306 Nations lately become Literary. 



and to form plans for the diffusion of it among 

 the people. It was in the reign of the former, 

 that those improvements in the Russian, or Scla- 

 vonian language, commenced, which have since 

 made such honourable progress. To Theophanes 

 Prokopovitch, Archbishop of Novogorod, a 

 man of learning and taste, and a native of Russia, 

 much honour is due, for labouring to promote 

 among his countrymen a taste for polite literature. 

 He not only cultivated, and endeavoured to extend 

 the influence of learning, during his life, but 

 likewise left a legacy, to be applied to the same 

 object after his decease. 



In this laudable zeal for promoting the lite- 

 rary interests of his country, Theophanes was fol- 

 lowed by Lomonozof, who, it was before observed, 

 has been styled the great refiner of the Russian 

 language/ His labours may be considered as form- 

 ing an era in the literary progress of his country, 

 and are always mentioned as having been eminent- 

 ly conducive to this progress. 



During the short reign of Peter II. the Aca- 



o Theophanes Prokopovitch was born in Russia, in 1681, and died 

 Archbishop of Novogorod, in 1736. After receiving as good an educa- 

 tion as his country afforded, he went to Rome, where he resided three 

 years, and where his literary and scientific acquirements were greatly ex- 

 tended. He was profoundly learned, not only in Latin, Greek and He- 

 brew literature, but also in Philosophy and Theology. He was the first 

 Russian divine who published a regular systematic view of the doctrines 

 of his church. His principal work is composed in Latin, under the title 

 of Christiana Orthodoxa Tbeologia. His discourses are deemed classical per- 

 formances. 



p Lomonozof was the son of a fishmonger at Kolmogori, in Russia. 

 He was born in the year 1711, and died in 1764, in the 54th year of his 

 age. He was fortunately taught to read, an accomplishment by no means 

 common among persons of such humble origin in Russia. His genius for 

 poetry was first kindled by the perusal of the Song of Solomon, done into 

 verse by Polotskv, in a very rude and miserable manner. He fled 

 from his father, who would have compelled him to a disagreeable marriage, 

 and took refuge in a monastery at Moscow, where he had an abundant op- 

 portunity of indulging his taste for letters. He was afterwards taken un- 

 der the patronage of the Imperial Academy at Petersburg!}, and proved one 

 of the most distinguished literary characters of the ag-c. His works were 

 collected after his death, in three volumes octavo. 



