Boulemaic Complexities

We can, alla Grice, represent a belief as a frame

F(A, p),

i.e. A believes that p.

Ditto for goals, or desires,

G(A, p)

-- p is a goal of A's.

But while we can believe in the past ("I believe Mary fell").

It would seem otiose to have as a goal that Mary _fell_. Not so for the OED. Under 'wish' and 'will' the OED notes:

* 'wish' [can be followed by] an obj. clause
with past subj. (or indic., e.g. "was" for "were")
expressing an unrealized or unrealizable desire
(see also "will" v.1 46).
Cites:
971 Blickl. Hom.
"Hie..wyscath thaet hie naefre naeron acennede
from father ne from mother."
1000 Aelfric Deut 32 29
"I wish that hi wiston & underaeeaton..hyra ende [Vulg. utinam saperent].
1340 Ayenb. 56
"Hi wishes that he had nykken of crane and womb of cow."
1362 Langland, Piers Ploughman A. v. 92
"Thenne I wish hit were mine"
1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 755
"Thisbe, thys wall they woldyn threte
& wish to God hyt were doun ybete."
1476 Stonor Papers (Camden) II. 11
"Wherefore I wyst full-heartily diverse times
that ye had been here."
1562 G. Cavendish Poems (1825) II. 40
"Therefor my frailty I may both curse and ban,
Wishing to God I had never known man."
1579 Lyly Euphues 31,
"I wish my wish were as effectually
ended as it is heartely looked for."
1605 Shaks. Macb. i. v. 26
"That which rather thou dost fear to do,
Then wishest should be undone."
1624 Ussher Lett. 315,
"I could wish that Mr. Lisle would take some pains
in translating the Saxon Annals into our English Tongue."
1681 in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. i. 133,
"I have got a tasch upon me that
I wish from my heart it was well of my hands
to your satisfaction."
1711 I could wish [see can v.1 7].
1817 Byron Let. to Moore 25 Mar.,
"Heigh ho! I wish I was drunk -- but I have nothing
but this damned barley-water before me."
1833 Tennyson May Queen, New Year's Eve iv,
"I wish the snow would melt... I long to see a flower so."
1885 'F. Anstey' Tinted Venus, p. 24,
""I wish to heaven I did," cried the manager."
1890 [see goodness 5].
1932 'N. Shute' Lonely Road, p. 178,
"I wish to God we'd gone back to the boat."
1941 L. A. G. Strong Bay 7,
"I wish to God I knew how to begin."
1976 Daily Mirror 11 Mar. 7/2
"Christopher..has been sent to Borstal...
His mother said: `I wish to God we had checked up on him.'
* "will" -- v 46:
'would' [can be used] in a noun-clause
expressing the object of desire.
Cites:
1555 Pole in Engl. Hist. Rev. (1913) July 530,
"I would my syster would ataryed a little longer."
1590 Shaks. Mids. N. i. i. 195
"O that your frownes would teach my smiles such skill"
1611 Shaks. Cymb. ii. iv. 6
"Quake in the present winters state,
and wish That warmer dayes would come."
1685 in Engl. Hist. Rev. (1920) Jan. 116
"His Lordship desires you would present his
most humble duty to my Lord Duke."
1736 Sheridan Let. to Swift 15 Sept.,
"Indeed if you pleased,..I would rather that you
would, I mean should, charge only five per cent."
1775 Sheridan Rivals iv. ii,
"I wish the lady would favour us with something
more than a side-front."
1833 Tennyson May Queen, New Year's Eve iv,
"I wish the snow would melt."
1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. iv. I. 465
"The general wish of Europe was that James
would govern in conformity with law and with
public opinion."
1912 Engl. Hist. Rev. Oct. 754
"It is much to be wished that some one would
clear up the tangled web of these peace negotiations."

So now you know! And so now you'll be more careful when you wish in vain, will you?

Etc.