108 Modern Languages. 



to have lamented that his writings were not likely 

 to be much read, excepting by the inhabitants of 

 one small Island. Had he lived till the present 

 day he would have seen better prospects opening 

 to his literary ambition. To say nothing of the 

 immense continent of North- America, where the 

 productions of that great Poet will probably long 

 be perused by many millions; and to place also out 

 of the account, the extensive foreign dependences 

 of Great-Britain, where English literature is likely, 

 in time, to flourish; it is an undoubted fact, that 

 the language in which he wrote is incomparably 

 more read and spoken on the continent of Europe, 

 since his day, than ever before. 



FRENCH LANGUAGE. 



The French language, during the last century, 

 received modifications and improvements in a con- 

 siderable degree similar to those which have already 

 been noticed as belonging to the English. It was 

 before remarked that this language was some time 

 before the English in the progress of improvement. 

 The reign of Louis XIV. has been commonly called 

 the golden age of French literature, and the period 

 of perfection in French style. It is probable that 

 this opinion is rather better founded than that 

 which assigns the reign of Queen Anne as furnish- 

 ing the highest grade of refinement in English 

 composition. The publication of the famous Die- 

 tionnaire de V Academic Francaise, a great and 

 splendid work in its day, formed an important a?ra 

 in the history of the French language. The grand 

 object of the Association which compiled this Dic- 

 tionary, and presented it to the world, was to im- 

 prove and fix their language; and there can be no 



