140 UNIVERSAL LANGUAGES. 



simplicity and precision of expression. One of the states- 

 men of France is reported to have said: "God has 

 given us the power of speech so that we are able to hide 

 our thoughts." This will not hold good for the French 

 language. On the contrary, for all negotiations and 

 treaties, shortness, clearness, precision is wanted, no 

 doubt must be left, no uncertainty must arise as to the 

 meaning of a word or a whole sentence, so that all future 

 explanations and arguments may be unnecessary — and 

 these advantages the French language offers in a very 

 high degree, so that it takes its place rightly as one of 

 the universal languages of the world. Another reason for 

 the spread of the French language was the florescence 

 of French literature during the 17th and 18th centuries, 

 and its influence upon the educated classes of all nations. 

 This influence was so powerful that in Poland, for in- 

 stance, a danger was threatening that their own language 

 would give way entirely to the new comer, and to-day 

 we still consider Poland as the second home of the 

 French language. 



Yet in spite of these mighty factors its reign could 

 not last forever, it did not stand upon the foundation 

 which alone in modern times can grant supremacy. 

 French may be the language of society, of the men of 

 science and art, but the moving spirit of our times is 

 commerce and international intercourse. 



Since the discovery of the New World the fetters, 

 which limited the free intercourse of the nations of the 

 globe, were one by one broken down, until even the re- 

 motest parts of the earth participated in the blessings of 

 a free and easy communication. Even before the event 

 just named, the discovery of America, the Portuguese 

 had set out to circumnavigate Africa and had brought 

 their language to all African shores and even to East 

 India. Yet it was another sea-faring nation, kindred to 

 them, who founded a world-embracing empire, on which, 



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