LITERATURE 317 



style. It has been said that Russian historians JAPANESE LITERATURE 



have been generally satisfied to write the story 



of their own country, but this they seem to have , ln . tne *'th Century letters and the Confucian 



* i 11 A* A i mi . oliccn^c mono /ni*irwl *v\4>j-t TAVXAW* 4-Vht^...V* /^ ^ 



thoroughly investigated. They meet strict cissies were carried into Japan through Corea, 

 censorship whenever they deal with history of and a Put e vear 55 A - D. Buddhist mis- 

 recent times. Among these, Kostomaroff (1817- sionanes settled in the islands. In the Eighth 

 1885) wrote much of note, became obnoxious 2SJ"*7 Ja P an copied the Chinese form of cen- 

 to the government and was banished for several trahzed government in place of the ancient 

 years and forbidden to publish anything. After feudalism, and Japanese literature, both prose 

 his return in the year 1854 he wrote several and poetry, dates from this time. Compilations 

 works and contributed to leading Russian re- of historical facts are supposed to have existed 

 views. Ustrailoff published a good and full at least 10 y ears earlier and two distinct works 

 history of his own country but it was not as are quoted, but neither have been preserved, 

 popular as his "Reign of Peter the Great," in The earliest known Japanese writing is the 

 which he brought out several documents until "Kojiki" or "Record of Ancient Matters," 

 then unknown and with them facts of interest, dating from the year 711 A. D. The most an- 

 He has been called the ablest Russian historian cient poetry is the "Manyoshui" or "Collection 

 of his time. of a Mvriad Leaves," belonging also to the early 

 Solovieff (1820-1879) left an unfinished his- part of the Eighth Century. In the preface to 

 tory of great length, which has proved a mine the Kojiki it is said that the emperor who 

 of information for writers and scholars. Others reigned during the last half of the Seventh Cen- 

 have written up particular periods or subjects, tury, trying to preserve all true traditions, had 

 An account of the Polish Rebellion of 1863, al l the records then existing carefully examined, 

 which first appeared in a Russian magazine and corrected, and arranged, but this work was never 

 was afterward published in book form, gave completely written, and the memory of a mem- 

 some startling disclosures that caused its circu- ber of the imperial household, one Are, became 



lation to be forbidden. Excavations in many 

 parts of the country, within the last century, 

 have also given light to the pre-historic period 

 Good histories of Russian literature have been 

 written, and these often include philology and 

 go back to older Slavonic literature. A valuable 

 44 Explanatory Dictionary of the Great Russian 



the only authority for future references. Twenty 

 years later one of the ministers of the govern- 

 ment compiled the work, mostly from the words 

 of Are, and this, completed, became the Ko- 

 jiki." In the year 720 another work, entitled 

 the "Nohongi" or "Japanese Record," was put 

 into shape. The earlier record is largely pure 



Language." was published many years ago. Japanese, preserving the form and spirit of 

 ks on ethnology and publications on natural Japanese^ antiquity, the other shows Chinese 



hi-tory have attracted attention, but moral and 

 nil-lit. -il philosophy found few interested authors. 

 Scientific subjects, law, and medicine have their 

 share of students and works on these have been 



ideas. Both are really ancient histories, going 

 back to the "divine age," and completely mixed 

 with mythological legend. In them the country 



itself is named "land of the gods," ami the pedi- 



translated from foreign languages. gree of the sovereign traced back to a Sun god- 



\Ve hear of the literature of White Russia j aess. These works formed the basis for 

 and of Little Russia, which are really Russian later writings and numerous comment: 

 dialects. Little Russian literature had no A noted edition of the "Kojiki." with an elab- 

 separate existence until the annexation of Po- orate commentary, was published between the 

 land. 1 1 developed in a mass of song and legend years 1789 and 1822. Many old manuscripts 

 with some theological writings, educational have been published in modern style. 

 works, and annals. In the year 1876, the Im- Among later Japanese histories is the "l>ai 

 penal (Government forbade the publishing of Nihoushi" or "History of Great Japan ' in JH) 

 anything in Little Russian and botn Poland and books. This was composed by the secon.l lord 

 Ru^ia had long shown hostility toward it. Its of Mito (1622-1700), a noted patron of literature. 

 popular poetry is exceedingly rich and interest- who collected a large library of old books from 

 The j>oet, Shevchenko, gathered the old temples and shrines, and from among the people, 

 songs of hi- hud as Bums gathered the lays of It is said that the lord of Mito had aid from 

 Scotland and. like Burn-, he was one of the great i Chinese scholars who had fled to Japan to escape 

 poets. In hi> youth he rejoieed in the traditions their Manchu conquerors. A doubt of the origin 

 of hi- native village as he heard them from the of the imperial dynasty might endanger 



ad in In- poetry lie faithfully repro- ; very foundations of the throne, and tor this 

 i the life lit" the old days. The story of reason the national annals of Japan "have been 

 those times is lightened by the ch.-irming Ivrics most carefully guarded. The purpose of 

 that he mixed with his recital. He was ban- '"Dai Nihoushi ' p was to call attention to 



r ten years (1847-1857), and torical facts and thus give now strength to his 



died soon after kii return, The neat cairn that rightful authority, which was being usurped 



\e has been called the Meeea of by the Shogun. The writing of this history had 



:i Ruaia. The folk-tales of Little Russia \ much to do with t lie revolution that came more 



are still recited by \\andeiing pedlars and the than a century later. Following this, an author 



peasant-. 1832), wrote the 



In tin- literature of White I; found or v of Japan." which was 



nttta besides a few songs, parts of md widely rend by Japanese scholars. There are 



country of this literature many .other fa rks adapted for popular 



dreariest in the empire. i reading and f< 



