M. Hardinge. The .19. Diuision.
This muche, or more, might here be saide of the language of the People of Gallia, nowe called Fraunce, which then was Barbarous and vulgare, and not onely Latine, and 97* 1.1 yet had they of that Nation their Seruice then in Latine: as al the VVeast Churche had. That the common language of the people there was vulgare, the vse of the Latine seruinge for the learned, as we must needes iudge: we haue firste the authoritie of Titus Liuius.* 1.2 Who writeth, that a Galloes, or as now we say a Frenche man of a notable stature, prouoked a Romaine to fight with him, Man for Man, makinge his chalenge by an Interpreter. VVhiche had not beene doone, in case the Latine tongue had ben common to that Nation: Nexte, the Place of Vlpianus before mentioned: Then the recorde of Aelius Lampri∣dius, who writeth that a VVoman of the order of the Druides, cried out alowde to Alexander Se∣uerus, Mammaea her Sonne the Emperour,* 1.3 as he marched forwarde on a day with his armie, Gallico sermone, in the Gallical tonge, these woordes, bodinge his deathe, whiche righte so shortely after folowed: Vadas: nec victoriam speres: ne militi tuo credas. Goo thy way: and looke not for the victorie:* 1.4 trust not thy Souldiers. Lastly, the witnesse of S. Hierome: who hauinge trauailed ouer that Region, and therefore beinge skilful of the whole state thereof, acknowlegeth the people of Treueres, and of that territorie, to haue a peculiar language, diuerse from Latine, and Greeke.
If al that I haue brought here toutchinge this mater, be wel weighed, it wil seeme probable, I doubte not, that al sortes of people in Aphrica, vnderstoode not the Seruice, which they had in the La∣tine tongue. And no lesse may be thought of Gallia••, and Spaine. And so farre it is prooued, against M. Iuels stoute assertion,* 1.5 that within his sixe hundred yeeres after Christe, some Christen people had their Common Praiers and Seruice, in a tongue they vnderstoode not.