23 Literature

In French-Canadian fiction Philippe Aubert de Gaspe stands pre-eminent. He wrote only one romance, Anciens Canadiens,> but that is almost a national epic, and altogether a remark able piece of work. He began to write it in his 74th year. Gaspe," says Camille Roy, "is at once the most eloquent, the most simple, the most charming narrator of Canada's past — the true epic singer of a marvellous phase of its history.) was trans lated into English by Charles Roberts. P. J. O. Chauveau wrote in 1853 one of the first Cana dian novels, 'Charles Guerin,' a not very re markable novel of manners. Antoine Gerin Lajoie's Rivard> is of the same type, but more successful as a true picture of the life of a French-Canadian habitant. G. B. de Boucherville was the author of a very readable novel, Bigot,' and (Le Chev alier de Mornac); Napoleon Bourassa's

Archives at Ottawa, and provincial archives at Toronto, Victoria and other provincial capitals, with their growing treasures of documentary material, has helped to turn Canadian historians from secondary to original sources, and to make their product more scholarly and more accurate. In this and other ways one sees also the influence upon Canadian writers and Cana dian literature of such societies as the Royal Society of Canada, the Ontario Historical So ciety, the Royal Canadian Institute, the Quebec Literary and Historical Society, the Nova Scotia Historical Society and the Champlain Society; and of such periodicals as the University Maga zine, Revue Canadienne and Canadian Maga zine, and the annual Review of Historical Publications Relating to Canada. Nor, finally, should we overlook the peculiar influence of two great writers who for many years were closely associated with Canada, and who each in his own way did much for Canadian scholarship— Francis Patinnan and Goldwin Smith.

Bibliography.— Among a number of books and articles dealing with Canadian literature the following are worthy of particular mention: Adam, G. Mercer, (An Outline History of Canadian Literature> (in Withrow's 'History of Canada,' Toronto 1887) ; Bourinot, Sir John, (Intellectual Development of the Canadian People' (Ottawa 1831); Hopkins,j. C., and others, (Canadian Literature' (in (Canada, an Encyclopaedia of the Country,' Toronto 1898) ; Lareau, Edmond, cHistoire de la litterature Canadieime> (Montreal 1874) ; McMurchy, A., (Handbook of Canadian Literatdre' (Toronto 1906) ; Marquis, T. G., (English Canadian Lit erature> (in (in and Its Prov inces,' Toronto 1912).