While these meagre accounts of Russian Literature, at second hand, and the scanty anthologies were appearing, there was published in the Biblical Repository of Andover, Mass., in 1834, the remarkable work by Talvi, the wife of Dr. Edward Robinson, entitled: Historical View of the Languages and Literatures of the Slavic Nations, and this was republished in book-form, and enlarged, in New York, in 1850. Though there existed some special works by Slavic scholars, Talvi’s was the first to encompass the whole field in a scholarly and yet popular manner. It is authoritative even now in many departments that have not been overthrown by later investigations, and it is a matter of surprise that none of the later English writers should have based their Russian Literatures on this important work, or should have proceeded in the path of Slavic studies which she had so beautifully inaugurated. There is no excuse for G. Cox’s translation of F. Otto’s History of Russian Literature, with a Lexicon of Russian Authors, which appeared at Oxford in 1839, and adds a number of its own inaccuracies to the blunders of the German original. Nor is there any notice taken of Talvi in [C. F. Henningsen’s] Eastern Europe and the Emperor Nicholas, London, 1846, which gives a chapter on Russian Literature, mainly on Púshkin.
In the sixties W. R. Morfill began to translate some poems from the Russian, and towards the end of that decade, but especially in the next, Ralston published his excellent studies on the Folksongs and Folktales and Krylóv, and in the Contemporary Review, vols. xxiii and xxvii, two articles on the Russian Idylls. The magazines that in the seventies reviewed Russian Literature got everything at second hand, and are of little value: National Quarterly Review, vol. xxiv (1872); Catholic World, vol. xxi (1875); Harper’s Magazine, 1878. Of books there were issued: Sutherland Edwards’s The Russians at Home, London, 1861, a very useful work for contemporary literature, and F. R. Grahame’s The Progress of Science, Art and Literature in Russia, London [1865], which contains a great deal of interesting material badly arranged and ill-digested. The chapter on Literature in O. W. Wahl’s The Land of the Czar, London, 1875, is unimportant.
Since the eighties there have appeared a number of translations from good foreign authors bearing on Russian Literature: Ernest Dupuy, The Great Masters of Russian Literature in the Nineteenth Century, translated by N. H. Dole, New York [1886]; E. M. de Vogüé, The Russian Novelists, translated by J. L. Edmands, Boston [1887]; Dr. George Brandes, Impressions of Russia, translated by S. C. Eastman, New York, 1889; E. P. Bazán, Russia: Its People and its Literature, translated by F. H. Gardiner, Chicago, 1890.
The following more or less original works will be found useful: W. R. Morfill, Slavonic Literature, London, 1883, and The Story of Russia, New York and London, 1890; also his The Peasant Poets of Russia (Reprint from Westminster Review), London, 1880; C. E. Turner, Studies in Russian Literature, London, 1882, and before, in Fraser’s Magazine for 1877; Ivan Panin, Lectures in Russian Literature, New York and London, 1889; Memorials of a Short Life: A Biographical Sketch of W. F. A. Gaussen (chapter on The Russian People and their Literature), London, 1895; Prince Serge Wolkonsky, Pictures of Russian History and Russian Literature (Lowell Lectures), Boston, New York and London, 1897; K. Waliszewski, A History of Russian Literature, New York, 1900, but this work must be used with extreme caution, on account of the many inaccuracies it contains. W. M. Griswold’s Tales Dealing with Life in Russia, Cambridge, 1892, is a fair bibliography of all the prose translations that have appeared in the English language before 1892. But few anthologies have of late seen daylight: C. T. Wilson, Russian Lyrics in English Verse, London, 1887; John Pollen, Rhymes from the Russian, London, 1891 (a good little book); E. L. Voynich, The Humour of Russia, London and New York, 1895. The periodical “Free Russia,” published in London since 1890, contains some good translations from various writers and occasionally some literary essay; but the most useful periodic publication is “The Anglo-Russian Literary Society,” published in London since 1892, and containing valuable information on literary subjects, especially modern, and a series of good translations from contemporary poets. Nor must one overlook the articles in the encyclopedias, of which those in Johnson’s Cyclopedia are especially good.
