Sect. I.] Nations lately become Literar^» 153 

 SECTION I. 



RUSSIA. 



At the beginning of the eighteenth century, 

 Russia had scarcely a literary existence. Almost 

 entirely without learned men, and destitute of the 

 means of acquiring knowledge, the whole empire 

 may be said, with little exception, to have been 

 sunk in ignorance and barbarism. The language 

 of the country was in a miserably confused and 

 chaotic state, without rules, and with scarcely 

 any fixed character; and of course no writers of 

 taste in that language had appeared. It is true, 

 the art of printing was introduced into Russia as 

 early as the sixteenth century, and some feeble 

 efforts were made, about the same time, to en- 

 lighten and civilise the people. Efforts still more 

 vigorous and extensive, to effect the same pur- 

 pose, were made in the seventeenth century ; but 

 they were soon relaxed, and little was done in 

 this way until Peter the Great ascended the im- 

 perial throne. 



The crown devolving on Peter, at the close of 

 the seventeenth century, he early formed the de- 

 sign of introducing into his empire, as far as pos- 

 sible, the various arts of civilised life, and that 

 attention to letters and science which he found to 

 be so useful in other nations. For this purpose 

 he travelled into foreign countries ; made himself 

 acquainted with their literary and scientific insti- 



