Geschichte des französischen Romans im XVII Jahrhundert by Phil. Heinr. KörtingReview by: F. M. WarrenModern Language Notes, Vol. 2, No. 1 (Jan., 1887), pp. 19-21Published by: The Johns Hopkins University PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2918887 .

Accessed: 14/05/2014 22:25

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

.

The Johns Hopkins University Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access toModern Language Notes.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.63 on Wed, 14 May 2014 22:25:11 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

37 JafluoJy. MJODEle\ l z1NUA&U C G VO E 1, 1887. NO. 1. 38

lighten the labors of all who hereafter deal with the general subject of A.-S. poetical style. As the author himself says, opinions will differ about some of his decisions. On p. 66, miiid- dangear-d is taken as a kenninig for "Erde," and geond bisne middangeard as "Eigentliclher Ausdruck" for "aufErden." ,Vhy, too, should leohi (p. 66) be kenninig for "Sonnie" in B. 569: Ieohf e'asan comn, beorlif beacen, godes? But these are veriest trifles. Since Sankey's solos pass muster as illustration of the kenning,- is it because your true kenning-makers, ac- cording to Bode (p. 9), are 'the uneducated, the half-educated, young mothers, young lovers, praying peasant-women, inarket- women ?'- I venture to add a kenninig to hildefr6-for or "Kampftrost," (p. 54), for a shield. In these modern days, the keining denotes a less bellicose sort of shield: a "com- forter" is a warm wrap for the neck; a "com- fortable" is a stuffed coverlet. We noted above Bode's rather reckless tilt at the estab- lished idea that a kenning results from the Germanic vehemence and passion, which loved to rain a succession of blows on one spot. This view of Heinzel, of Scherer, and others, Bode dismisses with a word. He seems fond of Donnybrook warfare, and gladly hits at all heads that he sees. Miillenhoff and ten Brink are set right on p. 71 f. These authorities were wrong in making Grendel and the dragon fossilized personifications of the Equinoctial storms of ocean. Bode calls uip a sort of ILy- canthropy mixed with Euhemerism, and ex- plains Grendel as a type of acttual beasts- "reissende Tiere" -who once ravaged the lands which afterwards sang of his doings. The 'last editor' of Beowulf (what a terrible fellow he was!) took this beast-epic anld shook it Up with his Christian demonology. Respon- sibility for Grendel is henceforth to be divided 1)etween Cain and the "reissen-de TIiere." And so, one bv one, the great problemsi are solved.

My review is long, but not otut of proportioni to the worth of Bode's essay. The acttual re- sults of his work, as I have already said, are of permanent value. Diligence and insight go together; and where actual statements cease, the author alway's gives us a horizoni of sugges- tion anid stinmlutis. Among the most admirable

of these suggestionis, is hiis concluding sketch of the relations between the use of kenuiiiigs on the one hanid, and on tie other, the use of end-rime and assoinanice.

FRANCIS 13. (jIVMMBERt. A'e7 Befford.

Gesclzich le desfrauzzasischen Romn ans itll X VI I Jahrhuindert, von DR. PHII. HEINR. KOR- TING. Leipzig und Oppelin, 1885, 8SVo. Erster Band in 4 Lieferunigen. S. 501.

By this publication, of which the first voltume is now complete, Dr. K6rting again renders signal service in the field of Romanice literature. The French novel of the sev,,enteenth century, whiclh has its sources in the earlier fiction of the neighborinig ILatini races, and in the pas- toral productions of Greece andcl Rome, possesses an interest deserving the atteni- tion of the ripe scholarship n1ow brought to the work. By remodeling maicl reducing the form inherited from abroad, by reniewinig the content and adapting it to the changed state of society, the writers of the seventeenth cen- tuiry in France became, in their tturn, the pro- genitors of the English novel of the eighteenitlh and the point of departure for the far-reaciiing influence of Fenelon and Le Sage.

Dr. K6rting divides his subject into three parts: 1. The foreign souirces anid influenices. II. The ideal novel in Fraince. 111. The realistic novel in France.

I. Foreigin influen-ces. Chap. i, Ainadis. The slight anid only connlection-l between Frencl fiction and the vast literatLure of the Middle Ages-Rabelais had remained wvithotut im-nmedi- ate influen-ce-was formecl by the 'Amaclis of Gaul.' Seeking the originis of Anmadis, Dr. iK6rting agrees with Brauinfels, and finds it in England as an episode; crossingo the chan- nel it workecl its wszay south, uintil in Spaini, to- warcds 1470, Moontalvo first committecl it to wxriting in a form wx,hich I1is successors greatly enlarged. The sticcess was immen.se: tranis- lations into Italiani alld Germani w\,ere niot lon-g delayed. Francis I, xhlio hacd b)ecotlme ac- qutainted with the Ainadis dutring his imprisoin- ment, entrusted the French version to Des Essarts (1543-8); a vrersion whiclh gav-e it a new lease of life, leading: to great expansion of

I9

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.63 on Wed, 14 May 2014 22:25:11 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

39 JCl)l/1C17'. JfODERJN? LJA(I' 7A GE AO TES, 1887. N). 1. 40

form unider the lhaind of imitators, and created the moclern political and heroic novel. Of the fotur chief elements of Amicadis, Dr. K6rting shows that: I. knioghtly adventures an-d 2. courtly conversation remnained unchanged in subsequent fiction while 3. love was refined and weakened by the prudery of the literary circles an-d 4. the suiperniatuiral was either lost, changed to the tinnlatural or replaced by the old artifice of disguised characters.

