Discours sur l'universalité de la langue française

Discours sur l'universalité de la langue française (1784). Rivarol's prize-winning essay for the Academy of Berlin. He argued that French had been destined to grow, over the years, into a matchless vehicle for civilized exchange. It deserved this preeminence, since its inherent qualities made it the language of logic and clarity: ‘Ce qui n'est pas clair n'est pas français.’ Although all languages are mortal, they gain a type of immortality thanks to the masterpieces written in them. French will thus become a dead language only when it ceases to have great writers.

[John Renwick]