“Yes, I did love her:” that is, at that time, or once; intimating a negation, or doubt, of present love.
“The Lord called Samuel: and he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I, for thou calledst me.⸺And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I, for thou didst call me.” 1 Sam. iii. 4-6.
[24] This distinction was not observed formerly as to the word shall, which was used in the Second and Third Persons to express simply the Event. So likewise should was used, where we now make use of would. See the Vulgar Translation of the Bible.
[25] Bishop Wilkins gives the following elegant investigation of the Modes in his Real Character, Part iii. Chap. 5.
“To shew in what manner the Subject is to be joined with his Predicate, the Copula between them is affected with a Particle, which from the use of it is called Modus, the manner or Mode.
Now the Subject and Predicate may be joined together either Simply, or with some kind of Limitation; and accordingly these Modes are Primary or Secondary.
The Primary Modes are called by Grammarians Indicative and Imperative.
When the matter is declared to be so, or at least when it seems in the Speaker’s power to have it be so, as the bare union of Subject and Predicate would import, then the Copula is nakedly expressed without any variation: and this manner of expressing it is called the Indicative Mode.
When it is neither declared to be so, nor seems immediately in the Speaker’s power to have it so; then he can do no more in words but make out the expression of his will to him that hath the thing in his power; namely to
| his | { | Superior | } | by | { | Petition, | } |
| { | Equal | } | { | Persuasion, | } | ||
| { | Inferior | } | { | Command. | } |