6o 



jnfifted on, except juft to exprefs the extreme antiquity of the Latin 

 rhime ; which, from the church found its way to the cloifter, and from 

 thence to the muhitude, with whom it loft the folemn dignity that piety 

 had attached to it. 



I had once intended to purfue this fubjeft, tracing the Latin rhimes 

 through the dark ages, in the refpeftive countries of Italy, France, and 

 England, and of later days, Germany and Belgium. But enough, 

 and perhaps too much has been faid on a fubjeft that all acknowledge, 

 and of which few are ignorant. Thofe, however, who would extend 

 the enquiry, may confult Camden's Remains, Barthius, Pafchius, Baillet, 

 &c. &c., all of whom give us various fpecimens of the barbarous mufe 

 in the different ages of monkery. 



Of the fouthern provinces, Italy took the lead both in profe and in 

 poetry : the Roman tongue, indeed, was fpoken in all the provinces, but 

 with lefs purity as remoter from the feat of empire : is was natural there- 

 fore for Italy to form her language, if not prior in time, at leaft pre- 

 eminent in harmony ; and to this day the Italian holds its fuperiority, 

 defervedly admired above the other European tongues. When it was 

 that Italy laid down the Latin for the Italian, has not been precifely 

 afcertained : for like the lights and fliades of a good painting, it is not 

 poffible to fay, where the one begins, or the other ends. We are told 

 however that it continued to be fpoken till the time of St. Bernard and 

 the Emperor Barbaroffa in the twelfth century ; and that afterwards 

 it was wholly dropt in converfation. But Voltaire, who was better 

 qualified to compofe a light memoir of events paffing before him, than 

 to drudge through mufty authors, afferts that the Italian was not formed 

 at the time of Frederic 2d, that is, at the beginning of the thirteenth 

 century. "2)^ formed, the hiftorian meant, I prefume, perfeded; other- 

 wife the very lines he produces to prove it, contradift the fad. The 

 verfes of this Emperor whom he calls great, lefs perhaps for being an 



Cmperor than for being an Aiheijl, are as follow : 



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