verbs, and of words and phrases, we must recollect that, in the subjunctive mood, the present and the imperfect tenses often carry with them a future sense; and that the auxiliaries, should and would, in the imperfect time, are used to express the present and future as well as the past. See Etymology, Lecture 6, Section 3, Remarks on the Future Tenses.

Exercises in False Syntax. The next new year's day, I shall be at school three years. And he that was dead, sat up and began to speak. I should be obliged to him, if he

will gratify me in that particular. And the multitude wondered when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame walk, and the blind seeing. I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now two or three days. In the treasury, belonging to the Cathedral in this city, is preserved with the greatest veneration, for upwards of six hundred years, a dish, which they pretend to be made of emerald. The court of Rome gladly laid hold on the opportunities which the imprudence, weakness, or necessities of princes afford it to extend its authority.

Fierce as he mov'd, his silver shafts resound.

They maintained that scripture conclusion, that all mankind rise from one head. John will earn his wages, when his service is completed. Ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life. Be that as it will, he cannot justify his conduct. I have been at London a year, and seen the king last summer. After we visited London, we returned, content and thankful, to our retired and peaceful habitation.

2. With regard to verbs in the infinitive mood, the practice of many writers, and some even of our most respectable writers, appears to be erroneous. They seem not to advert to the true principles which influence the different tenses of this mood. We shall produce some rules on this subject, which we presume will be found perspicuous and accurate.

All verbs expressive of HOPE, DESIRE, INTENTION, or COMMAND, must invariably be followed by the PRESENT and NOT the PERFECT of the infinitive. The last week, I intended to have written,' is a very common phrase; the infinitive mood being in the past tense, as well as the verb, which it follows. But it is evidently wrong; for how long soever it now is, since I thought of writing, 'to write,' was then present to me; and must still be considered as present, when I bring back that time, and the thoughts of it. It ought, therefore, to be; The last week, I intended to write.'

The following sentence is properly and analogically expressed; I found him better, than I expected to find him.' 'Expected to have found,' is irreconcilable to grammar and to sense. Every person would perceive an error in this expression; It is long since I commanded him to have done it; yet expected to have found,' is not better.. It is as clear, that the finding must be posterior to the expectation, as that the obedience must be posterior to the command.

As the verbs to desire and to wish, are nearly related, the young student may naturally suppose, from the rule just laid down, that the latter verb, like the former, must invariably be followed by the present of the infinitive. But if he reflect, that the act of desiring refers always to the future, and that the act of wishing refers sometimes to the past, as well as sometimes to the future; he will perceive the distinction between them, and that consequently, the following modes of expression are strictly justifiable; 'I wished that I had written sooner, I wished to have written sooner;' and he will be perfectly satisfied, that the following phrases must be improper; "I desire that I had written sooner; I desire to have written sooner.'

Having considered and explained the special rule, respecting the government of verbs expressive of hope, desire, intention, or command, we proceed to state and elucidate the general rule, on the subject of verbs in the infinitive mood. It is founded on the authority of Harris, Lowth, Campbell, Pickbourn, &c. and we think too, on the authority of reason and common sense.

When the action or event signified by a verb in the infinitive mood, is CONTEMPORARY or FUTURE, with respect to the verb to which it is chiefly related, the PRESENT of the infinitive is required: when it is NOT contemporary NOR future, the PERFECT of the infinitive is necessary.

To comprehend and apply this rule the student has only to consider, whether the infinitive verb refers to a time anteceden', contemporary or future with regard to the governing or related verb. When this simple point is ascertained, there will be no doubt, in his mind respecting the form which the infinitive verb should have. A few examples may illustrate these positions. If I wish to signify, that I rejoiced, at a particular time, in recollect

ing the sight of a friend, some time having intervened between the seeing and the rejoicing, I should express myself thus ; ' I rejoiced to have seen my friend.' The seeing in this case, was evidently antecedent to the rejoicing; and therefore the verb, which expresses the former, must be in the perfect of the infinitive mood. The same meaning may be expressed in a different form; as, I rejoiced that I had seen my friend;' or, in having seen my friend;'-and the student may, in general, try the propriety of a doubtful point of this nature, by converting the phrase into these two correspondent forms of expression. When it is convertible into both these equivalent phrases, its legitimacy must be admitted.-If, on the contrary, I wish to signify that I rejoiced at the sight of my friend, that my joy and his presence were contemporary, I should say, 'I rejoiced to see my friend; or, in other words, I rejoiced in seeing my friend.' The correctness of this form of the infinitive mood may also in most cases, be tried by converting the phrase into other phrases of a similar import.

The subject may be still further illustrated by additional examples. In the sentence which follows, the verb is, with propriety, put in the perfect tense of the infinitive mood; It would have afforded me great pleasure, as often as I reflected upon it, to have been the messenger of such intelligence.' As the message in this instance, was antecedent to the pleasure, and not contemporary with it, the verb, expressive of the message, must denote that antecedence, by being in the perfect of the infinitive. If, on the contrary, the message and the pleasure were referred to as contemporary, the subsequent verb would, with equal propriety, have been put in the present of the infinitive; as, 'It would have afforded me great pleasure to be the messenger of such intelligence.' In the former instance, the phrase in question is equivalent to these words; If I had been the messenger;' in the latter instance, to this expression; Being the messenger.'

It is proper to inform the learner, that, in order to express the past time with the defective verb ought, the perfect of the infinitive must always be used; as, 'He ought to have done it.' When we use this verb, this is the only possible way to distinguish the past from the present.

In relating things, that were formerly expressed by another person, we often meet with modes of expression similar to the following. The trav ellers, who lately came from the south of England, said that the harvest there was very abundant. I met Charles yesterday, who told me, that he is very unhappy. The professor asserted, that a resolute adherence to truth is an indispensable duty. The preacher said very audibly, that whatever was useful was good.'

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In referring to declarations of this nature the present tense must be used, if the position is immutably the same at all times, or supposed to be so ; as, 'The bishop declared, that virtue is always advantageous; not was always advantageous.' But if the assertion referred to something, that is not always the same, or supposed to be so, the past tense must be applied; as, George said that he was very happy;' not, is very happy.'

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Exercises in False Syntax.-1 purpose to go to London in a few months, and, after I shall finish my business there, to proceed to America. From the little conversation I had with him, he appeared to have been a man of letters. I always intended to have rewarded my son according to his merit. It would, on reflection, have given me great satisfaction to relieve him from that distressed situation.-It required so much care, that I thought I should have lost it before I reached home. We have done no more, than it was our duty to have done. He would have assisted one of his friends, if he could do it without injuring the other; but as that could not have been done, he avoided all interference. Must it not be expected, that he would have defended an authority, which had been so long exercised without controversy? These enemies of christianity were confounded, whilst they were expecting to have found an opportunity to have betrayed its author. His sea-sickness was so great, that I often feared he would have died before our arrival. If these persons had intended to deceive, they would have taken care to