Note 30 — DISSERTATION I.
Reading edition
I cannot think the French devenir prefixed to a verb answers exactly to both these English forms. The deficiency of the French in this respect, may be observed in the following passage:
"S'il est vrai que vous aimiez la justice, & que vous alliez en Créte pour apprendre les loix du bon roi Minos, n'endurcissez point votre cœur contre mes soupirs & contre mes larmes."——Telemaque, Liv. 4.
If we translate the passage thus: "If it is true that you love justice and go to Crete," &c. we lose the force of the verb alliez; for the sense is evidently, are going, are now on your journey. "If it is true that you love justice and are going to Crete," &c.
In French the verbs aimiez and alliez are both in the same tense, and have the same form of construction; in English the verbs should be in the same tense, but have different forms of construction. In French the force of alliez is collected from the sense of the passage; but in English, it is expressed by a particular construction.