grees.

The expression of the quality without compari- Positive, Comson and without any regard to greater or less inten- parative, Superlative, and Insity, is called "Positive;" the expression of the tensive, Desame quality with a comparison of different degrees of intensity, is called "Comparative;" the expression of the same quality with an intensity exceeding that which it possesses in any other subject is called "Superlative." We may call the word which denotes a high degree of intensity without any comparison " Intensive."

[It is easy to see that we might also distinguish a Diminutive Degree, a Minorative-Comparative Degree, etc.; but as custom has not introduced into languages, at least not into those with which we are acquainted, peculiar forms to express these inverse degrees of intensity in Adjectives, I have not comprised them among the Degrees of Comparison and have given them no distinct names.]

Adverbs as well as Adjectives, admit Degrees of Compari

son.

Verbs and especially Neuter Verbs which express simple qualities or modes of existence may also admit the same Degrees.

CHAPTER VI.

OF TENSES.

EVERY judgment which we form of those things which are the objects of our thoughts, has reference to time, either present, past, or future. We consider the qualities which we attribute to them, either as belonging to them at present, or as having belonged to them, or as to belong to them at some future time. This circumstance of time in no wise

alters either the nature of the subject or that of the attribute; it only modifies the idea of the existence of the subject and its relation to the attribute.

Since the existence of the subject and its relation to an attribute are denoted by the Verb, by modifying this and giving it different forms we may express these various circumstances of time. Such modification occurs in most languages. Thus we say in English, "it rained," if we speak of time past; "it rains," if of time present; and "it will rain," if of time future.

These forms, designed to point out circumstances of time, are called" Tenses."

It must be confessed, however, that these modifications are not essential to the nature of the Verb. The Verb might be immutable, and circumstances of time might be expressed by Adverbs or some other means, even simply by the order of narration.

This latter mode is employed in several languages in which the form of the Verb is immutable, and in this way also people who are imperfectly acquainted with English often express themselves. When a negro, for example, says, "yesterday me go to the river to find water, me find the water frozen, me not able to break the ice; to day me go again, find little places ice be broken; tomorrow, perhaps, ice wholly thaw, make no more fire," we understand him as well as if he had said, " yesterday I went to the river to find water, and found the water frozen, and was not able to break the ice; today I went again and found little places in which the ice was broken; tomorrow, perhaps, the ice will wholly thaw, and we shall make no more fire."

Observe, moreover, that we sometimes form, in respect to the relation of certain subjects to certain attributes, general judgments which are independent of time, and which we perceive to be true in past, present, and future time. When

"The universe is the work of God,"

Gustavus

we say

is Abel's brother," these our judgments are independent of

every circumstance of time.

and

Hence arise in Verbs two sorts of Tenses; one Indefinite Indefinite, expressing the existence of the subject Definite Tenses. and its relation to an attribute in an indefinite manner, i. e. without denoting any particular time; the other Definite, expressing the existence of the subject and its relation to the attribute, and determining also the period of time, past, present, or future.

It does not follow, however, that there are in all languages certain peculiar forms to express indefinite time, and others to express definite time. On the contrary, in some languages, the Definite Tense is often employed to denote an indefinite time, and the nature of the proposition can alone inform us whether a certain form is employed in a definite or indefinite

manner.

If it be asked, for example, "how does William eat his soup?" and some one answers, "he eats it voraciously," we understand that at the present time William is eating his soup. If, on the contrary, it be asked, “is William fond of turnips?" and some one replies, "he eats indifferently almost every kind of vegetables," it is plain that this cannot mean that at that precise moment he is eating almost every kind of vegetables, but that his taste and constitution are such that almost all kinds of vegetables are alike agreeable to him. Yet, in both phrases the same form of the Verb is employed, viz. "he eats;" the sense of the phrase alone informs us whether it denotes a definite time or not.

Present, Past, and Future, Tenses

All circumstances of time may be reduced to past, present, and future. It is impossible that the existence of any thing should not be connected either with the present moment, with some time anterior, or with some time which has not yet arrived. Nevertheless, all past

time, or all future time, is not alike remote from the present. If I say," William was born in 1791, commenced learning to read in 1796, learned to write in 1798, has just studied General Grammar, is at present studying the Latin Grammar, is about to commence the study of the Greek language, and will then learn Mathematics," it is seen that in this sentence are recounted several past events, some of which are of older date than others, together with several future events more or less remote from the present moment.

Past & Future,

mote.

These different degrees of anteriority and posNear and Re-teriority may be denoted by different forms. Thus we say in English, "I have just read the biography of Cesar, I read a long while since that of Pompey, I am at present reading that of Cicero, and I am going to read immediately that of Cato of Utica, after which I must read the lives of the emperors down to the foundation of Constantinople." "I have just read," denotes a near Past; "I read a great while since," a remote Past. "I am going to read," expresses a near Future; "I must read," a more remote Future.

Absolute and
Relative
Tenses.

Verbs may have different forms of Past and Future Tenses, not only for the reason that Past or Future events are more or less remote from the Present, but because we may view Past or Future events under two different relations of time. The first of these relations always has reference to the Present, the very moment in which we are speaking, and events are past, present, or future in relation to this period, as when I say simply "I have supped," "I am supping," "I shall sup." The second always has reference to a different period from that at which we are speaking, and this period is itself past or future. this case we always express several past or several future events, and one of these past or future events forms a new period, with reference to which the other events we speak

In

of are considered as past, present, or future. This needs to be illustrated and rendered plain by examples.

Examples of the Past.

"Peter supped when Paul dined." The two events, Peter's supper and Paul's dinner, are past in relation to the moment at which we speak: but, besides this, each is considered as present in relation to the other, because they occurred at the same time.

"Peter was supping when Paul entered." There are here also two events, past under the first relation, but present under the second, i. e. with respect to the relation they have to each other; but a peculiar circumstance to be observed is, that one of the two events, viz. Peter's supper, had commenced before Paul's entrance, and thus this first event was already partly past when the other was present.

"Peter was about to sup when Paul entered." Considered under the first relation, the two events are past; considered under the relation which they have to each other, the first, Peter's supper, was still future when the second, Paul's entrance, was present.

"Peter had supped when Paul entered." The two events are, as in the preceding example, past under the first relation ; but under the second, the case is different; Peter's supper was entirely past when Paul's entrance was present.

Examples of the Future.

"Peter will sup at the time that Paul will dine." With reference to the moment at which I speak, Peter's supper and Paul's dinner are two future events; but I further consider them with reference to each other as present to each other, because they will occur simultaneously.

"Peter will be supping at the time that Paul will enter." The two events considered merely under the first relation are future; regarded under the second, they are present, but with