Before the flouriſhing of the Roman Empire, there were ſeveral native Languages uſed in Italy, France, Spain. In Italy we read of the Meſſapian, the Hetruſcan, the Sabine, the Oſcan, the Hetrurian or Tuſcan Languages; which are now thought by Learned men to be utterly loſt, and nowhere to be found in the World.
‘Tis probable that there was not onely one Language in ſo vaſt a Territory as France, but that ſeveral Provinces ſpake ſeveral Languages: But what thoſe Languages were, or whether yet extant, is uncertain. As for the Celta, who, inbabiting the inner part of the Country, were leſs ſubject to forein mixtures, ‘tis moſt probable that their Language might be the Britiſh or Welſh, which is yet ſpoken in ſome parts of France. Cæſar reports that the Gauls were wont often to paſs over into Britain, to be inſtructed by the Druids, amongſtwhom there was then no uſe of Books or Writing, and therefore they muſt communicate by Diſcourle. And Tacitus affirms that the Speech of the Britiſh and Gauls, differed but little.
It is conceived that one of the ancient Tongues of Spain was the Cantabrian, which doth now there remain in the more barren mountainous, inacceſſible parts, where Conquerors are leſs willing to purſue, or deſirous to plant; as our Britiſh dith in Wales. But 'tis probable that there might be ſeveral other Language beſides this in ſo great a Continent, as well as in Italy, which are now wholly loſt and unknown.
3. As to the third Quere, concerning the firſt Riſe and occaſion of new Languages, that may be ſufficiently anſwered by what was before ſuggeſted, concerning thoſe many particular emergencies which may contribute to the introducing a change in Languages.
Some think that the Italians, Spaniards and French, after they were totally ſubdued by the Romans, and planted with their Colonies, did, after, a certain ſpace of time, receive the Latin Tongue as their moſt vulgar Speech, and retained it; till afterwards, being ſeveral times overrun by the Northern barbarous Nations, the Goths and Vandals, and other Tribes of the Germans, who mixed with them, and after ſeveral Conqueſts reſided amongſt them, ſometimes 20, 60, 200 years together; this afforded time enough for ſuch a thorough coalition betwixt them and the Natives, as could not but introduce a great change in the common Language, whilſt the Nations were forced to attemper their Speech for the mutual underſtanding of one another.
Others conceive that thoſe Countries did not at firſt perfectly receive the Latin from the Romans, but did onely make uſe of moſt principal radical words; neglecting the Grammatical rules of compoſition and inflection, and with all varying the way of pronunciation, according to the unuſualneſs and difficulty of ſeveral ſounds to ſeveral Countries: And that this was the firſt and chief occaſion of thofe various Medleys or ſeveral Dialects now in uſe; which were afterwards ſomewhat farther changed from their Originals, by thoſe ſeveral Inundations of the Barbarians
'Tis not much material to diſpute, which of theſe cauſes had the principal influence in the extraction of theſe modern Tongues, ſo long as 'tis granted that both of them might contribute and ſuffice for this effect. As for our preſent Engliſh, this ſeems to be a mixture of the Britiſh,
