GREECE. 



501 



it has been, or what it hereafter will be. In its 

 present state we strive in vain to find one satis- 

 factory feature. Both in a moral and in an intel- 

 lectual point of view, we still see the whole 

 nation, partly in that state of vicious corruption, 

 the unavoidable result of its long degradation; 

 partly in that first stage of infancy, from which 

 only time can release it. Time also only can in- 

 form us what results will follow from all that is 

 new in that country. Legislation, administration, 

 institutions for education, every thing is new in 

 the whole extent of the word ; that is, not grown 

 up out of the former condition of the country, but 

 founded on principles foreign and incomprehensi- 

 ble to the mass of the nation, and carried over to 

 it from other communities. 



The only subject, which, in this great revolu- 

 tion of all things, has not itself experienced any 

 revolution, is the literature of the modern Greeks. 

 Nay, so far is this literature from having received 

 any important influence from the shock which 

 moved and turned all other affairs, that it is partly 

 its very progress and influence to which this shock 

 is ascribed. Be this as it may, the literature of 

 modern Greece, although itself very modern as 

 compared with that of most other European na- 

 tions, yet appears in the present state of that 

 country, with the exception of her religion, as the 

 oldest of her institutions. And should it not ex- 

 cite our interest at least in this, if not in any other 

 respect ? 



The origin of the Romaic or modern Greek 

 tongue, as a literary language, the Greek literary 

 historian, Rizo Neroulos, dates from the beginning 

 of the last century. Until that time, the learned 

 wrote without exception in the ancient Greek 

 language, which, however corrupted and estranged 

 from its classic purity, was at least very different 

 from the vernacular tongue of the country. The 

 same writer divides the history of modern Greek 

 literature into three periods ; namely, from 1700 

 to 1750; from 1750 to 1800; and from 1800 to 

 1821, or the beginning of the revolution. A more 

 extended view of the different character of these 

 periods than what is given in the body of the work, 

 may be acceptable. 



The first period must indeed be regarded merely 

 as an introductory one. Most of the gifted men 

 continued to write in the ancient language. Alex- 

 ander Maurocordato was an exception, and his ex- 

 ample exerted gradually a considerable influence 

 on others, and the more, as he was one of the 

 first Greeks who acquired any political weight 

 among the Turks. He wrote a Grammar, a sys- 

 tem of rhetoric, and several other useful books. 

 But he rendered a far greater service to his nation, 

 by obtaining permission from the government to 

 establish schools in the different towns of Greece. 

 The son of the same individual was the first Greek 

 Hospodar of Wallachia. Before him, no member 

 of this subjugated nation had ever been raised to a 

 similar dignity. 



The second period carried the higher classes of 

 the Greek nation (not the common people) forward 

 with giant steps in their progress. By far the 

 greater portion of the productions of this period 

 cunsisted indeed only of translations, especially 

 from the French. But mental cultivation began 

 to be of value in the eyes of the nation ; by prince 

 Mourouzi's influence on Selim III., the schools 

 were multiplied and enlarged ; and even various 

 colleges were founded for the higher branches of 



learning. Towards tbe end of this period, many 

 young Greeks began to visit foreign and especially 

 German universities; and the result of it was, that 

 even the philosophy of Kant was lectured upon in 

 Janina. There were among the better classes not 

 a few signs of high intellectual improvement. At 

 the beginning of this period, the names of Samuel, 

 the learned patriarch of Constantinople, of prince 

 Caradza, of Theodoki, of Bulgaris, were mentioned 

 with esteem ; towards the end, those of Philip- 

 pides, Psalidas, Benjamin, and others, were well 

 known. The most celebrated name of this period, 

 however, is that of the unfortunate and patriotic 

 Rhiga. A Thessalian by birth, he had already 

 made himself known among the more learned of 

 his countrymen as the author of a work on natural 

 philosophy, of a map of Greece, &c., before his pa- 

 triotic songs made him the favourite of the whole 

 nation. 



The few years of the third period, which Rizo 

 closes with the year 1821, (for what influence the 

 revolution and the regeneration of Greece will 

 have on her literature only coming years can tell,) 

 did more for the mental developement of the 

 Greek nation, and diffused more light among the 

 people, than the whole previous century of a 

 slowly dawning morn. Commerce was never so 

 flourishing. Travelling in foreign countries be- 

 came more and more frequent ; and the number of 

 Greek students in foreign universities increased. 

 In comparing themselves with others, the Greeks 

 became more powerfully affected with the feeling 

 of their own degradation. They turned their at- 

 tention more closely to the relics of their ancient 

 glory, the writings of their classic forefathers. 

 Their present language began to be the object of 

 their care ; and a noble national feeling became 

 universal, that all mental acquirements, and the 

 revival of science, in order to be lasting, could 

 only be safely founded on their country's deliver- 

 ance. The most distinguished name of this period 

 is that of the well known Corais; a man equally 

 esteemed as a scholar and a patriot, and who, as a 

 writer, has exercised more influence than any other 

 of his countrymen. His influence on the language 

 is at present generally acknowledged. After many 

 struggles with the champions of the modern lan- 

 _uage in all its corruptions, and with their adver- 

 saries, the indiscriminate advocates of the classic 

 system, the middle way, adopted by Corais, seems 

 to be universally chosen, namely, to enrich the 

 language of the present generation from the trea- 

 sures of the ancients, but without disturbing its 

 basis ; and to dismiss, as far as possible, the host of 

 Germanisms and Gallicisms, introduced by the pre- 

 valence of translations. Among the writers of this 

 Deriod, the balance of talent seems to incline de- 

 cidedly to history and its kindred topics. Many 

 aistorical works were translated from foreign 

 anguages, and some original works of the same 

 kind were written by J. Paliuris, Rizo Ner- 

 oulos, Mustoxidi, Athanasius Ypsilanti, and 

 others. A history of Souli and Parga, by Pere- 

 vos, was highly prized by Niebuhr. As a poet, in 

 the manner of the graceful Teian bard, Christo- 

 julo is highly esteemed ; Solomo of Zante, Kalbo, 

 Sakellarios, and others, are also well known disci- 

 jles of the muses. But with the exception of his- 

 ;ory and poetry, Greece has hardly produced one 

 original work of any importance. And although 

 t is said, that during the last fifty years more than 

 three thousand works have been published in the 



