PRESENT PROBLEMS IN ROMANCE LITERATURE 463 



enjoy completely the art of the author, as well as the subject which 

 he treats. There is no better way to understand the Romance litera- 

 tures than to make a comparative study of them. There are not 

 enough works like Villemain's Coursde Litterature Frangaise, where he 

 compares so well the masterpieces of different literatures, especially 

 those of the eighteenth century. 



I present to this Congress as one of the most important problems 

 in the field of Romance literatures the study of those literatures in 

 the United States and in other countries. I might have expanded 

 considerably a subject which I consider extremely important and 

 entirely pertinent to my theme, as it concerns the diffusion of the 

 Romance literatures in foreign countries by the help of the higher 

 institutions of learning. Very efficiently, too, may this diffusion be 

 carried out by courses of lectures given by men eminent as critics 

 or as authors, such as the courses so happily inaugurated by Mr. 

 James H. Hyde, of New York, for the French Circle of Harvard 

 University and for the Federation of "PAlliance Francaise" in the 

 United States. It would be very fortunate if similar courses were 

 established in Italian and in Spanish. In many parts of our country 

 there could be found audiences which might appreciate lectures 

 delivered in these languages. 



In speaking of the Romance literatures let us remember that it 

 is not only in Europe that they flourish. Although Spain has lost her 

 colonial possessions in America, she has left her impress on millions 

 of men in the New World, and there is an interesting Spanish litera- 

 ture in Cuba, Mexico, Central and South America. In Brazil also is 

 to be found a literature which had its origin in Europe, and writers 

 not unworthy of the land of Camoens have written works of merit 

 in the Portuguese language. Professor Elijah Clarence Hills. 1 of 

 Colorado College, has given the following list of some of tin 1 Spanish- 

 American writers of the nineteenth century: Chile. Miguel Luis 

 de Amunategui, Benjamin Vicuna Mackenna, Jose Taribio Medina; 

 Colombia. Miguel Antonio Caro. Jorge Ysaacs; Rufino .lose 

 Cuervo; Cuba, (Jertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda. Jose Maria 

 Heredia, Joaqnin Lorenzo Luaces; Ecuador. Juan Leon Mera, 

 Jose J<>a<[iiin de Olmedo; Mexico, Jose Joaqui'n I'esado. .Manuel 

 Carpio. Juan de Dios Peza, Manuel Actifia: Nicaragua. Ruben 

 Dario. Jose Batres y Montofar; Peru. Felipe Pardo y Aliaga; 

 Argentine Republic. Olegario Motor Andrade: Uraguay, Zor- 

 rilla de San Martin; Venezuela, Andres Hello. 



It would be very interesting to note what has been the influence of 

 the literatures of the former mother countries on those of the eman- 

 cipated colonies, and to ascertain whether the latter have exerted 

 any influence on the works of the Spanish and Portuguese authors. 

 1 Colorado Col lose Studies. June. 1904, 



