To pass to special periods--the fountain-head of the literature of the middle ages is the ponderous _Histoire litteraire_ already referred to, which, notwithstanding that it extended to 27 quarto volumes in 1906, and had occupied, with interruptions, 150 years in publication, had only reached the 14th century. Many of the monographs which it contains are the best authorities on their subjects, such as that of P. Paris on the early chansonniers, of V. Leclerc on the fabliaux, and of Littre on the romans d'aventures. For the history of literature before the 11th century, the period mainly Latin, J. J. Ampere's _Histoire litteraire de la France avant Charlemagne, sous Charlemagne, et jusqu'au onzieme siecle_ is the chief authority. Leon Gautier's _Epopees francaises_ (5 vols., 1878-1897) contains almost everything known concerning the chansons de geste. P. Paris's _Romans de la table ronde_ was long the main authority for this subject, but very much has been written recently in France and elsewhere. The most important of the French contributions, especially those by Gaston Paris (whose _Histoire poetique de Charlemagne_ has been reprinted since his death), will be found in the periodical _Romania_, which for more than thirty years has been the chief receptacle of studies on old French literature. On the cycle of Reynard the standard work is Rothe, _Les Romans de Renart_. All parts of the lighter literature of old France are excellently treated by Lenient, _Le Satire au moyen age_. The early theatre has been frequently treated by the brothers Parfaict (_Histoire du theatre francais_), by Fabre (_Les Clercs de la Bazoche_), by Leroy (_Etude sur les mysteres_), by Aubertin (_Histoire de la langue et de la litterature francaise au moyen age_). This latter book will be found a useful summary of the whole medieval period. The historical, dramatic and oratorical sections are especially full. On a smaller scale but of unsurpassed authority is G. Paris's _Litterature du moyen age_ translated into English.