Though this be not strictly the proper place, I would beg the reader’s attention to a few additional observations.
Many writers of classic eminence express future and contingent events by the present tense indicative. In colloquial language, or where the other form would render the expression stiff and awkward, this practice cannot justly be reprehended. But where this is not the case, the proper form, in which the note of contingency or futurity is either expressed or understood, is certainly preferable. Thus,
“If thou neglectest, or doest unwillingly, what I command thee, I will rack thee with old cramps.”—Shakspeare. Better, I think, “if thou shalt neglect or do.”
“If any member absents himself, he shall forfeit a penny for the use of the club.”—Spectator. Better, “if any member absent, or shall absent.”
“If the stage becomes a nursery of folly and impertinence, I shall not be afraid to animadvert upon it.”—Spectator. Preferably thus, “If the stage become, or shall become.”
I observe also, that there is something peculiar and deserving attention in the use of the preterite tense[69]. To illustrate the remark, I shall take the following case. A servant calls on me for a book; if I am uncertain whether I have it or not, I answer, “if the book be in my library, or if I have the book, your master shall be welcome to it:” but if I am certain that I have not the book, I say, “if the book were in my library, or if I had the book, it should be at your master’s service.” Here it is obvious that when we use the present tense it implies uncertainty of the fact; and when we use the preterite, it implies a negation of its existence. Thus also, a person at night would say to his friend, “if it rain, you shall not go,” being uncertain at the time whether it did or did not rain; but if, on looking out, he perceived it did not rain, he would then say, “if it rained, you should not go,” intimating that it did not rain.
“Nay, and the villains march wide between the legs, as if they had gyves on.”—Shakspeare. Where as if they had implies that “they had not.”
In the same manner, if I say, “I will go, if I can,” my ability is expressed as uncertain, and its dependent event left undetermined. But if I say, “I would go, if I could,” my inability is expressly implied, and the dependent event excluded. Thus also, when it is said, “if I may, I will accompany you to the theatre,” the liberty is expressed as doubtful; but when it is said, “if I might, I would accompany you,” the liberty is represented as not existing.
In thus expressing the negation of the attribute, the conjunction is often omitted, and the order inverted; thus, “if I had the book,” or “had I the book.” “Were I Alexander,” said Parmenio, “I would accept this offer;” or, “if I were Alexander, I would accept.” Were is frequently used for would be, and had for would have; as, “it were injustice to deny the execution of the law to any individual;” that is, “it would be injustice.” “Many acts, which had been blameable in a peaceable government, were employed to detect conspiracies;” where had is put for would have[70].—Hume’s History of England.
Ambiguity is frequently created by confounding fact with hypothesis, or making no distinction between dubitative and assertive phraseologies. Thus, if we employ such expressions as these, “if thou knewest,” “though he was learned,” not only to express the certainty of a fact, but likewise to denote a mere hypothesis as opposed to fact, we necessarily render the expression ambiguous. It is by thus confounding things totally distinct, that writers have been betrayed not into ambiguity only, but even into palpable errors. In evidence of this, I give the following example: “Though he were divinely inspired, and spoke therefore as the oracles of God, with supreme authority; though he were endowed with supernatural powers, and could, therefore, have confirmed the truth of what he asserted by miracles; yet in compliance with the way in which human nature and reasonable creatures are usually wrought upon, he reasoned.”—Atterbury’s Sermons.