Thus much, if it may please your Lordship, was in the optativemood.
2
The Imperative and Optativemoods clearly do not convey assertions at all, while the Subjunctive can only figure as a subordinate member of some assertion.
3
"For lovers," he said sagely, "are either in the optativemood, the desperative, or the exultative." This time he had used the optative.