Geschichte des französischen Romans by Phil. Heinrich KörtingReview by: F. M. WarrenModern Language Notes, Vol. 2, No. 6 (Jun., 1887), pp. 176-177Published by: The Johns Hopkins University PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2918315 .

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35I g<June. 1JlODERN LANGUAGE NOTES, I887. N7o. 6. 352 _ _ _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

he seeks to trace the elaborationi of Provengal lyrism in Italy, and its passage thence into Spain, ancl the imitationi of the Spaniish poetic school in Portugal as represented by the Caznciozeiro geral of Garcia de Rezenide; the spread of the Romance of the Rounid Table; the diffusion of Latin erudition through trans- lations, and the development of a popular element, as shown in the formationi of the Romanzceiros. The tlhird period (sixteentlh century), named Os Qtinzlzentlislas, repr-esenits the high-water imiark of liter-ary activity in Portugal: the renascence of Graeco-Roman culture, the conflict betwveen imedicPval andcl classical eruditioni-the latter represented es- pecially by Italian influenice. Here Fern-do cle Oliveira and JYio de Barros made the begin- nings in the discussion of Portuguese graini- mar, Gil Vicente fouLnded the national tlheatre, Bernardinio Ribeiro and Christo,Tdo Falcdo developed to its highest point popuLlar lyric poetry, Sia de Miranda and hisi school, favor- ing Italiani influence, introduced the imitation of classic mocdels, and, finally, camiie Camdes to conciliate and bind together the classical ancl medieval spirit in the greatest of mocler- epics, Os Lusiadas. In the fourth period (seveniteenitlh century), Os CGileranislas, the author disctusses the syncretismn of Italiani anid Spanish influence in Portugal, and the at- tempted reform in gramnmar-study of the Portu- guiese language. Tn the fifth (eighteenth cen- tury), Os Arcades, the inifluence of the psedlo- classicism of the French, the reaction against the humanism of the Jesuits, the reforms of the Marquis of Pombal and the formation of the Academnia real deas Sciencias, with their characteristics and results, are presented in a forcible manner, and tlhe chief causes in(licated that produced a transition into the sixth and final epoch (the nineteenth cenitury), 0 RomXanz- lismwo. Here the renoovation of Portuguese literature, as a consequence of the impor-tation of liberal thought; the liberal roml aniticisnm, as represented by Almeida Garrett; the relig- ionis, by Herculano; the classical reactioni of Castilho, and the dissolution of romanticism through the revolutionary and critical spirit of the present time, are set forth with a vigor that enables one to seize readily upton the main lines of literary growth as it exists in

Portugal. In the early part of the treatise, especially, the author is careful to give the sources of literary documents, to incdicate where the MSS. are to be founid, to present ajer(Cws of comparative literary growth that are most encouraging and stimulating to the studenit of comparative European literatures, and show a striking conitrast to the general treatment of this subject by his counitrymen. A furtlher important featture of the work is the henefit the reader derives from the autlhor's acquainitance with the recent investigations of English, Germani, French and Italian scholars in this fielcl. In this respect, the modern school of criticism and the writers on literary history in Portugal give evidence of serious lahor that is refreshinig wheni compared witl their forerulnners of only a few decacles ago. In truith, they have fuilly entered into the quickeninig spirit of nineteenith-cenitury culture, and nowhere else more than in the noble Lusitania of to-day do we find the liberal tlhought of European literary life productive of richer fruits and the enthusiasm of the workers marked by a truer sense of their obligation to the glorious past. To be convilnced of tlhis, one has but to read this important anid timely treatise of one of her most brilliant scholars anid most polished wvriters.

A. AMARSHALL ELLIOTT.

Geschich/e des franzbsischen Romau.s im XVII. Jahrhundert, von DR. PHIL. HEIN- RICH KORTING. II. Band: der realistisclhe Roman. XI. 285 pp., Svo. Oppein und Leipzig, 1887.

