With respect to _be_, it may be said very justly, that it was anciently used after the conjunctions in almost all cases. But it must be observed also, it was used _without_ the conjunctions. Be, from the Saxon _beon_, is the true radical verb, still preserved in the German, _Ich bin_, I be, _du bist_, thou beest, in the indicative. The old English writers employed _be_ in the same mode and tense. "O, there _be_ players that I have seen play."----Shakesp. Hamlet to the Players. "They that _be_ drunken, are drunken in the night."----1 Thess. v. 7. "As we _be_ slanderously reported."----Rom. iii. 8. The common people in New England still employ _be_ in the present tense of the indicative, except in the third person. They almost universally say, _I be_, _we be_, _you be_, and _they be_. While _be_ remained the proper substantive verb in the indicative, it was very correctly employed after the conjunctions, _If he be_, _tho he be_, but when, _am_, _are_, _art_ and _is_ were substituted in the indicative, they should likewise have been employed in the subjunctive; for the latter is resolvable into the former. From the facts produced, and the remarks made, we may draw the following conclusions; that the distinction made by grammarians between the present tense of the indicative and subjunctive mode in English, is not well founded; that it is not warranted by the construction of the language, nor by the analogy of other languages; that the expressions commonly supposed to be in the present tense of the subjunctive, are mostly in fact an elliptical form of the future in the indicative, and that the present translation of the Bible cannot be vindicated on any other supposition; that the present practice, both in speaking and writing, is generally in favor of the indicative after the conjunctions; and consequently, that the arrangement of the verbs by Lowth and his followers, is calculated to lead both foreigners and natives into error. I have been more particular upon this article, because the Scotch writers, many of whom stand among the first authors of the British nation, follow the usual grammatical division of verbs, and thus write a stile not conformed to the present practice of speaking. In the use of what is called the _imperfect_ tense, after the conjunctions, there is something peculiar, which has not yet been sufficiently explained. On examination it will probably be found that custom has established one singular distinction in the sense of verbs in different tenses, a knowlege of which is necessary to enable us to speak and write with precision. This distinction will readily be understood by a few examples. A servant calls on me for a book, which his master would borrow. If I am uncertain whether I have that book or not, I reply in this manner; "If the book _is_ in my library, or if I _have_ the book, your master shall be welcome to the use of it."