"Would that I might forget him," Ned said bluntly.
— A Song of Ice and Fire
Does the sentence in quotes mean, "I would forget him if I could"?
"Would that I might forget him," Ned said bluntly.
— A Song of Ice and Fire
Does the sentence in quotes mean, "I would forget him if I could"?
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Yes, it's a dated way of saying,
"I'd forget him if I could."
Perhaps a little less dated, but still quite rare, is the expression "would to God," as in
"Would to God I could forget him,"
which means, I wish I could forget him [but I can't, even with God's help!].
Or,
"Would to God I could get him out of my head," Ned said bluntly.