Du Bellay and the space of early modern culture ('Deffence et Illustration de la Langue Francoyse')

This examination of Joachim Du Bellays Deffence et Illustration de la Langue Francoyse (1549) begins with a summary of the texts paradoxical thematic, namely, that its problem is not a problem: there is no need to defend French as a literary language against Latin, many have said, as there is already in the sixteenth century a thriving vernacular literature. However, there are some who insist on Latins superiority: Du Bellay answers them, but also exaggerates their position in order to stage a defense that has legal and military overtones. He does so in order to bring French into a dialogical relationship with Latin, as well as with other European literary languages. Although some critics have pointed out that this procedure is but one of several put forth by Du Bellay, this reading of the Deffence shows that the author valorizes it over the others by engaging in it: Du Bellay incorporates into the Deffence a number of antecedent texts in order to respond to the conditions he faces. He situates France and the French language in relation to antiquity; the relation is sketched out as a spatial one, the space being that in which the shape of modernity is emerging.