not because no writings at all were compofed in the univerfal languages, but merely because it was cuftomary to employ notaries and lawyers in the framing of legal deeds and documents. As for the reft, the common language was used in all oral and written private tranfactions.

It was referved for the literati, efpecially the poets, to have the merit of refining the common language of the people, It is, how ever, difficult to afcertain the exact period when the first attempts of this nature were made. It is commonly believed that the firft effays were attempted towards the clofe of the twelfth century. As a proof of this affertion, the following paffage in Dante's works is quoted “Ë non è molto numero d'anni paffati, che apparirono quesi. pocti volgari e fe volemo guardare in lingua d'oco (in lingua provenzale) e in lingua di fi (lingua volgare) noi non troviamo cofe dette anzi il prefente tempo centocinquant, anni." Dante having wrote this in the year 1295, his opinion is clearly, that previous to the year 1145, not a fingle poem had been written either in the Provenzal or in the Italian language. But as for the Provenzal rhymes, Dante commits here a manifeft error; as it is certain that William IX. count of Poitiers compofed already in the eleventh century poems in Provenzal rhymes. And as Dante had no knowledge of thefe ancient rhymes, it may fairly be fuppofed that Italian rhymes of a more ancient date, of which he knew not any thing, may have been extant or loft. I must, however, obferve, that he denies not absolutely that no rhymes were written prior to that period, maintaining

only that none of an anterior date could be found.

Dante and Petrarca agree, however, in affirming that the Sicilian poets (amongst whom thofe of the continent oppofite the island are included) had been the first who rhymed in the common language, and by their example animated the other Italians to do the fame in their refpective dialects. If that really was the cafe, this may, as the authors of the literary history of France are of opinion, have been done already in the eleventh century, when the Normans introduced this tafte from France. Thus much is certain, that, when Frederick II. in the twelfth century, came, while yet a boy, to Palermo, he met with poets who induced him by their example and perfuafions to rhyme in the common language. Dante relates, that Frederick and his fucceffor Manfredi, by their liberality, had drawn to their court the learned from all parts of Italy; and that the latter by their writings had occafioned all other literary works, even thofe compofed in the common language, to be called Sicilian compofitions and that the cuftom of rhyming in the common language had fpread from Sicily to Apulia, Tufcany, the Mark Ancona, Romagna, Lombardy, and Trevifo.

Many years elapfed before the Italian language was completely formed in all parts of Italy. As late as in the middle of the thirteenth century, a Milanefe poet expreffed himfelf in the fubfequent uncouth verfes :

Como Deo a facto lo monda,
E como de terre fo lo homo formo,
Cum el defcendè de cel in terra

In la vergene regal polzella,

Et cum el foftene paffion
Per noftra grande falvation,
Et cum, vera el di del, ira
La e ferà la grande roina.
Al peccator darà gramezza
Lo jufto avrà grande allegrezza,
Ben e raxon ke l'homo intenda
De que traita fta legenda.

It was not decided, either then or at the clofe of the thirteenth century when Dante wrote, which dialect of the common language was the beft. Dante himfelf did not deem the dialect of Tufcany the most eligible, and in his writtings made ufe of a great many Lombard, Neapolitan, and Venetian words and expreffions. Ruftigielo, of Pifa, wrote in the year 1299 the travels of Marco Polo,

not in his own, but in the Venetian dialect, which already at that time had attained a certain degree of harmony, as appears by the following lines:

other Tufcans, who lived alfo at the clofe of the thirteenth century, by their elegant compofitions turned the fcale in favour of the Tufcan dialect, and furpaffed all authors who had hitherto written in the common language. If we compare the fonnets of Guirtone d'Arezzo, the poems of Ugolino Ubaldini, and others, which tica Italiana, with the fpecimens are quoted in the Anthologia Poelects above cited, we cannot be furof the Venetian and Milanese diaTufcan dialect acquired. prized at the fuperiority which the Dante

himself made ufe of no other diafmaller poems and profaic writings, lect but that of Tufcany in his and feems to have repented of his former neglect of his vernacular language.

Brunetto Latini and Guirtone d'Arezzo had, above all others, the merit of having imparted gram

De la iftinzione del mondo.

Vui Signori Imperadori, Duchi, Marchef, Chonti, e Kavalieri, e tuta zente, quale volete intender e chonoffer le diverse genarazione de li homeni e del mondo, lezete queflo libro, in lo qual trouverete de grandiffimi miracholi e diverfità dell' Armenia mazore, de Perfia, e de Tartaria, e de molte altre provinzie fecondo chomo nara, &c. &c.

Had the Venetians at that time had more writers like this, their dialect would, undoubtedly, have gained the fuperiority in Italy. But Brunetto Latini Ricco de Varlungo, Dino Fiorentino, Salvino Doni, Ugo da Siena, Guido Novello, Farinata, Degli Uberti, Lambertuccio Frefcobaldi, Pannuccio dal Bagno, Guirtone d'Arezzo, and VOL. XLII.

language; whilft it owes its energy and precifion to Dante Alighieri. It was, however, ftill deftitute of that high degree of fuavity and harmony, by which it at prefent diftinguishes itfelf eminently from all other languages. This peculiar charm it obtained by the exertions of Cino of Piftoja, of his pupil Francefco Petrarca, and John Boccacio. Thefe celebrated authors brought the Tuscan dialect to fuch a charming perfection, that from that time no good author of the other provinces hefitated to prefer it to his own dialect Thus the clofe of the thirteenth and beginning of the fourteenth century form the epocha when the Italian language attained, the highest degree of perfection.