LITERATURE, CONTINENTAL, IN 1891. 



433 



f tin- buildings and streets of Ghent. 

 \I. I. Vuyl-tekc's dissertations on the Artcvd- 

 highly commended by the critics. 

 >f. J. VeroouQie, of the University of Ghent, 

 furnish. (! mi excellent" Etymologise!) Woor- 

 iM-ek il<T Nederlandflche Taal," in which is 

 : the revival of Germanic philology, of late 

 . ,-hing in Belgium. The poet of West 

 Flanders, Albert Rouenbach, has been well treated 

 .f by M. \'\ Vaiitli-n Wcghe, and an industri- 

 iiool-imister near Ghent has written a book 

 Medical Folk Lore" of Flanders, said by 

 e critics to bo well worthy of its theme. The 

 mems-Fonds have brought out a capital first 

 olumc for the study of popular poetry, entitled 

 Nederlandsch Liederboek." It contains patri- 

 tic and local chatwona (texts and melodies) from 

 jeenth century to the present time, such 

 songs of the Gueux in revolt against Spanish 

 ninny, national lyrics of Flanders, Holland, 

 ie Orange Free State, and the Transvaal, the 

 ng of Ypres, etc. A second volume is soon to 

 , containing mediaeval ballads, love songs, 

 ildren's ditties, and the like, under the editor- 

 ip of M. Florimond van Duyse. a very corn- 

 tent authority on Flemish music. 

 Bohemia. Our record of the year shows that 

 iere has been more than usual activity in liter- 

 turc in Bohemia. By the side of older schools 

 of thought, designated by the critics as "roman- 

 tically patriotic and pessimistic," has sprung up 

 - realistic movement of much interest. Lyric 

 t ry, on the whole, is less remarkable than in 

 vious years. The poet V. Jos. Pokorny-Pi- 

 lik published a collection entitled " Coming to 

 l with my Little Store," the result of twenty 

 rs' toil. The critics give only faint praise to 

 >e book, while acknowledging its love of free- 

 om and art. Another poet, Vcjtech Pakosta, 

 his " Forest Walks," shows greater power, 

 nd delineates nature with rare skill and ability. 

 ie pessimistic school is represented by Jar. 

 'rchlicky's " Voices in the Desert," similar to 

 e productions of Jos. V. Sladek noted last year. 

 A Day of Bliss," by the gifted Bohdan Kainin- 

 y. evinces deep feeling, but in general is too 

 elancholy in tone for most readers. F. X. 

 voboda's patriotic "In our Atmosphere" is 

 sharply criticised as weak in thought as well as in 

 descriptive power. Several of the vounger poets 

 highly praised, especially Klastersky and 

 vapil. Kmanuel z Cenkova's " Eros a Psyche " 

 nites nessimistie and naturalistic tendencies, 

 1 X. Janko-Dvorsky's " Floating Clouds "are 

 nounced to be approximating so nearly to the 

 treme of naturalism as to be devoid of all po- 

 ic illusion or ideal. The most noteworthy real- 

 t is A. Sova, who writes under the pseudonym 

 Iljn Georgov." The critics give him credit for 

 werful individuality, and much good fruit is 

 pected in due time. Patriotic poems are not 

 numerous or of much account. The pessimistic 

 school has been unusually active. Karel Ku- 

 cera has published a collection of " Lost Stars," 

 in which are united old Greek legends with pa- 

 triot jc motives and mediaeval lore. The critics 

 praised B. Kaminsky's tale "M& Tatana," J. 

 /eyer's "A Tale of Charlemagne," K. Leger's 

 tale in verse, " In Retirement," and M. Cervinka's 

 "Ilymk." Works of fiction have been numer- 

 this year and of good quality. " The Three 

 VOL. xxxi. 28 A 



Votes " is an historical romance bv the chief Bo- 

 hemian novelist of the pr.-sent day. Aloin.Jini- 

 *ek. The period i- the fifteenth century, and 

 the story is well ealdilated to ar-.n-.- I',,, hi rniiui 

 patriotism. Shorter historical are J. 



Bruin's "In Olden Times" and B. Brodsky's 

 "Xe Zrucskych Matrik." Among tales of mod- 

 ern life much praised are: S. Heller's effi-ctive 

 story "The Romance of the Battle Field," F. II.- 

 rites's " Nobility of a Borough," V. Vleck's last 

 work, " The Black Lake," and I. Hermann's real- 

 istic story in four parts, " At the Ruined Shop," 

 in the city of Prague. In shorter tales and 

 sketches the romantic school prevails, with r.-al- 

 ism now and then appearing. These are very 

 numerous, too numerous, in fact, for us to give 

 even titles here. The drama has been enriched 

 this vear by several works of merit. " The 

 Bracelet" is a capital comedy in one act, by F. 

 Bozdcch, who died suddenly since last year's 

 record. J. Vrchlicky's comedv "The Ears of 

 Midas" is highly spoken of, while a tragedy by 

 the same author, " Love and Death," taken from 

 Spanish history, is said to be destitute of dra- 

 matic interest. Other productions named with 

 favor are A. Jirdsek's "Vojnarka" (Bohemian 

 country life), G. Preissova's "Gazdina Roba" 

 (life among the Slovenes in Moravia), V. Stech's 

 " Gold Rain " (social life), and K. Pippich's 

 "Visionary Greatness." For the most part th"c 

 verdict is that the drama has been but slightly 

 affected by realism. In the departments of sci- 

 ence, philosophy, and theology we have no ma- 

 terial of sufficient value to put on record here. 



Denmark. Literary efforts in Denmark this 

 year have been mostly put forth by writers of 

 established reputations. II. Drachmann, who 

 had rather fallen in public estimation, has re- 

 newed his popularity by a collection of lyric 

 poems and by a new romance, ' Forskrevet." 

 This is described as being remarkable for a 

 masterly picture of the author's self under two 

 personalities, and for keen, rapier-like thrusts at 

 men and things, as well as for pictures of fasci- 

 nating beauty and perspicuity. Besides this. 

 Drachmann has issued a volume of fresh and 

 entertaining matter, "Tarvis: Tales from the 

 Alps of Carinthia," and a series of sketches, 

 " Troldtoj " (with appropriate drawings by good 

 artists), of well-known popular superstitions. 

 Indeed, sketches of various sorts form a large 

 part of the year's literary harvest. H. Pontop- 

 pidan's " Chronicles " and N. Moller's " Occur- 

 rences " give clear glimpses into the limitations 

 of life and the depths of the human soul, the 

 former painting more broadly, the latter more 

 minutely and delicately, after the manner of 

 verses which he published two years ago under 

 the title of " A Purgatory." C. Ewald's " Erotik " 

 is said to evince subtle skill in analyzing and 

 depicting love in its different shapes. Thor 

 Lange, L. Petersen, and A. E. Betzonick are 

 spoken of as onlv in part successful. The num- 

 ber of novels and tales is as large as usual. Of 

 these, the critics praise Capt. P. F. Rist's " Sol- 

 diers," a collection of short tales; S. Schan- 

 dorph's two volumes of tales, " From Abroad 

 and from Home " and " On Journeys " ; P. 

 Manager's " The Queen of Cyrene, and other 

 Antique Tales"; and O. Madsen's "A Hole in 

 the Ice, and other Tales." Several beginners 



