Boethius 390 Critical attitude of the fifth century 391 The sixth—Fulgentius 392 The Fulgentii and their books 393 The _Super Thebaiden_ and _Expositio Virgiliana_ 394 Venantius Fortunatus 396 Isidore of Seville again 400 Bede again 402 His _Ars Metrica_ 403 The Central Middle Ages to be more rapidly passed over 405 Provençal and Latin treatises 407 The _De Dictamine Rhythmico_ 407 John of Garlandia 408 The _Labyrinthus_ 408 Critical review of poets contained in it 409 Minor rhythmical treatises 411 Geoffrey de Vinsauf: his _Nova Poetria_ 412 CHAPTER II. DANTE. The _De Vulgari Eloquio_: Its history and authentication 417 Its importance 418 And the scanty recognition thereof 418 Abstract of its contents: The “Vulgar Tongue” and “Grammar” 419 The nature, &c., of the gift of speech 420 Division of contemporary tongues 421 And of the subdivisions of Romance 422 The _Italian Dialects_: Some rejected at once 423 Others—Sicilian, Apulian, Tuscan, and Genoese 424 Venetian: Some good in Bolognese 424 The “Illustrious” Language none of these, but their common 425 measure Its four characteristics 425 The Second Book—Why Dante deals with poetry only 426 All good poetry should be in the Illustrious 427 The subjects of High Poetry—War, Love, Virtue 427 Its form: Canzoni 427 Definition of Poetry 428 Its styles, and the constituents of the grand style 428 _Superbia Carminum_ 428 _Constructionis elatio_ 429