Very exhaustive statements of the modern literary movement in Russia appear from year to year in the Athenæum. More or less good articles on modern literature, mainly the novel, have appeared since 1880 in the following volumes of the periodical press: Academy, xxi and xxiii; Bookman, viii; Chautauquan, viii and xxii; Critic, iii; Current Literature, xxii; Dial, xx; Eclectic Magazine, cxv; Forum, xxviii; Leisure Hours, ccccxxv; Lippincott’s, lviii; Literature, i; Living Age, clxxxv; Nation, lxv; Public Opinion, xx; Publisher’s Weekly, liv; Temple Bar, lxxxix.
In conclusion, I desire to express my gratitude to my friends and colleagues who have aided me in this work: to Prof. A. C. Coolidge, for leaving at my disposal his collection of translations from the Russian, and for many valuable hints; to Dr. F. N. Robinson, for reading a number of my translations; to Prof. G. L. Kittredge, to whom is largely due whatever literary merit there may be in the introductory chapters and in the biographical sketches. I also take this occasion to thank all the publishers and authors from whose copyrighted works extracts have been quoted with their permission.
CONTENTS
| PAGE | |
|---|---|
| Preface | [v] |
| A Sketch of Russian Literature | [1] |
| I. The Oldest Period | [3] |
| II. The Folklore | [18] |
| III. The Eighteenth Century | [26] |
| The Oldest Period | [39] |
| Treaty with the Greeks (911) | [41] |
| Luká Zhidyáta (XI. c.) | [44] |
| Instruction to his Congregation | [44] |
| The Russian Code (XI. c.) | [45] |
| Ilarión, Metropolitan of Kíev (XI. c.) | [48] |
| Eulogy on St. Vladímir | [48] |
| Vladímir Monomákh (1053-1125) | [50] |
| His Instruction to his Children | [51] |
| Abbot Daniel, the Palmer (XII. c.) | [56] |
| Of the Holy Light, how it Descends from Heaven upon the Holy Sepulchre | [56] |
| Epilogue | [61] |
| Cyril, Bishop of Túrov (XII. c.) | [62] |
| From a Sermon on the First Sunday after Easter | [62] |
| Néstor’s Chronicle (XII. c.) | [65] |
| The Baptism of Vladímir and of all Russia | [65] |
| The Kíev Chronicle (XII. c.) | [71] |
| The Expedition of Ígor Svyatoslávich against the Pólovtses | [72] |
| The Word of Ígor’s Armament (XII. c.) | [80] |
| The Holy Virgin’s Descent into Hell (XII. c.) | [96] |
| Daniel the Prisoner (XIII. c.) | [100] |
| Letter to Prince Yarosláv Vsévolodovich | [101] |
| Serapión, Bishop of Vladímir (XIII. c.) | [104] |
| A Sermon on Omens | [104] |
| The Zadónshchina (XIV. c.) | [106] |
| Afanási Nikítin (XV. c.) | [111] |
| Travel to India | [111] |
| Apocryphal Legends about King Solomon (XV. c.) | [114] |
| The Story of Kitovrás | [114] |
| Prince Kúrbski (1528-1583) | [115] |
| The Storming of Kazán | [116] |
| Letter to Iván the Terrible | [118] |
| Iván the Terrible (1530-1584) | [121] |
| Letter to Prince Kúrbski | [121] |
| The Domostróy (XVI. c.) | [126] |
| How to Educate Children and Bring them up in the Fear of God | [126] |
| How to Teach Children and Save them through Fear | [127] |
| How Christians are to Cure Diseases and all Kinds of Ailments | [128] |
| The Wife is always and in all Things to Take Counsel with her Husband | [128] |
| How to Instruct Servants | [129] |
| Songs Collected by Richard James (1619-1620) | [130] |
| Incursion of the Crimean Tartars | [131] |
| The Song of the Princess Kséniya Borísovna | [132] |
| The Return of Patriarch Filarét to Moscow | [133] |
| Krizhánich (1617-1677) | [134] |
