InthetwelfthcenturytherebegantobeintroducedintothelanguagesomeofthetermsofAristotle’sphilosophy。andtowardsthesixteenthcenturyoneexpressedbyGreektermsallthepartsofthehumanbody，theirdiseases，theirremedies。whencethewordscardiaque，cephalique，podagre，apoplectique，asthmatique，iliaque，empyeme，andsomanyothers。AlthoughthelanguagethenenricheditselffromtheGreek，andalthoughsinceCharlesVIII。ithaddrawnmuchaidfromItalianalreadyperfected，theFrenchlanguagehadnotyettakenregularconsistence。Francoisl。abolishedtheancientcustomofpleading，judging，contractinginLatin。customwhichborewitnesstothebarbarismofalanguagewhichonedidnotdareuseinpublicdocuments，aperniciouscustomforcitizenswhoselotwasregulatedinalanguagetheydidnotunderstand。OnewasobligedthentocultivateFrench。butthelanguagewasneithernoblenorregular。Thesyntaxwaslefttocaprice。Thegeniusforconversationbeingturnedtopleasantries，thelanguagebecameveryfertileinburlesqueandnaiveexpressions，andverysterileinnobleandharmoniousterms：fromthisitcomesthatinrhymingdictionariesonefindstwentytermssuitableforcomicpoetry，foroneformoreexalteduse。anditis，further，areasonwhyMarotneversucceededinaseriousstyle，andwhyAmyotcouldrenderPlutarch’seleganceonlywithnaivete。
FrenchacquiredvigourbeneaththepenofMontaigne。butitstillhadneithernobilitynorharmony。RonsardspoiledthelanguagebybringingintoFrenchpoetrytheGreekcompoundswhichthedoctorsandphilosophersused。MalherberepairedRonsard’smischiefsomewhat。ThelanguagebecamemorenobleandmoreharmoniouswiththeestablishmentoftheAcademieFrancaise，andacquiredfinally，inthereignofLouisXIV。，theperfectionwherebyitmightbecarriedintoallformsofcomposition。
Thegeniusofthislanguageisorderandclarity。foreachlanguagehasitsgenius，andthisgeniusconsistsinthefacilitywhichthelanguagegivesforexpressingoneselfmoreorlesshappily，forusingorrejectingthefamiliartwistsofotherlanguages。Frenchhavingnodeclensions，andbeingalwayssubjecttothearticle，cannotadoptGreekandLatininversions。
itobligeswordstoarrangethemselvesinthenaturalorderofideas。OnlyinonewaycanonesayPlancusaprissoindesaffairesdeCesar。
Thatistheonlyarrangementonecangivetothesewords。ExpressthisphraseinLatin-ResCaesarisPlancusdiligentercuravit：onecanarrangethesewordsinahundredandtwentyways，withoutinjuringthesenseandwithouttroublingthelanguage。Theauxiliaryverbswhichekeoutandenervatethephrasesinmodernlanguages，stillrendertheFrenchtonguelittlesuitedtotheconciselapidarystyle。Theauxiliaryverbs，itspronouns，itsarticles，itslackofdeclinableparticiples，andfinallyitsuniformgait，areinjurioustothegreatenthusiasmofpoetry，inwhichithaslessresourcesthanItalianandEnglish。butthisconstraintandthisbondagerenderitmoresuitablefortragedyandcomedythananylanguageinEurope。Thenaturalorderinwhichoneisobligedtoexpressone’sthoughtsandconstructone’sphrases，diffusesinthislanguageasweetnessandeasinessthatispleasingtoallpeoples。andthegeniusofthenationminglingwiththegeniusofthelanguagehasproducedmoreagreeablywrittenbooksthancanbeseenamonganyotherpeople。