FLEMISH LANGUAGE AND LITER ATURE. Vliimisch or Duytsch, the Low Ger man vernacular spoken by the Vlamingen or Flemings inhabiting the Belgian provinces of East and West Flanders, parts of Holland and the French department of Nord, is akin to the Frisian and to the Hollandish or Dutch which is its younger branch. The latter differs from Flemish in having been reformed and simplified, while Flemish retains the greater part of the archaic features of its 16th century spelling, pronunciation, and words and forms of speech of French and Spanish origin. Since Belgium became an independent kingdom in 1830, a strong desire has been manifested to foster Flemish traditions and to cultivate and promote its language, and literature; before that date its history is identified with that of Dutch language and literature. (See HOLLAND). Among early Flemish literature is the (Spiegel historical' (historic mirror) of Jacob van Maerlant (1235-1300), a translation of (Boece or (139e thins' by Jacob Velt of Bruges in the 15th cen tury, and the
amid modern Flemish literature is the verse of Ledeganck: (De drie Zustersteden,' (De Hut in 't Wowd,' etc.; of Ryswyck, (Antigonus,' (Eppenstein,) and (Oorspronkelikje Verhalen' ; of Van Beers, (Begga,' (Levensbeelden,) (Ge voel en Leven' ; and (Gedichten, Gezangen en Gebeden' of Guido Gezelle. Among works of fiction are Hendrick Conscience's
; Delcroix's,
of Liefde' and (Philippine van Vlaanderen) ; Sleeckx's, (In't Schipperskwatier' and (Dirk Meyer' ; and Sneiders' gasthuis non.) Other well-known novelists arc Berg mann, Madame Courtmans, and the two poetesses, Rosalie and Virginie Loveling, poets also including Dantzenberg, De Cort, and Van Droogerbroeck. Representative drama is Sleeckx's (Mester en Knecht,' and (Zannekin.) Among the newest names in the various literary genres are Hilda Ram, Pol de Mont, Geyter, Cyril Buysse, Streuvels, Saabe, Woestline, Baekelmans, De Clercq, Rooses and De Potter. Consult Willems, 'Sur la langue et la lit terature neerlandaises, par rapport aux prov inces meridionales des Pays-Bas> (1818); Ver coullie, (Spraakleer van net Westvlaamsch' (1894) ; Hamelius, (Histoire politique et lit teraire du mouvement flamand' (1894) ; the (Vlaamsche Bibliographic' of ,the Flemish Academy of Ghent, for publication between 1830 and 1890; Kurth,
frontiire linguistique en Belgique' (2 vols„ Bruxelles 1895-98) ; Coopman, (Geschiedenis der vlaamsche letter kunde' (Antwerp 1910).