53 



RUSSIA (LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE). 



throne: his own character appears in what over he 

 said of others: he awakened great and patriotic 

 feelings, and at the same time described nature 

 with inimitable touches. His productions, how- 

 ever, are not the best models, but they glow with 

 a lire which kindles poetical sentiment. This 

 IK i UK! produced a great number of translations, 

 particularly from the French; they are all, how- 

 ever, without, merit as regards style, but they show 

 the general desire and love of the age for literature. 

 In tin's age the great dictionary of the Russian aca- 

 demy appeared, projected according to an entirely 

 new plan, and in which the etymological order of 

 the words is followed. This work furnishes great 

 facilities for the study of the Russian language and 

 literature. The Russian academy (founded Octo- 

 ber 21, 1783) has had great influence in directing 

 the attention of authors to the pure elements of 

 the language; several societies have likewise been 

 formed for the improvement of the language. 

 Finally, one man contributed greatly to the spread 

 of literary taste, who had himself but little learn- 

 ing, but a good natural understanding, a love for 

 the sciences, and withal a happy talent for illustra- 

 tion. This was Novikoff. He founded a typogra- 

 phical society, and edited a satirical journal, under 

 the title The Painter, which at that time was very 

 much read, and opened to Karamsin a field for the 

 exhibition of his literary powers. 



In the third period, Karamsin is the representa- 

 tive of prose, and DmitriefT of poetry. The 

 periodical edited by the former, after his return 

 from his travels, effected a decided change in the 

 Russian language. He revealed to his countrymen 

 the secrets of happy diction, clearness, beauty and 

 precision. The same perfection which he gave to 

 prose, Dmitrieff gave to poetry. Karamsin's career 

 as an author may be distinguished into three epochs. 

 The first began with his editing the Journal of 

 Moscow. In this publication appeared fragments 

 of his Letters of a travelling Russian, and his tales, 

 which were afterwards published collectively. 

 These productions exhibit genuine taste, though 

 they appear like the effusions of a youth. His re- 

 marks and notices of the writings of foreign coun- 

 tries, which appeared in that publication, excited 

 an interest in foreign literature throughout Russia, 

 and developed the germ of true criticism. The 

 second epoch commenced with the publication of 

 the European Courier. This periodical drew the 

 attention of the public to politics, and awakened 

 reflection. His essays upon some of the political 

 topics of the day, and upon morals, are models in 

 their respective kinds. His beautiful style gave to 

 his ideas a still higher charm. The third epoch is 

 marked by his History of Russia. This history, 

 as a literary production, is a mine for all authors 

 of his nation. No Russian prose writer since 

 Karamsin has acquired a high reputation: greater 

 purity, perhaps, prevails than did before, but his 

 style has not been equalled. Many have wished to 

 imitate him, but they have only shown their own 

 inferiority. Makaroff has edited a Critical Journal ; 

 he wrote very correctly, but his style is dry. Batusch- 

 koff has been able to give grace to his prose, and 

 the Italian harmony to his verse. Shukoffskij was, 

 after Karamsin, the editor of the European Cou- 

 rier, and wrote in it some essays on prose. These, 

 and other authors, have each of them some pecu- 

 liar merit, but they are not equal to their master. 

 Besides, their works are unimportant, and cannot, 

 therefore, much promote the further development 



of the language. The Russian literature is very 

 barren in original works on the subject of philoso- 

 phy. In the history of the language of poetry, 

 Dinitrieff's imitations of La Fontaine and his tales 

 make a particular epoch. Before him Lomcnosoff, 

 and especially Derschawin, had furnished models of 

 poetical beauty, and opened the way to bold ori- 

 ginality. Without checking the flight of genius, 

 Dmitrieff knew how to direct it so as not to offend 

 against taste and sound criticism. We possess 

 about one hundred excellent fables by him, in imi- 

 tation of La Fontaine and others, many song 

 which have become popular, and odes, considere 

 classical; without having the brilliancy of Derscha 

 win's originality and boldness. Dmitrieff has givei 

 the language of Russian poetry its permanent i'ori 

 Neledinsky-Meletzsky is less pure and correct tin 

 Dmitrieff, but many of his songs are in the mouths 

 of the common people. The true fire of passion 

 animates his poetry. Chemnitzer is esteemed as a 

 fabulist; his expression is natural, bait very prosaic. 

 Kriloff, a poet in the full sense of the word, is, in 

 his department, like Derschawin, the representative 

 of the national poetry, for his fables are almost all ori- 

 ginal. Derschawin, in his odes, described the bright 

 side of his age ; but Kriloff, in his fables, painted the 

 absurdities and prosaic thought of his time. In ex- 

 pression less pure and perfect than his predecessor 

 Dmitrieff, he, however, excels him in descriptive 

 powers. Kriloff has much observation : his fables, 

 which, in this respect, will bear comparison with the 

 best in any literature, are rich in ideas and instruc- 

 tion ; many of his verses, therefore, are now current 



as proverbs Shukoffskij has enriched the poetical 



language of the Russians, by describing ideas and feel- 

 ings which had not been treated in their literature. 

 His poems are a true picture of his individual character 

 at the time in which he wrote them. They therefore 

 possess uncommon attraction for the reader. His 

 predilection for German poetry, which was before 

 his time but little known to his countrymen, induced 

 him to incorporate it with the Russian in his imita- 

 tions ; his poems, on this account, have a peculiar 

 stamp, which has given a singular charm to their 

 deep melancholy feeling and natural tone. Batju- 

 schoff pleases by the charms of his diction. With 

 a brilliant imagination he united the finest taste, 

 and he is inimitable in the choice and harmony of 

 his expression. We possess of his writings some 

 amorous elegies, ingenious epistles, and attempts at 

 lyric poetry all excellent. Prince Wiasemskij 

 expresses much in few words: this sometimes gives 

 his language an air of stiffness and dryness ; but his 

 satires and epigrams are particularly happy. His 

 prose suffers still more than his poetry from this 



brevity Wostokoffhas richness of thought, power 



of imagination, and warmth of expression ; but his 

 style is but little refined. Gneditsch deserves much 

 credit for his translation of the Iliad into Russian 

 hexameters. The general characteristic of this 

 period is an elegance and correctness previously 

 foreign to Russian literature. The language has 

 acquired a more settled character; but Russian 

 prose still wants the labour of thinking minds to 

 perfect it. The poetical language of the Russians 

 alone can be called rich. 



The latest period of Russian literature is yet in 

 its bloom. Already it numbers one very promising 

 poet, Alexander Puschkin, who is distinguished for 

 his imagination and originality, and whose style is 

 in the highest degree refined. Karamsin's historical 

 work now opens a new field for national poetry. 



