LANGUAGE. 
p. 106.) is of opinion, tlmt there was a vulgar language 
in Italy long before the irruption of the Lombards, Goths, 
or Franks; and has traced its ufe as early as the time of 
Quintilian, who tells us, that he had often heard the 
croud in the Circus applaud, or demand fomething of 
the champions, in a barbarous language ; that is, in a 
vulgar and plebeian dialeCt, different from pure Latin, 
Sammonicus, who lived in the time of Septimius Severus, 
mentions this vulgar language ; and both Pliny and St. 
Jerome fpeak of the military language as of the fame kind. 
The latter even tells us, that Fortunatianus, bilhop of 
Aquileia, wrote a Commentary on the Evangelifts in this 
vulgar language, Rujlico Sermone, during the time of Con- 
ftantine : but this was a fingular inftance, which was not 
imitated. It appears however, from the Dialogues of St. 
Gregory the Great, written in 593, that there was then a 
language merely colloquial at Rome. For he tells us 
that a new convert, of whom he is fpeaking, was fent to 
a convent with two veffels of wine, “ which the vulgar 
call flalks.” And Gregory of Tours, fo early as 572, com¬ 
plains of this vulgar or rultic tongue gaining ground in 
France, and being more in favour than Latin, the lan¬ 
guage of the learned. It was therefore by degrees that 
Latin ceafed to be underftood by the common people, 
and the. Romance language gained admiffion into books. 
In 813 it was ordered by a canon, at the council of Tours, 
that the bilhops Ihould be employed in tranflating homi¬ 
lies into the Roman ruftic tongue, that they might be the 
more eafily underltood by the common, people. The fame 
canon we are told was renewed in a council at Arles in 851. 
In the ninth century hiltorians tell us, that Charlemagne 
and his foils and fuccelfors fpoke in the Romance lan¬ 
guage, fpecimens of which may be feen in Fauchet, Paf- 
quier, and feveral other writers on the French language. 
And in the twelfth century it began to be the general lan¬ 
guage of poets and polite writers. Some of the fermons 
written and preached by St. Bernard, about 1137, in this 
language, areftill preferved among the manufcripts of the 
convent of Feuillans, in the Rue St. Honors at Paris. In 
the times of the emperors, the Romans inlfituted fchools 
and academies in the principal cities of Gaul for teaching the 
Latin language; andarefcriptof Gratianftill fubfiftsforthe 
election and appointments of profeffors of thefe feminaries. 
In the latter end of the fourth century, by thefe means, and 
the offices of dignity and profit conferred on thofe who 
were mafters of this language, it became general among 
perfons of education, and confequently would be imitated, 
though in an awkward and incorreCt manner, by thofe of 
a lower clnfs. Strabo tells us, that in the time of Auguf- 
tus the Spaniards and Portuguefe had forgotten their own 
language, and uled only that of the Romans. 
The great corruption of the Latin tongue about the 
end of the feventh century is manifeft in the collection of 
the form tiles of the monk Marculf, Hill preferved, as well 
as public aCts, charters, tellaments, and diplomas. In 
thefe records it appears, that the dialeCts of the neighbour¬ 
ing people had begun to disfigure the Latin nouns, by 
certain contractions of fyllables and frequent repetitions 
of pronouns. Indeed the repetitions of the pronoun ipfe 
were innumerable, on account of the articles le and la 
having been long before this period introduced into the vul¬ 
gar tongue. An evident proof of the introdudion of the 
articles ilk and ilia contracted and difguifed is found in the 
litanies written about the year 780 in the diocefe of Soif- 
fons. In thefe, the prayers for pope Adrian I. for Charle¬ 
magne, his wife, and children, are terminated by tu lo 
juva, in Head of the ufual formula, tu ilium juva. Even fo 
early as the fixth century, according to Gregory of Tours, 
the rules of grammar with refped to cafes and genders 
were difregarded, and proper names frequently deprived 
of their Latin terminations; as Theodoric for Theodori- 
eus, See. This common or vulgar language is frequently 
mentioned under the title Sermo Rujhcanus Lingua Romana, 
becaufe of its derivation from the language of the Ro¬ 
sens, which was Latin. Lingua Lc-aa and Lingua Gallicana 
1S7 
are frequently mentioned in ancient Latin manufcripts 
before it feeins to have been written ; and fome of the 
moll ancient fragments of this language now fubfilting are 
verfes in rhyme. The colloquial language ufed only in 
familiar converfation was called by the Romans Sermo 
ufualis, quotidianus , pedejlris, vulgaris, militaris, ruflicus, &c. 