The secon-d volume, containing the third division of Dr. Korting's work (cf. OIoDERN LANGUAGE NOTES II. P. 38), treats of the Realistic novel. The absence of well-defined separations between the general tenldenicies of the various authors, as the anti-pastoral, the anti-lheroic-gallanit, has compelled divisions of the field according to chronology. This ob- stacle, which could not have been avoided, is mainly responsible for the lack of connected narrative between the succeeding chapters, and gives the impression of a series of monio- graphs rather than of a critical history. In careful researclh and in arrangemeint of ma-

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353 June. MODERN LANG UJA GE NO 7'ES, 1887. No. 6.

terial the same merits appear as in the chapters on the Ideal novel. By the side of the well- known authors-knowul by name, Dr. Korting would claim, rather than by their works- Sorel, Tristan, Cyranlo, Scarron, Furetiere, those of less celebrity are discussed, d'Au- bign6, Th6ophile, Lannel, with many of the the third rank.

In the case of Mareschal, Dr. Korting makes an appeal from the verdict of time. The Chrysolile of this author, which was published in I627, is given as the first psychological novel in French, and still more as one of the foremost creationls of the literature of the cen- tury. This latter assertion is, in our opinion, not warranted, from the stand-poinlt of style at least, by the extracts cited in the foot-notes.

Especially interesting is the study of the sources of the French novel in its Italian and Spanish forerunnlers, leading to a discussion of the characteristics of the various national schools and of the mutual relations which they sustain to one another.

Ample citations are given in foot-notes with particular reference to the manners and cuis- toms of the time, and manly interesting com- parisons are drawn between the satirical novel and the contemporaneouLs satirical comedy. Certain supposed resemblances tothe realistic novel of the present, however, are perhaps open to objection; that Zola selects coarse scenes only as texts for sernons (p. 68) is true only in part, and some might affirm a very small part; anld that the finest triumphs of the realistic school are represented in the works of the same author (p. 264) imay likewise, on the authority of one of the founders of the school (cf. E. de Goncourt, preface to Les Freres Zemganno), be called in question.

The influenlce of the French novel, both ideal and realistic, on the literature of foreign nations might have furnished, under the pen of Dr. Korting, a most interesting chapter in conclu- sion. For the English side, the excellent article of M. Jusserand in the Revue des Dezix MV/ondes of February I5, I887, gives certain valuable hints in regard to Scarron anld Furetiere (cf. pp. 6Il-12).

The value of the whole work appears the more strongly where the obscurer literature of the century is to be traced ouLt and put in its

proper relation to the mnore celebrated. To one famiiliar only with the ordiniary walks of the seventeenltlh centtiry literature in Franlce, this history reveals a new anld nlot less attrac- tive side of the national spirit and character.

F. M. WARREN. johins Hopkinis Universily.

FRENCH ETYMOLOGY.

Originie el For"natiou de la Langize Fran aise, Exercices Pratiques de Philologie Com- paree. Le Premier Livre des Fables de ILa Fontainle (Texte de i668) accompagn6 d'ujne versioni latine interlineaire calqu6e sur le texte fran?ais par HIPPOLYTE COCHERIS, Inspecteur g6n6ral de I'lIn- structioii publique. Paris, Librairie Ch. Delagrave.

An interesting addition to the works relating to the study of the origin and formation of the Frenlch language is to be found in a pamphlet (8o pp.) used especially in the classes of litera- ture in the French Hfigh Schools, the purpose of which is to practically illustrate the derivation of most of the French words from Latin. This the author effects by presenting a text very aptly chosen, Les Fables de La Fo;zlaine, livre jer, with a Latin rendering word for word in such a way that each Latin word is placed directly under the corresponding French word. This, however, would hardly be sufficient: in order to make the derivation plainer anld in reality much more true to the facts, this same Latin rendering is, in a third line, represented approximately as it was pronounced or spoken, divested, as it were, of its written dress and given as it sounded in the mouth of the Gallo- Roman soldiers who introduced it into the country. Thus is brought in a striking mannler both to the eye and the ear the close relation- ship which exists betweenl the parent speech anld the derived idiom. It is needless to say that the Latin thus set before the stuLdent is not exactly the classical Latin, but rather the lingua rustica, and the media el infima laliiiilas. Of course, to fuilly comprehend the scope of the work, reference must be made to the sonmewhat intricate laws and the philo- logical and historical principles that underlie

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