152 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



NATIONS LATELY BECOME LITERARY. 



X HE last century is not only distinguished by 

 numerous discoveries, and by rich additions to 

 the general stock of science, but also by the rise 

 of several nations from obscurity in the republic 

 of letters, to considerable literary and scientific 

 eminence. To attempt to give a full view of the 

 commencement and progress of a taste for jlitera-^ 

 ture in those nations would lead to a minuteness 

 and extent of discussion altogether beyond the li- 

 mits of our plan. The design of the present chap- 

 ter, therefore, is only to state some general factSj, 

 and to connect with them such names and colla- 

 teral events as may appear to demand notice, ei- 

 ther for the purpose of throwing light on the prin- 

 cipal object of inquiry, or of doing honour to me- 

 ritorious individuals. In the list about to be given 

 of new literary countries, it will not be possible, 

 for various reasons, to include all that might with 

 propriety be mentioned. Passing by several na- 

 tions, therefore, of inferior character, the most 

 important of those which in the last century have 

 become literary are Russia, Ge?i?iamj, and the 

 United States of America. To each of these some 

 attention will be separately directed. 



