A Short History of French Literature. Saintsbury George

melody of the early Latin hymn-writers, had by far the greatest effect upon it. Ingenious and not wholly groundless efforts have been made to trace the principal forms of early French writing to the services and service-books of the church, the chronicle to the sacred histories, the lyric to the psalm and the hymn, the mystery to the elaborate and dramatic ritual of the church. The Chanson de Geste, indeed, displays in its matter and style many traces of Germanic origin, but the metre with its regular iambic cadence and its rigid caesura testifies to Latin influence. The service thus performed to the literature was not unlike the service performed to the language. In the one case the scaffolding, or rather the skeleton, was furnished in the shape of grammar; in the other a similar skeleton, in the shape of prosody, was supplied. Important additions were indeed made by the fresh elements introduced. Rhyme Latin had itself acquired. But of the musical refrains which are among the most charming features of early French lyric poetry we find no vestige in the older tongue.

      Early Monuments.

      The history of the French language, as far as concerns literature, from the seventh to the eleventh century, can be rapidly given. The earliest mention of the Romance tongue as distinguished from Latin and from German dialect refers to 659, and occurs in the life of St. Mummolinus or Momolenus, bishop of Noyon, who was chosen for that office because of his knowledge of the two languages, Teutonic and Romanic5. We may therefore assume that Mummolinus preached in the lingua Romana. To the same century is referred the song of St. Faron, bishop of Meaux6, but this only exists in Latin, and a Romance original is inferred rather than proved. In the eighth century the Romance eloquence of St. Adalbert is commended7, and to the same period are referred the glossaries of Reichenau and Cassel, lists containing in the first case Latin and Romance equivalents, in the second Teutonic and Romance8. By the beginning of the ninth century it was compulsory for bishops to preach in Romance, and to translate such Latin homilies as they read9; and to this same era has been referred a fragmentary commentary on the Book of Jonah10, included in the latest collection of 'Monuments11.' In 842 we have the Strasburg Oaths, celebrated alike in French history and French literature. The text of the MS. of Nithard which contains them is of the tenth century.

      We now come to documents less shapeless. The tenth century itself gives us the song of St. Eulalie, a poem on the Passion, a life of St. Leger, and perhaps a poem on Boethius. These four documents are of the highest interest. Not merely has the language assumed a tolerably regular form, but its great division into Langue d'Oc and Langue d'Oil is already made, and grammar, prosody, and other necessities or ornaments of bookwriting, are present. The following extracts will illustrate this part of French literature. The Romance oaths and the 'St. Eulalie' are given in full, the 'Passion' and the 'St. Leger' in extract; it will be observed that the interval between the first and the others is of very considerable width. This interval probably represents a century of active change, and of this unfortunately we have no monuments to mark the progress accurately.

Les Serments de Strasbourg de 842

      Pro deo amur et pro christian poblo et nostro commun salvament, d'ist di in avant, in quant deus savir et podir me dunat, si salvarai eo cist meon fradre Karlo et in aiudha et in cadhuna cosa, si cum on per dreit son fradra salvar dist, in o quid il mi altresi fazet, et ab Ludher nul plaid nunqua prindrai, qui meon vol cist meon fradre Karle in damno sit.

      Si Lodhuvigs sagrament, quæ son fradre Karlo jurat, conservat, et Karlus meos sendra de sua part nun los tanit, si io returnar nun l'int pois, ne io ne nëuls, cui eo returnar int pois, in nulla aiudha contra Lodhuwig nun li iv er.

Cantilène de Sainte Eulalie

      Buona pulcella fut Eulalia,

      bel auret corps, bellezour anima.

      Voldrent la veintre li deo inimi,

      voldrent la faire dïaule servir.

      Elle non eskoltet les mals conselliers,

      qu'elle deo raneiet, chi maent sus en ciel,

      Ne por or ned argent ne paramenz,

      por manatce regiel ne preiement.

      Nïule cose non la pouret omque pleier,

      la polle sempre non amast lo deo menestier.

      E poro fut presentede Maximiien,

      chi rex eret a cels dis sovre pagiens

      El li enortet, dont lei nonque chielt.

      qued elle fuiet lo nom christiien.

      Ell' ent adunet lo suon element,

      melz sostendreiet les empedementz,

      Qu'elle perdesse sa virginitet:

      poros furet morte a grand honestet.

      Enz enl fou la getterent, com arde tost.

      elle colpes non auret, poro nos coist.

      A ezo nos voldret concreidre li rex pagiens;

      ad une spede li roveret tolir lo chief.

      La domnizelle celle kose non contredist,

      volt lo seule lazsier, si ruovet Krist.

      In figure de colomb volat a ciel.

      tuit orem, que por nos deguet preier,

      Qued auuisset de nos Christus mercit

      post la mort et a lui nos laist venir

      Par souue clementia.

La Passion Du Christ

      Christus Jhesus den s'en leved,

      Gehsesmani vil' es n'anez.

      toz sos fidels seder rovet,

      avan orar sols en anet.

      Grant fu li dois, fort marrimenz.

      si condormirent tuit adés.

      Jhesus cum veg los esveled,

      trestoz orar ben los manded.

      E dunc orar cum el anned,

      si fort sudor dunques suded,

      que cum lo sangs a terra curren

      de sa sudor las sanctas gutas.

      Als sos fidels cum repadred,

      tam benlement los conforted

      li fel Judas ja s'aproismed

      ab gran cumpannie dels judeus.

      Jhesus cum vidra los judeus,

      zo lor demandet que querént.

      il li respondent tuit adun

      'Jhesum querem Nazarenum.'

      'Eu soi aquel,' zo dis Jhesus.

      tuit li felun cadegren jos.

      terce ves lor o demanded,

      a totas treis chedent envers.

Vie de Saint Léger

      Domine deu devemps lauder

      et a sus sancz honor porter;

      in su' amor cantomps dels sanz

      quæ por lui augrent granz aanz;

      et or es temps et si est biens

      quæ nos cantumps de sant Lethgier.

      Primos didrai vos dels honors

      quie il auuret ab duos seniors;

      apres ditrai vos dels aanz

      que li suos corps susting si granz,

      et Evvruïns, cil deumentiz,

      qui lui a grand torment occist.

      Quant infans fud, donc a ciels temps

      al rei lo duistrent soi parent,

      qui donc regnevet a ciel di:

      cio