2168. The present infinitive is often used to complete the meaning of
certain kinds of verbs which imply another action of the same subject:
as,
#prō Pompēiō ēmorī possum#, _Fam._ 2, 15, 3, _I could die the death for
Pompey_ (1495). #quid habēs dīcere?# _Balb._ 33, _what have you to say?_
#scīre volēbat#, _V._ 1, 131, _he wanted to know_. #hoc facere dēbēs#,
_RabP._ 7, _you ought to do this_. #Caesar Rhēnum trānsīre dēcrēverat#,
4, 17, 1, _Caesar had resolved to cross the Rhine_. #fugā salūtem petere
contendērunt#, 3, 15, 2, _they tried to save themselves by flight_. #num
negāre audēs?# _C._ 1, 8, _do you dare deny it?_ #vereor dīcere#, T.
_Andr._ 323, _I am afraid to tell_. #num dubitās id facere?# _C._ 1, 13,
_do you hesitate to do that?_ #mātūrat ab urbe proficīscī#, 1, 7, 1, _he
makes haste to leave Rome_. #Dīviciācus Caesarem obsecrāre coepit#, 1,
20, 1, _Diviciacus began to entreat Caesar_. #Dolābella iniūriam facere
persevērat#, _Quint._ 31, _Dolabella persists in doing wrong_. #illī
pecūniam pollicērī nōn dēsistunt#, 6, 2, 1, _these people did not stop
offering money_. #diem ēdictī obīre neglēxit#, _Ph._ 3, 20, _he failed
to keep the day named in the edict_. #īrāscī amīcīs nōn temere soleō#,
_Ph._ 8, 16, _I am not apt to get provoked with friends without just
cause_. #illī rēgibus pārēre didicerant#, _Ph._ 3, 9, _the men of old
were trained to bow the knee to kings_ (1615). #dextram cohibēre
mementō#, J. 5, 71, _remember that you keep hands off_.
2169. The verbs or verbal expressions which are supplemented by an
infinitive are chiefly such as mean _can_, _will_ or _wish_, _ought_,
_resolve_, _endeavour_, _dare_, _fear_, _hesitate_, _hasten_, _begin_,
_continue_, _cease_, _neglect_, _am wont_, _learn_, _know how_,
_remember_, _forget_, _seem_. The infinitive in this combination
contains the leading idea. For the occasional use of the perfect
infinitive with some of these verbs, see 2223.
Some of the commonest of these verbs are #possum#, #queō#, #nequeō#;
#volō#, #nōlō#, #mālō#, #cupiō#, #studeō#; #dēbeō#; #cōgitō#, #meditor#,
#statuō#, #cōnstituō#, #dēcernō#, #parō#; #cōnor#, #nītor#, #contendō#;
#audeō#; #vereor#; #cunctor#, #dubitō#, #festīnō#, #mātūrō#, #īnstituō#,
#coepī#, #incipiō#, #pergō#, #persevērō#, #dēsinō#, #dēsistō#, #omittō#,
#supersedeō#, #neglegō#, #nōn cūrō#; #soleō#, #adsuēscō#, #cōnsuēscō#;
#discō#, #sciō#, #nesciō#, #recordor#, #meminī#, #oblīvīscor#; #videor#.
2170. The infinitive is also used with many verbal expressions
equivalent to the above verbs, such as #habeō in animō#, #cōnsilium
est#, #certum est#, #parātus sum#, &c., &c., or with #parātus# alone,
#adsuēfactus#, &c., &c. Furthermore, in poetry and late prose, the place
of many of the above verbs is often taken by livelier or fresher
synonymes, such as #valeō# for #possum#, from Lucretius on, #ardeō#,
_burn_, for #volō#, #cupiō#, or #absiste#, #fuge#, #parce#, &c., for
#nōlī# (1584), &c., &c.
2171. A predicate noun used in the construction of the complementary
infinitive, is put in the nominative: as,
#Aelius Stōicus esse voluit#, _Br. 206_, _Aelius wanted to be a Stoic_.
#esse quam vidērī bonus mālēbat#, S. _C._ 54, 6, _he chose to be good
rather than seem good_.