ON THE MOODS.
[§ 569]. The infinitive mood is a noun. The current rule that when two verbs come together the latter is placed in the infinitive mood means that one verb can govern another only by converting it into a noun—I begin to move=I begin the act of moving. Verbs, as verbs, can only come together in the way of apposition—I irritate, I beat, I talk at him, I call him names, &c.
[§ 570]. The construction, however, of English infinitives is twofold. (1.) Objective. (2.) Gerundial.
When one verb is followed by another without the preposition to, the construction must be considered to have grown out of the objective case, or from the form in -an.
This is the case with the following words, and, probably, with others.
| I may go, | not | I may to go. |
| I might go, | — | I might to go. |
| I can move, | — | I can to move. |
| I could move, | — | I could to move. |
| I will speak, | — | I will to speak. |
| I would speak, | — | I would to speak. |
| I shall wait, | — | I shall to wait. |
| I should wait, | — | I should to wait. |
| Let me go, | — | Let me to go. |
| He let me go, | — | He let me to go. |
| I do speak, | — | I do to speak. |
| I did speak, | — | I did to speak. |
| I dare go, | — | I dare to go. |
| I durst go, | — | I durst to go. |
Thou shalt not see thy brother's ox or his ass fall down by the way.
We heard him say I will destroy the temple.
I feel the pain abate.
He bid her alight.
I would fain have any one name to me that tongue that any one can speak as he should do by the rules of grammar.
This, in the present English, is the rarer of the two constructions.
When a verb is followed by another, preceded by the preposition to, the construction must be considered to have grown out of the so-called gerund, i.e., the form in -nne, i.e., the dative case—I begin to move. This is the case with the great majority of English verbs.
The following examples, from the Old English, of the gerundial construction where we have, at present, the objective, are Mr. Guest's.