AN HISTORICAL SKETCH OF GEEEK. 1 3 happened in Greece, not even after the Latin conquest in 1204 and the Turkish in 1453. The Attic, the classical language, became, so to say, transfigured ; its forms, words, constructions, ex- pressions, orthography, were considered as some- thing sacred, as something which alone had a right to existence. Everybody will understand that all the above- named conditions were unfavorable to the crea- tion of a new literary language and a new na- tional literature. There remained on the one hand the antiquated literary language, and on the other hand the freely developed popular lan- guage — the dialects. Neither one could supply all demands. After the eleventh century the necessity was felt for the alteration of the former, the literary language, as it appeared antiquated. The adoption of a more modern phase, which would be more easily understood, was suggested. But then came the Prankish ad- venturers who conquered Constantinople, divided Greece among themselves, and brought the most terrific misery on the whole Greek world. While the political condition thus grew worse every day, there was a want of national spirit, which is the first essential for a national literature. It remained as it was ; the treasures of the classical
