([a.]) forsitan temere fēcerim, RA. 31, peradventure I may have acted rashly. errāverim fortasse, Plin. Ep. 1, 23, 2, I may have been mistaken perhaps. (b.) concēdō; forsitan aliquis aliquandō eius modī quippiam fēcerit, V. 2, 78, I grant it; perhaps somebody, at some time or other, may have done something of the sort. haec ipsa forsitan fuerint nōn necessāria, Br. 52, even this may perhaps have been superfluous.
[1558.] (2.) The perfect is oftenest used with a future meaning, and particularly the first person singular active of verbs meaning think or say: as,
([a.]) nōn facile dīxerim, TD. 5, 121, I could not readily say. hoc sine ūllā dubitātiōne cōnfirmāverim, Br. 25, this I can assert without any hesitation. pāce tuā dīxerim, TD. 5, 12, by your leave I would say. The first person plural occurs first in Cornificius, and is rare: as, hunc deum rīte beātum dīxerīmus, DN. 1, 52, such a god we should be right in pronouncing happy. (b.) plānē perfectum Dēmosthenem facile dīxerīs, Br. 35, you would readily pronounce Demosthenes absolutely perfect ([1030]). tū vērō eum nec nimis valdē umquam nec nimis saepe laudāverīs, Leg. 3, 1, oh no, rest assured you never can praise him too emphatically nor too often. conluviem istam nōn nisi metū coērcuerīs, Ta. 14, 44, such a motley rabble you can only keep under by terrorism. (c.) forsitan quispiam dīxerit, Off. 3, 29, perhaps somebody may say.
[1559.] (1.) The imperfect properly denotes action which might have taken place in the past: as,
([a.]) nōn ego hoc ferrem calidus iuventā cōnsule Plancō, H. 3, 14, 27, this I should not have brooked in my hot youth, in Plancus’ consulate. (b.) The second person singular, particularly of verbs meaning see, make out, think, say, generally has an imaginary subject ([1030]): as, vidērēs, H. S. 2, 8, 77, thou mightst have seen. cernerēs, L. 22, 7, 12, you might have descried. nescīrēs, L. 3, 35, 3, you could not have told. tē columen rē̆ī pūblicae dīcerēs intuērī, Sest. 19, you would have sworn you were gazing on a pillar of the state. (c.) quī vidēret, urbem captam dīceret, V. 4, 52, anybody who saw it, would have said it was a captured city. dīcī hoc in tē nōn potest, posset in Tarquiniō, cum rēgnō esset expulsus, TD. 1, 88, this cannot be said in your case; it might have been said in Tarquin’s, when he was driven from the throne. numquam faceret, T. Ph. 121, he never would have done it.
[1560.] (2.) The imperfect often denotes action not performed at the present time; so especially vellem (nōllem, māllem): as,
([a.]) nimis vellem habēre perticam, Pl. As. 589, I wish so much I had a stick. vellem adesse posset Panaetius; quaererem ex eō, TD. 1, 81, I only wish Panaetius could be with us: I should ask him (Panaetius was dead). cuperem voltum vidēre tuum, Att. 4, 16, 7, I should like to see the expression of your face. māllem Cerberum metuerēs, TD. 1, 12, I would rather you stood in dread of Cerberus. possem idem facere, TD. 1, 84, I could do the same. (b.) melius sequerēre cupīdine captam, O. 14, 28, better for thee it were a loving bride to woo. (c.) in hāc fortūnā perūtilis eius opera esset, Att. 9, 17, 2, in the present pinch his services would be extremely valuable.
[1561.] The pluperfect represents action which did not take place in the past: as,
([a.]) vellem quidem licēret: hoc dīxissem, RA. 138, I only wish it were allowed; I should have said so and so. (b.) dedissēs huic animō pār corpus, fēcisset quod optābat, Plin. Ep. 1, 12, 8, you might have given this spirit a body to match; he would have done what he craved to do. (c.) urbēs et rēgna celeriter tanta nēquitia dēvorāre potuisset, Ph. 2, 67, such colossal prodigality might have been capable of swallowing down cities and kingdoms speedily. vīcissent inprobōs bonī; quid deinde? Sest. 43, the good might have overpowered the bad; what next?