Pelides utinam vitasset Apollinis arcus, would that Achilles had
    escaped the bow of Apollo;

    utinam ne natus essem, would that I had not been born.

POTENTIAL SUBJUNCTIVE.

280.  The Potential Subjunctive expresses a possibility.  The negative is non.  The following uses are to be noted:—­

1.  The ‘May’ Potential.—­The Potential Subjunctive may designate a mere possibility (English auxiliary may).  Both Present and Perfect occur, and without appreciable difference of meaning.  Thus:—­

    dicat aliquis, some one may say;

    dixerit aliquis, some one may say.

  a.  This construction is by no means frequent, and is confined mainly to a
  few phrases like those given as examples.

2.  ‘Should’-’Would’ Potential.—­The Potential Subjunctive may represent something as depending upon a condition expressed or understood (English auxiliary should, would).  Both Present and Perfect occur, and without appreciable difference of meaning.  Thus:—­

    fortunam citius reperias quam retineas, one would more quickly find
    Fortune than keep it (i.e. if one should make the trial);

    crediderim, I should believe.

  a.  Here belongs the use of velim, malim, nolim, as softened forms of
  statement for volo, malo, nolo.  Thus:—­

    velim mihi ignoscas, I wish you would forgive me;

    nolim putes me jocari, I don’t want you to think I’m joking.

  b.  When the condition is expressed, we get one of the regular types of
  Conditional Sentences (see Sec. 303); as,—­

    dies deficiat, si coner enumerare causas, time would fail if I should
    attempt to enumerate the reasons.

3.  ‘Can’-’Could’ Potential.—­In the Present and Imperfect the Potential occurs in the second person singular (with indefinite force; Sec. 356, 3) of a few verbs of perceiving, seeing, thinking, and the like; as,—­

    videas, cernas, one can see, one can perceive;

    crederes, one could believe;

    videres, cerneres, one could see, perceive;

    putares, one could imagine.

4.  The Imperfect and Pluperfect in the Apodosis of conditional sentences of the contrary-to-fact type (see Sec. 304) are also Potential in character.  By omission of the Protasis, such an Apodosis sometimes stands alone, particularly vellem, nollem, mallem; as,—­

    vellem id quidem, I should wish that (i.e. were I bold enough).

The Imperative.

281.  The Imperative is used in commands, admonitions and entreaties (negative ne), as,—­

    egredere ex urbe, depart from the city;

    mihi ignosce, pardon me;