almost all grammarians, been conceived to extend somewhat further; for, if it were confined strictly within the limits of the literal variation, the subjunctive mood would embrace only two or three words in the whole formation of each verb.  After the example of Priestley, Dr. Murray, A. Murray, Harrison, Alexander, and others, I have given to it all the persons of the two simple tenses, singular and plural; and, for various reasons, I am decidedly of the opinion, that these are its most proper limits.  The perfect and pluperfect tenses, being past, cannot express what is really contingent or uncertain; and since, in expressing conditionally what may or may not happen, we use the subjunctive present as embracing the future indefinitely, there is no need of any formal futures for this mood.  The comprehensive brevity of this form of the verb, is what chiefly commends it.  It is not an elliptical form of the future, as some affirm it to be; nor equivalent to the indicative present, as others will have it; but a true subjunctive, though its distinctive parts are chiefly confined to the second and third persons singular of the simple verb:  as, “Though thou wash thee with nitre.”—­Jer., ii, 22.  “It is just, O great king! that a murderer perish.”—­Corneille.  “This single crime, in my judgment, were sufficient to condemn him.”—­Duncan’s Cicero, p. 82.  “Beware that thou bring not my son thither.”—­BIBLE:  Ward’s Gram., p. 128.  “See [that] thou tell no man.”—­Id., ib. These examples can hardly be resolved into any thing else than the subjunctive mood.

NOTES TO RULE XIV.

NOTE I.—­When the nominative is a relative pronoun, the verb must agree with it in person and number, according to the pronoun’s agreement with its true antecedent or antecedents.  Example of error:  “The second book [of the AEneid] is one of the greatest masterpieces that ever was executed by any hand.”—­Blair’s Rhet., p. 439.  Here the true antecedent is masterpieces, and not the word one; but was executed is singular, and “by any hand” implies but one agent.  Either say, “It is one of the greatest masterpieces that ever were executed;” or else, “It is the greatest masterpiece that ever was executed by any hand.”  But these assertions differ much in their import.

NOTE II.—­“The adjuncts of the nominative do not control its agreement with the verb; as, Six months’ interest was due.  The progress of his forces was impeded.”—­W.  Allen’s Gram., p. 131.  “The ship, with all her furniture, was destroyed.”—­Murray’s Gram., p. 150.  “All appearances of modesty are favourable and prepossessing.”—­Blair’s Rhet., p. 308.  “The power of relishing natural enjoyments is soon gone.”—­Fuller, on the Gospel, p. 135. “I, your master, command you (not commands)”—­ Latham’s Hand-Book, p. 330.[390]