It is fuppofed by M. Bonamy, as well as others, that from 
this vulgar Latin not only the French language and its 
different dialers,but theSpanilh and Italian, are derived. 
Indeed it is moft probable that the Latin tongue, in its 
periods of greateft purity, was only the language of the 
learned in the Roman provinces remote from the capital; 
and that it was never fo generally cultivated in other 
times as to exclude the vulgar dialed!. In the frequent 
revolutions and ftruggles for empire during thefe ages, 
the Roman language muff have been debafed and cor¬ 
rupted, while new tongues were forming, which, though not 
efficiently fixed and grammatical to be ufed in books, 
were doubtlefs long the vulgar and colloquial dialedts be¬ 
fore the Latin ceafed to be the common language of the 
learned. 
Of all the languages which fprang up from the mix¬ 
ture of the Latins with the northern people on the de- 
ltruction of the Roman empire, none approaches fo near 
to the genius of the Latin as the Spanish. For, as the 
Spaniards have been always remarkable for their military 
prowefs and dignity of mind, their language is naturally 
adapted to exprefs ideas of that kind. Sonorous and fo- 
lemn, it admits nearly of as much dignity as the Latin. 
For converfation, it is the moft elegant and courteous lan¬ 
guage in Europe. 
The humane and generous order of chivalry was firff 
invented, and kypt its footing longeff, in this nation ; and, 
although it ran at laft into fuch a ridiculous excels as de- 
fervedly made it fall into univerfal difrepute, yet it left 
fuch a itrong tinCture of romantic heroifnr upon the minds 
of all ranks of people, as made them jealous of their glory, 
and ftrongly emulous of cultivating that heroic politenefs 
which they confidered as the highelt perfection they could 
attain. Every man difdained to flatter, or to yield up any 
point of honour which he poffeffed ; at the fame time, he 
rigoroufly exacted from others all that was his due. 
Thefe circumffances have given rife to a great many terms 
ot refpeCt and courteous condefcenfion, without mean- 
nefs or flattery, which gave their dialogue a relpectful po¬ 
litenefs and elegance unknown to any other European 
language. This is the reafon why the characters fo finely 
drawn by Cervantes in Don Quixote are ftill unknown 
to all but thofe who underhand the language in which he 
wrote. Nothing can be more unlike the gentle meeknefs 
and humane heroilin of the knight, or the native fimpli- 
city, warmth of affection, and refpettful loquacity, of the 
fquire, than the inconfiftent follies of the one, or the im¬ 
pertinent forwardnefs and difrefpeCtful petulance of the 
other, as they are exhibited in every Englifh tranflation. 
Nor is it, as we imagine, poffible to reprelent fo much fa¬ 
miliarity, united with fuch becoming condefcenfion in the 
one, and unfeigned deference in the other, in any other 
European language, as is neceflary to paint thefe two ad¬ 
mirable characters. 
Although this language, from the folemn dignity and 
majeftic elegance of its ffrufture, is perhaps better quali¬ 
fied than any other modern one for the lublime drains of 
epic poetry ; yet, as the poets of this nation have alL 
along imitated the Italians by a molt fervile fubjeCtion to 
rhyme, they never have produced one poem of this fort, 
which in point of poely or ftyle deferves to be tranfrnitted 
to pofterity. And in any other fpecies of poetry but this, 
or the higher tragedy, it is not naturally fitted to excel. 
But, although the drama and other polite branches of li¬ 
terature were early cultivated in this country, and made 
confiderable progrefs in it, before the thirft of gain de¬ 
bated their fouls, or the defireof univerfal dominion made 
them forfeit that liberty which they once fo much prized ; 
iince they became enervated by an overbearing pride, and. 
them 
