116 Modern Languages. 



it is said, by those who have studied it, to be re- 

 markably rich, harmonious, and energetic, and 

 well fitted for every species of composition/ 



Among the improvers of Russian style, in the 

 last century, the first place is due to Theophanes 

 Prokopovitch, Archbishop of Novogorod, a gen-, 

 tleman of learning and taste, who, during the 

 reign of Peter the Great, laboured much to pro- 

 mote, among his countrymen, a fondness for polite 

 literature, and especially to encourage the study 

 of their native tongue. He was followed by Lo- 

 monozof, a distinguished poet and historian. He, 

 as well as Theophanes, was a Russian by birth, 

 and is stiled the " great refiner'* of the language of 

 his country. Next to him stands Sumorokof, a 

 distinguished dramatist, who displayed many beau- 

 ties of composition, which were before unknown 

 in the Russian language; and contributed greatly 

 to the diffusion of a taste for poetry, and a zeal for 

 philological and other polite acquirements. To 

 these may be added the name of Kheraskof, the 

 author of the first Epic Poem in his native language, 

 a work greatly admired by his countrymen, and 

 the appearance of which may be considered as 

 forming an era in the history of their poetry, and, 

 generally, in the progress of their literary cha- 

 racter." 



In order to spread a taste for literature among 

 her subjects, Catharine II. in 1768, appointed a 

 committee to order and superintend translations of 

 the classics, and the best modern authors, into the 

 Russian tongue; and made a liberal allowance for 

 defraying the expense of the undertaking. In 

 consequence of this order, a considerable number 

 of the most esteemed Greek and Roman writers, 



* Coxe's Travels into Russia, &c. vol. ii. chap. viii. and also Tooke's 



JTleiu of the Russian Empirt. 



v Coxe's Travels into Hussia. B. v. c, viii. 



