OBS. 6.—­Nothing is more important in the grammar of any language, than a knowledge of the true forms of its verbs.  Nothing is more difficult in the grammar of our own, than to learn, in this instance and some others, what forms we ought to prefer.  Yet some authors tell us, and Dr. Lowth among the rest, that our language is wonderfully simple and easy.  Perhaps it is so.  But do not its “simplicity and facility” appear greatest to those who know least about it?—­i.e., least of its grammar, and least of its history?  In citing a passage from the eighteenth chapter of Ezekiel, Lord Kames has taken the liberty to change the word hath to have seven times in one sentence.  This he did, upon the supposition that the subjunctive mood has a perfect tense which differs from that of the indicative; and for such an idea he had the authority of Dr. Johnson’s Grammar, and others.  The sentence is this:  “But if he be a robber, a shedder of blood; if he have eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour’s wife; if he have oppressed the poor and needy, have spoiled by violence, have not restored the pledge, have lift up his eyes to idols, have given forth upon usury, and have taken increase:  shall he live? he shall not live.”—­Elements of Criticism, Vol. ii, p. 261.  Now, is this good English, or is it not?  One might cite about half of our grammarians in favour of this reading, and the other half against it; with Murray, the most noted of all, first on one side, and then on the other.  Similar puzzles may be presented concerning three or four other tenses, which are sometimes ascribed, and sometimes denied, to this mood.  It seems to me, after much examination, that the subjunctive mood in English should have two tenses, and no more; the present and the imperfect.  The present tense of this mood naturally implies contingency and futurity, while the imperfect here becomes an aorist, and serves to suppose a case as a mere supposition, a case contrary to fact.  Consequently the foregoing sentence, if expressed by the subjunctive at all, ought to be written thus:  “But if he be a robber, a shedder of blood; if he eat upon the mountains, and defile his neighbour’s wife; if he oppress the poor and needy, spoil by violence, restore not the pledge, lift up his eyes to idols, give forth upon usury, and take increase; shall he live? he shall not live.”

OBS. 7.—­“Grammarians generally make a present and a past time under the subjunctive mode.”—­Cobbett’s E. Gram., 100.  These are the tenses which are given to the subjunctive by Blair, in his “Practical Grammar.”  If any one will give to this mood more tenses than these, the five which are adopted by Staniford, are perhaps the least objectionable:  namely, “Present, If thou love, or do love; Imperfect, If thou