The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1868-02-27
p. 5.s<, 1or Ne r. Cloud Journal
the IIQLIsH LAIaUln I.

Language. the medium Of human
thought and expression, is almost ip-
variably marked by the peeuliarities Of
national character. The martial might
Of the Roman tongue, nov oonsec,ated
to literature and to the services Of 70
:igioo, still Ie1ssts The proud snd var-
like character Of the ancient conquer
.ors Of the world. n a." German and
Scandinavian dialects ws may discern
the hardy vigor Of the Northern races,
while the soft and liquid Italian, the
stately and sonorous Castilian, and the
French, sparkling with viy,eity and
rspa'tee faithfully portray tho salient
points of national character.
The English in its origin and struct.
ure is = modern language. The ancient
Britons spoke Celtic diale>t, and the
Latin during the Roman dominion
seems to have made little progress
After the fall of the Weatern Roman
Empire the Saxons invaded and con-
quered England, driving most Of the
ancient Inhabitants into Wales The
old German thus became the language
Of England, and continued so to be un-
til the era of the Norman conquest ia
the middle of the eleventh esotury.
The piratical incurrions Of the Danes,
however, in the time of Alfred and his
successors, and the colonisat;en of .
large number Of these Northneu in the
northern aud eastern counties Of Eng
land, affected in some degres the N.-
tional tongue. But the vesa.cular Of
the people of England during those
ages was utterly uneultivated. Latin
was the language Of the eloisser and Of
every institution of Learning, sad vhat-
ever Of literaturs existed Ms in that
tongue. A portion of the Scriptures
and a few psalms and books of devotion
were however translated into tho vul.
gar tongue for the NE of the few among
the commouality who were able to read.
But a great change took place when
William the Conqueru struck down
the might Of the Saxon monarchy on
the field of Hastings. By the victo-
rious NormAos the law of conquest vas
rigidly construed and enforced. For
several successive reigns per.svering
attempt was made to render French the
language of England. All legal and
judicial proceedings were conducted in
that tongue, which vas spoken At Court,
in the castles Of the nobility, and rap
idly gained ground in polite and refn-
ed society. But the success of this
project though considerable vas incom-
plete. The middle aud lower classes
clung ten.ciossly to the harsh but ex-
pressive language of their Saxon an
cestors, and = compromise gradual in
its progress but thorough in its results
took place. The rival languages be-
came one, and thus formed by happy
union the English tongue. About tho
close of the fourteenth century this
transformation was complete. In the
words of Macauley, 81 rich sad ener-
getic language formed by the infusion
Of Norman French into German, vas
now the common property Of the .ris-
tocracy and CT the people," Though
this strong and copious vernacular had
as yet no literature of it, own, the re-
vival of learning tostered by the efforts
Of the clergy and the monastic orders,
gave not obscure pres,ge Of happier
future. The geueral and dsplorable
ignorance Of the commonality in pre-
ceding ages. far from being the result
of priestly contrivance, C.s bigotry has
too often asse1ted) wss unavoidable. 1t
was manifestly impossible for the mass
es to possess books while the art of
printing vas unknown. Geofiey Chau-
Ger, the father Of English poetry, COM
posed his famous "Canterbuzy Tales"
in the closing years OF the fourteenth
century, and this early production has
by its intrinsic merit stood the test OF
time and conferred immortality upon
its author.
Printing is said to have been intro
duced into England in 1864, BY Thom-
as Bourcbier, Cardiaal Archbishop Of
Canterbury, and . new power lent it.
energies to develop the germ Of Eng
lish literature. The sectazian diviioos
and religious diseord which obtained
in England in the sixtesnth century,
though attended by many misehisvo..
results were beneficial to the national
language and literature in . uapne.
analogous to that in which .
civil war frequently improves the dis
cipline and efficiency of tho national
force. Though force instead of ar9u-
ment was chiefly y relied on BY both the
conteOding parties, aad by it the oon-
test was mainly decided, yet the bitter
Of that polemieal period
undoubtedly contributed to develop the
powers and fix the standard of the Eag-
lish tongue.
A third relement was at this time
epgrafted upon the mixture Of Germen
and French, which forms the basis Of
our language. Latin, which had hith-
erto been the language Of a.iversities
md schools aud had preserved its su.
IN every department Of sci.