1554. The subjunctive is often used to represent action as conceivable,
without asserting that it actually takes place.
In some of its applications, this subjunctive is often more exactly
defined by an expression of doubt or of assurance: as, #fors fuat an# in
Plautus, #forsitan# from Terence on (rarely #forsan#, #fors#),
#fortasse#, _may be_, _perhaps_; #opīnor#, #haud sciō an#, _I fancy_;
#facile#, _easily_, #sine ūllā dubitātiōne#, _unhesitatingly_, &c., &c.
The negative used with this subjunctive is #nōn#.
1555. This subjunctive is particularly common in guarded or diffident
statements: thus, #velim#, _I could wish_, #nōlim#, _I should not be
willing_, #mālim#, _I would rather_, #dīxerim#, _I should say_, are
often preferred to a blunter #volō#, _I insist_, #nōlō#, _I won’t_,
#mālō#, _I prefer_, or #dīcō#, _I say_.
1556. The present denotes action in an indefinite future: as,
(_a._) #ego forsitan in grege adnumerer#, _RA._ 89, _as for me, I might
perhaps be counted in the common herd_. #mūtuom argentum rogem#, Pl.
_Tri._ 758, _money I might borrow_. #haud sciō an rēctē dīcāmus#,
_Sest._ 58, _I rather think we may say with propriety_. (_b._) The
second person singular generally has an imaginary subject (1030): as,
#dīcās hīc forsitan#, J. 1, 150, _here peradventure thou mayst say_,
i.e. anybody may say. #rogēs mē quid sit deus, auctōre ūtar Simōnidē#,
_DN._ 1, 60, _you may ask me what god is; I should follow the lead of
Simonides_. #migrantīs cernās#, V. 4, 401, _thou canst descry them on
the move_ (1635). Often with some generalizing word, such as #saepe#,
#numquam#, #plūrēs#: as, #saepe videās#, H. _S._ 1, 4, 86, _thou oft
canst see_. #Fortūnam citius reperiās quam retineās#, Publil. Syr. 168,
_dame Fortune thou mayst sooner find than bind_. (_c._) #nunc aliquis
dīcat mihi#, H. _S._ 1, 3, 19, _now somebody may say to me_ (more
commonly #dīcet aliquis#, #dīcēs#, 1620). #forsitan aliquis dīcat#, L.
5, 52, 5, _perhaps somebody may say_. #hoc vōbīs incrēdibile videātur#,
_V._ 3, 109, _this may seem incredible to you_.
1557. (1.) The perfect seldom occurs in old Latin. Later, it is rarely
used of past time. In this use it resembles the perfect of concession
(1553): as,
(_a._) #forsitan temere fēcerim#, _RA._ 31, _peradventure I may have
acted rashly_. #errāverim fortasse#, Plin. _Ep._ 1, 23, 2, _I may have
been mistaken perhaps_. (_b._) #concēdō; forsitan aliquis aliquandō eius
modī quippiam fēcerit#, _V._ 2, 78, _I grant it; perhaps somebody, at
some time or other, may have done something of the sort_. #haec ipsa
forsitan fuerint nōn necessāria#, _Br._ 52, _even this may perhaps have
been superfluous_.
1558. (2.) The perfect is oftenest used with a future meaning, and
particularly the first person singular active of verbs meaning _think_
or _say_: as,
(_a._) #nōn facile dīxerim#, _TD._ 5, 121, _I could not readily say_.
#hoc sine ūllā dubitātiōne cōnfirmāverim#, _Br._ 25, _this I can assert
without any hesitation_. #pāce tuā dīxerim#, _TD._ 5, 12, _by your leave
I would say_. The first person plural occurs first in Cornificius, and
is rare: as, #hunc deum rīte beātum dīxerīmus#, _DN._ 1, 52, _such a god
we should be right in pronouncing happy_. (_b._) #plānē perfectum
Dēmosthenem facile dīxerīs#, _Br._ 35, _you would readily pronounce
Demosthenes absolutely perfect_ (1030). #tū vērō eum nec nimis valdē
umquam nec nimis saepe laudāverīs#, _Leg._ 3, 1, _oh no, rest assured
you never can praise him too emphatically nor too often_. #conluviem
istam nōn nisi metū coērcuerīs#, Ta. 14, 44, _such a motley rabble you
can only keep under by terrorism_. (_c._) #forsitan quispiam dīxerit#,
_Off._ 3, 29, _perhaps somebody may say_.
1559. (1.) The imperfect properly denotes action which might have taken
place in the past: as,
(_a._) #nōn ego hoc ferrem calidus iuventā cōnsule Plancō#, H. 3, 14,
27, _this I should not have brooked in my hot youth, in Plancus’
consulate_. (_b._) The second person singular, particularly of verbs
meaning _see_, _make out_, _think_, _say_, generally has an imaginary
subject (1030): as, #vidērēs#, H. _S._ 2, 8, 77, _thou mightst have
seen_. #cernerēs#, L. 22, 7, 12, _you might have descried_. #nescīrēs#,
L. 3, 35, 3, _you could not have told_. #tē columen rē̆ī pūblicae
dīcerēs intuērī#, _Sest._ 19, _you would have sworn you were gazing on a
pillar of the state_. (_c._) #quī vidēret, urbem captam dīceret#, _V._
4, 52, _anybody who saw it, would have said it was a captured city_.
#dīcī hoc in tē nōn potest, posset in Tarquiniō, cum rēgnō esset
expulsus#, _TD._ 1, 88, _this cannot be said in your case; it might have
been said in Tarquin’s, when he was driven from the throne_. #numquam
faceret#, T. _Ph._ 121, _he never would have done it_.
1560. (2.) The imperfect often denotes action not performed at the
present time; so especially #vellem# (#nōllem#, #māllem#): as,
(_a._) #nimis vellem habēre perticam#, Pl. _As._ 589, _I wish so much I
had a stick_. #vellem adesse posset Panaetius; quaererem ex eō#, _TD._
1, 81, _I only wish Panaetius could be with us: I should ask him_
(Panaetius was dead). #cuperem voltum vidēre tuum#, _Att._ 4, 16, 7,
_I should like to see the expression of your face_. #māllem Cerberum
metuerēs#, _TD._ 1, 12, _I would rather you stood in dread of Cerberus_.
#possem idem facere#, _TD._ 1, 84, _I could do the same_. (_b._) #melius
sequerēre cupīdine captam#, O. 14, 28, _better for thee it were a loving
bride to woo_. (_c._) #in hāc fortūnā perūtilis eius opera esset#,
_Att._ 9, 17, 2, _in the present pinch his services would be extremely
valuable_.
1561. The pluperfect represents action which did not take place in the
past: as,
(_a._) #vellem quidem licēret: hoc dīxissem#, _RA._ 138, _I only wish it
were allowed; I should have said so and so_. (_b._) #dedissēs huic animō
pār corpus, fēcisset quod optābat#, Plin. _Ep._ 1, 12, 8, _you might
have given this spirit a body to match; he would have done what he
craved to do_. (_c._) #urbēs et rēgna celeriter tanta nēquitia dēvorāre
potuisset#, _Ph._ 2, 67, _such colossal prodigality might have been
capable of swallowing down cities and kingdoms speedily_. #vīcissent
inprobōs bonī; quid deinde?# _Sest._ 43, _the good might have
overpowered the bad; what next?_
1562. It may be mentioned here, that the subjunctive of action
conceivable often extends to subordinate sentences: see 1731.