The true doctrine of the Latin subjunctive mood

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1833 Excerpt: ... 197 CHAPTER X. Dr. Parr's Theory. It is impossible that I can pass by without notice the opinion which was entertained upon this subject by that most accurate and profound scholar, Dr. Parr. His correspondence during the last fifteen years of his life affords abundant evidence of the great consideration which he thought the subject merited; and his library, after his death, evinced (by his numerous notes and corrections of moods,) that he must have devoted to it no inconsiderable portion of time and thought. The true principle, however, of the Latin subjunctive mood seems to have escaped his penetrating eye; for the theory which he propounded takes no account of many cases in which the subjunctive is employed; and, partial as it is, it is confessedly difficult in practice. This, I apprehend, is admitted by the learned critic himself, when he says, that "he hardly knew any teacher that understood it;" and when he recommends to Professor Pillans "to make himself master of it by intense and incessant application." The theory which he propounded, namely, that an indicative mood never follows an indefinite word, had been maintained by many grammarians. This is even asserted by himself at the commencement of a letter upon the use of the subjunctive mood, addressed to Professor Pillans of Edinburgh. It is beside my purpose to inquire into the accuracy of the rule; it is sufficient for me that it is not universal. It does not account for the subjunctive mood when it is found following definite words. And moreover, notwithstanding the light which Dr. Parr's observations have thrown upon the subject, it is still, in many cases, a matter of very nice discrimination, whether a word is used indefinitely or not. In the absence of any simple and universal rule for the gui...