THE LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE OF BRITTANY. 81 



by Biizeux, the latter mentions that Jean-Frangois-Marie-Maiirice- 

 Agathe Le Gonidec was born at Cinquet, a small harbour situated 

 at the western extremity of Brittany, on the fourth September, 1775. 

 He was not a stranger to the troubles whicli convulsed France 

 towards the end of the last centviry. He rose to a position of 

 eminence as chief of the foresters on the Rhine under Napoleon I. 

 The overthrow of that Emperor's army at Moscow led to the loss of 

 the lucrative situation which Le Gonidec held. He was compelled 

 in his declining years to toil assiduously for his support. It has to 

 be said to his credit that he continued fiiithful in his devotion to the 

 language and literature of his native province. Brizeux justly 

 observes that Le Gonidec can be called the restorer of the language 

 and literature of the Celto-Bretons : Grammar, dictionai-ies and 

 texts of language — his work embraces all, and his books, if dear to 

 his country, are not the less recommended by their pure criticism to 

 the learned of all Europe. Eleven years of wakeful hours, that were 

 obtained after the daily and necessary labours for the support of his 

 family were over, were given to the dictionaries, two years were 

 devoted to the grammar, and ten to his admirable version of the 

 Holy Scriptures. Three Armorican grammars were in existence 

 before his Celto-Breton Grammar appeared in 1807. The grammars 

 in question were La Grammaire Bretonne-Galloise, by Jean Daires, 

 which appeared in 1621, the Grammaire Bretonne of P, Mannoir, 

 which appeared about the same time, and the Grammar of P. Gr^^oire 

 de Rostrenen, which was published towards the end of the seven- 

 teenth century. Le Gonidec's Breton-French Dictionary appeared 

 in 1821. His French-Breton Dictionary must have been published 

 about 1838. His translation of the New Testament, which Brezeux 

 pronounces to be the most beautiful book of their language, appeared 

 in 1827. Among minor translations which Le Gonidec made into 

 Breton, is to be mentioned Thomas A. Kempis' Imitation of Christ. 



So far as the value of the argument which can be drawn from the 

 topography of any country is concerned, as to what language was 

 spoken by its earliest inhabitants of any strength or permanence, 

 there is much in the topography of Brittany to sustain the theory 

 that Gaels who spoke the same language which is now spoken in the 

 Highlands of Scotland, gave the names that the rivers and headlands 

 and islands of Brittany still bear. 

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