Clhap. 2. The Greek noz'el. The influience of the Greek novel of tlle Alexiandrine school anld of th'e Greek histor-ies of the same epoch, partly by meanis of ILatin versions, but chiefly througlh tlle direct tran-slation-s of Aml-yot, ap- pears in the French novel more partictilarly in the details of the actioni anid in the mannier of compositioni. Ani appenidix to this chapter discLusses the relatively snmall influienice of the LIatini novels anld histories.

Clhap. 3. The Spaiiski noyoe. The higlhly developed stage of Spaniish fictioni, the re- ligiouis, the pastoral anid, imiost cultivated of all, the realistic novel with satirical anld criti- cal tendenicies, had the greatest effect oni the xvriters of Fr-ance. Already in i56i 'Lazarillo de Tormes,' by IMendoza (a. I553), the first picaresc niovel-in xvhiclh indeed traces of 'Amadis' are found---xvas translated into French while the itnumerous imitators of Aleindoza fouind likewvise frequient and speedy transla- tions. By them the developmenlt of the Frenclh realistic novel was largely determined, yet their effect on its indepenidenit growtlh xvas in- juiriouis: i. They were tranisplanited bodily to the soil of France anld did not thlus take on a healthy growth. 2. 13y their inifluience the (lelinleatioln of clharacter was subordinated to the development of the action.'I

Chap. 4. PRasoral joe/er andl lUieralure. 'I'his kinid of literatu-re, wvhich first reached anl I inldependelnt state in 'Theocrituis, suiff'erecd 1) the uilnreal inmitationis of Vergil anid ILouigtus- thouigh in the latter it first formed a comlplete anld uinlited narrative. Xer-gil, xvhlo was the sole solnsor of the pastoral novel in Italy ancl Spaini, in Franice thirough the tranislation of Amyot fotlnd a rival ill Longtus. Yet, here

I 'DonI Qtiijote,' accordinig to Dr. Korting, in advanice of the general taste, reimiaiined for the time with little inifltienice in Spain, yet had in Franice marked iniflulence oni Sorel.

again the determining influence on the Fren-clh pastoral nov el wvas that of the neighboring Romance nations. The 'Arcadia' of Sanna- zaro-translated in 1544-an-d the 'Aminta' of Fasso had eaclh considerable inifluence, the latter especially, on the 'Astree,' whlile the Spanish scllool, at the lhead of wlich was the 'Diana' of Alontern ayor-translated freqcuently froml- 1560 on, and wllich disputed even the great authority of 'Amadis'-slhaped alml-ost arhitrarily the course of the Frenclh imitators.

Having tlhuis inicisively anil comprehensively analysed the sources in the literature of other nationis, Dr. K6irting proceeds to the seconid div,ision of hlis subject: the ideal niovel in France durinig the seventeenth century. The general metllodl whliiclh lhe emnploys is, proceed- iing chronologically, to treat first of the auitlhor's life, tlheni of hiis works, giving in many cases lonig analyses of the subject, anid tracing the conniiectioni betweein thenii and their soturces as inidicated in the first genieral division, finially of hiis inifltuenice anid reptutation amiionig his conl- temporaries.

Thtus the pastoral noxvel of D'Urfe-the 'As- tree,'-the first inidependenit national production of this period in the field of fictionl, anid wvlhicl conltribthtes the form to subsequienit niovels is considered. The political nio-el of Jean Bar- clay-the 'Argenis,'- the allegorical novel of Gomibalcl - the 'Endymion,'- the religious novels of CamrUs2 and his poor imiiitators, are treated in tturni.

The lheroic-gallanit lnovel is then takeni uip anid disctussed at length in its development fromi Gomhiberville to ILa Calprenlede3, anid its conlcltusion witlh Allle. dce Scude'ry;-xvriters of

inior implortance comhibiniiig two or mlore kindcls of the ideal nov'el are sketched in an intermediate clhapter. rhe hook closes with the psychological sittuationi-lnov-el of \'Ime. cle Lafayette alnd lher imiiitators-the forerunniiers of tlle miiodlerni nloxvel of miianniiers.

