262 EUSSIA IN EUEOPE. 



breathing a deep poetic spirit. At the time of the Eeformation a small religious 

 literature sprang up in Prussian Lithuania, which was afterwards increased by 

 some Lithuanian and Lettish works prepared by the Polish Jesuits. But there is 

 no current literature beyond a few almanacs, and in Prussia a single newspaper, 

 some religious and didactic works, grammars, dictionaries, and collections of songs. 

 The very antiquity of this Aryan dialect, older than Greek, Latin, Celtic, 

 German, or Slavonic, has suggested the idea that the Lithuanians reached Europe 

 before the other members of the Aryan family. It is easy to see that they may 

 have preceded the Eussians, since they occupy a region west of the Muscovite 

 plains. But how can they have been settled here before the Germans and Celts now 

 foimd in Central and West Europe ? The phenomenon may perhaps be explained 

 by supposing the Lithuanians to have been driven northwards, and away from the 

 great highways of migration, while the various Aryan families were advancing 

 westwards along the plateau between the Dnieper and Niémen basins. Protected 

 by extensive marshes and almost impenetrable forests, the Lithuanians may have 

 thus remained unaffected by the other migrating tribes, and to this isolation may also 

 be attributed the persistence of their primitive culture and religious organization. 

 Still they had often to fight in defence of their secluded lands, which they did 

 with the frenzy characteristic of peace-loving races when disturbed in their repose. 

 The Lithuanians are mostly tall and well made, though lacking the pliancy 

 and natural grace of the Slavs. Amongst them more rarely than amongst the 

 Russians are met those flat features imparting a certain Mongolian cast. The face 

 is oval, with long and thin nose, thin lips, blue eyes, white skin, and on the whole 

 they approach nearer to the German than to the Slav type. The women have a 

 fresh appearance, with soft eyes and touching expression, and handsome features 

 are by no means rare. The peasantry show a striking contrast to the Poles in 

 the simplicity of their dress, avoiding gaudy colours, ribbons, &c. Michelet, 

 comparing them with the Poles, calls the latter " children of the sun," the former 

 "children of the shade." Their songs, or da'inos, show them as shrewd observers, 

 at times mildly sarcastic, gentle, sad, full of feeling for nature. Notwithstanding 

 many stormy days and great national leaders, they have preserved the memory of no 

 single hero ; they sing of no warlike deeds, and rather than boast of their triumphs, 

 weep for those that fell on the battle-field. Their national songs are favourably 

 distinguished by a marked reserve and delicacy of sentiment. They have deep 

 affections, but never give public expression to them in unbecoming language. Of 

 all European tongues, Lithuanian, while destitute of augmentatives, is richest in fond 

 and endearing diminutives, which may be multiplied indefinitely by being applied 

 to verbs and adverbs as well as to nouns and adjectives. These diminutives of 

 endearment impart a peculiar tone to their songs, which, however, abound also 

 in expressions of grief, sadness, at times even of despair. Much of the original 

 literature consists of raudas — that is, songs of mourning or of farewell — and of 

 wailings for the dead analogous to the vocevi of the Corsicans, but without the 

 fierce strain of violence mingled with the grief of southern races. The poetry 

 of the Lithuanians has the sadness, one might say, of a people that is dying out. 



