3. ——Revenge back on itself recoils.
Let it. I reck not, so it light well aimed.—J. Milton.
4. If this be the case.
5. Although my house be not so with God.—Old Testament.
6. He shall not eat of the holy thing unless he wash his flesh with water.—Old Testament.
Expressions like except and unless are equally conditional with words like if and provided that, since they are equivalent to if—not.
Expressions like though and although are peculiar. They join propositions, of which the one is a primâ facie reason against the existence of the other: and this is the conditional element. In the sentence, if the children be so badly brought-up, they are not to be trusted, the bad bringing-up is the reason for their being unfit to be trusted; and, as far as the expression is concerned, is admitted to be so. The only uncertainty lies in the question as to the degree of the badness of the education. The inference from it is unequivocal.
But if, instead of saying if, we say although, and omit the word not, so that the sentence run although the children be so badly brought-up they are to be trusted, we do two things: we indicate the general relation of cause and effect that exists between bad bringing-up and unfitness for being trusted, but we also, at the same time, take an exception to it in the particular instance before us. These remarks have been made for the sake of showing the extent to which words like though, &c., are conditional.
It must be remembered, however, that conjunctions, like the ones lately quoted, do not govern subjunctive moods because they are conditional, but because, in the particular condition which they accompany, there is an element of uncertainty.
[§ 509]. This introduces a fresh question. Conditional conjunctions are of two sorts:—