The genleral imlpressioni of this first volume

2 'f'he melanicholy aoid yet niaturi-al solution of the plot in both 'Darie' anid 'Aristanidrie' r-einiods onie forciblv of the painistakinig anid relenitless sttidies in coniteimipor-ary life of M. Alphonse Danldet.

3 Th'lle lon1g analyses devoted to La Calprenlde-the atithor anid works fillillg pp. 241-38O-are explainied by Dr. Kiirting as initenided to iincite to the sttidy of the infltuenice of La Cal- prenede on the Frenich anid English dl-ama.

20

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.63 on Wed, 14 May 2014 22:25:11 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

41 Jaiuary. IVIODERiV LANG UA GE NvO T1ES, I887. NoV. I . 42

is that of wide research, varied information, quick discernment comubined with a forcible, though perhaps at times prolix, style. Of es- pecial pleasure to the reader, as well as studenit, are the chapters on the Spanish novel (I. 3), the religious novel (II. 5) and the psycho- logical novel of Mme. de Lafayette (II. IO). The second volume of this work, containing its third general division,-the realistic nov-el,- will be awaited with interest.

F. M. VARRKEN. JoAns Hoopkins University.

_BR IF MEN TIO AT Miss Louise Both-Hendriksen 's selections

from Alfred de Musset, Lamartine and Victor Hugo, entitled 'La Triade frangaise' (Boston, Schoenhof), is an excellent book for advaniced classes. In point of execution it does honor to the publisher, and the editor has shown taste anid discrimation in the choice of the poems. The selection of Hugo's 'Expiation'was particularly felicitous and novel; but why have omitted a single line of this very characteristic piece?

Since the long notice devoted by the MOD- ERN LANGUAGE NOTES to Mr. Jenkins' Frenclh publications, he has added four others to his already extensive list. 'Les Fiances de Grinder- wald' contains two charming little tales by Erckmann-Chatrian, easy and perfectly adapt- ed for use in elementary classes. " La Fille de Roland," by M. Henri de Bornier, is the most ambitious work in Mr. Jenkins' list. It is a drama in four acts anid in verse; modern Alexanidrinies, not at all difficult. The play will seem rather highstrung to those who cannot enter into the patriotic spirit of the author. It was playecd in 1875, which partly accouniits for its success.

Professor Cranie, of Corniell IJniversitx, is pre- parinig an extensive work oni the great medie- val collectionis of Latini stories, their sources and imitations in the Modern Languages. A large part of the material has been taklen from unedited MSS. in the British Museum atnd Na- tional Library at Paris, or from early prinited books.

Among the former class are the e.xenipl or illustrative stories containied in the serimlonis o

Jacques de Vitry, Bislhop of Acre andcl the his- toriani of the Crusades. Although these stories are of the greatest value for the quiestioni of the diffusion of popular tales, tlhey hiav-e niexver he- fore beeni edited.

Prof. Crane's work, which is enititled 'Mediz,ie- val Story-Books and Stories,' xviil cover the entire range of mediweval Latin fictioni, inicludinig conles dcMots, fables, apologues, historical aniec- dotes, jests, etc., and will be valuiable not only to the stuidenit of comiiparative literatuire and folk-lore, but also to those initerestecl inl iieclize- val cultture and history-.

Francis H. Stoddard, M. A., Uniiversity In- structor in Eniglish at the University of Califor- nia, has announced a series of fouir lectures on 'Thie Religious Drama of the Middle Age.' The followinig subjects are to be treated:

s. General nztrodtction. Souirces of our Knowledge of the Mfiracle /a-jils and MVysteries.

2. History and Dlez'e/opmzent of I/ic Plays. 3. Extant CoGlections of English iJ'ysteries. 1. Literary and Liniguistic Value of the

MYvsteries.

Professor Alphonse van Daell, whose recenit appointment is noticed among the 'personals,' writes from Boston: *I have found in a private library what seems to me a very valuable MS. of the 'Roman de la Rose,' which appears to have belonged to the library of Charles IX. On the verso of the first leaf is a dWdicace by Baif. A note attributes the writing to Fl anm el, Secretai re dui duc de Berry.

The MS. contains 154 leaxes of old parch- ment, besides one, evidentlv of a more recent date, conitaining the Baif deldicace; the two last leaves are in blank. Each page lhas two coluimns of 36 lines, wlveni there are no minia- tuires. The work is perfect except at the top of some lpages, wxhere the letters are clamiiaged."

Professor Clharles F. Richardsoni, of I)art- mouth College, New Hampshire, has just seen througlh the press the first vrolumiie of his work on 'American Literatuire fromii I607 to i885.' It is entitled 'The Developmnent of Americani Thought,' includinig all xvriter-s of imiiportatnce save poets and novelists, (G. P'. Puitnam's Sonis, N. Y.). The second and conclulding volume of this importanit treatise wxili prol)ably appear in 1888.

21

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.63 on Wed, 14 May 2014 22:25:11 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions