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AN HISTORICAL SKETCH OP FRENCH LITERATURE. 



I.—ON THE CORRUPTION OF THE LATIN AND FORMA- 

 TION OF THE ROMANCE LANGUAGES. 



"All 

 Lay wrapt in lethargy ; blind Ignorance waved 

 His leaden sceptre, and with cold dull touch 

 Spread wide his clustering mildew." — Mitfohd. 



The advances from a state of utter barbarism and ignorance to 

 one of reason, of talents, and of mental cultivation form one of the 

 most interesting spectacles that is presented to us in the history of 

 mankind. What, indeed, can be more pleasing, more truly instruc- 

 tive, than to trace the revival of Literature from the debasement 

 into which, after a long train of evils, it had been plunged by error 

 and anarchy. As such, I have in this article endeavoured to give a 

 clear and concise view of the fallen state of Literature in the sixth 

 and four succeeding centuries ; with a description of the Corruption 

 of the Latin, and consequent formation of the Romance languages. 

 In future articles, I shall trace the progress of these languages, 

 endeavouring at the same time to give a just idea of the minstrelsy 

 of the dark ages, with a glimpse of their chivalric institutions. 



That latin was the language of Gaul, as far north as the Rhine, 

 throughout Spain, and of course in Italy, during the fourth cen- 

 tury, is a well-known fact ; and though some remote provinces 

 might still speak the old Teutonic, all legal contracts, all official 

 documents and all sacred works were written in latin ; it was, in 

 short, the general language of the nations of the south of Europe. 

 We have numerous proofs in support of the fact, that these nations, 

 when subjugated by the Romans, adopted alike their language and 

 their customs. In former centuries, we find Pliny, Suetonius, Ju- 

 venal and Martial mentioning latin prize orations at Lyons, at 

 Bordeaux, at Marseilles, and at numerous other towns in the south 

 of France and in Spain : in later times, we find several petitions 

 from the Gauls to the Roman people, all in latin. 



In order more fully to comprehend the reasons of the rapid de- 

 cline of the Latin language in France, let us take a cursory view of 

 its corruption and depravation in its mother country. In marking the 