| Political Reasons for the Union of the Churches | [135] |
| On Knowledge | [136] |
| On Foreigners | [136] |
| Kotoshíkhin (1630-1667) | [136] |
| The Education of the Princes | [137] |
| The Private Life of the Boyárs and of other Ranks | [139] |
| Simeón Pólotski (1629-1680) | [149] |
| On the Birth of Peter the Great | [150] |
| An Evil Thought | [151] |
| The Magnet | [151] |
| The Story of Misery Luckless-Plight (XVII. or XVIII. c.) | [152] |
| The Folklore | [161] |
| Epic Songs | [163] |
| Volkh Vseslávevich | [163] |
| Ilyá of Múrom and Nightingale the Robber | [165] |
| Historical Songs | [172] |
| Yermák | [172] |
| The Boyár’s Execution | [174] |
| The Storming of Ázov | [176] |
| Folksongs | [177] |
| Kolyádka | [178] |
| Bowl-Song | [179] |
| A Parting Scene | [179] |
| The Dove | [180] |
| The Faithless Lover | [182] |
| Elegy | [182] |
| The Farewell | [183] |
| Sing, O sing again, lovely lark of mine | [184] |
| Wedding Gear | [185] |
| The Sale of the Braid | [185] |
| Marriage Song | [186] |
| Beggars’ Song | [186] |
| An Orphan’s Wailing | [187] |
| Conjuration of a Mother | [188] |
| Fairy Tales | [189] |
| Frost | [190] |
| The Cat, the Goat and the Ram | [195] |
| The Fox and the Peasant | [198] |
| Proverbs | [199] |
| The Eighteenth Century | [203] |
| Pososhkóv (1670-1726) | [205] |
| On Merchants | [205] |
| On the Peasantry | [209] |
| Prokopóvich (1681-1763) | [211] |
| The Spiritual Reglement | [212] |
| Funeral Sermon on Peter the Great | [214] |
| Tatíshchev (1686-1750) | [218] |
| From the “Russian History” | [219] |
| Kantemír (1708-1744) | [223] |
| To my Mind | [224] |
| Tredyakóvski (1703-1769) | [230] |
| Ode on the Surrender of Dantzig | [230] |
| Princess Dolgorúki (1714-1771) | [233] |
| From her “Memoirs” | [234] |
| Lomonósov (1711-1765) | [241] |
| Letters to I. I. Shuválov | [242] |
| Ode on the Capture of Khotín | [246] |
| Morning Meditations | [252] |
| Evening Meditations | [253] |
| Sumarókov (1718-1777) | [254] |
| The False Demetrius | [255] |
| Instruction to a Son | [257] |
| To the Corrupters of Language | [260] |
| The Helpful Gnat | [260] |
| Four Answers | [261] |
| Vasíli Máykov (1728-1778) | [263] |
| The Battle of the Zimogórans and Valdáyans | [263] |
| The Cook and the Tailor | [267] |
| Danílov (1722-1790) | [269] |
| From his “Memoirs” | [269] |
| Catherine the Great (1729-1796) | [272] |
| O Tempora | [272] |
| Prince Khlor | [276] |
| Shcherbátov (1733-1790) | [287] |
| On the Corruption of Manners in Russia | [287] |
| Petróv (1736-1799) | [291] |
| On the Victory of the Russian over the Turkish Fleet | [291] |
| Kheráskov (1733-1807) | [298] |
| The Rossiad | [298] |
| Metropolitan Platón (1737-1812) | [300] |
| What are Idolaters? | [300] |
| Address upon the Accession of Alexander I. | [304] |
| Khémnitser (1745-1784) | [306] |
| The Lion’s Council of State | [306] |
| The Metaphysician | [307] |
| Knyazhnín (1742-1791) | [308] |
| Vadím of Nóvgorod | [309] |
| Odd People | [311] |
| Princess Dáshkov (1743-1810) | [316] |
| The Establishment of a Russian Academy | [316] |
| Poroshín (1741-1769) | [321] |
| From his “Diary” | [321] |
| The Satirical Journals (1769-1774), and Nóvikov (1744-1818) | [326] |
| From All Kinds of Things | [328] |
| Sound Reasoning Adorns a Man | [329] |
| From the Drone | [332] |
| Recipe for His Excellency Mr. Lacksense | [332] |
| The Laughing Democritos | [333] |
| From Hell’s Post | [335] |
| From the Painter | [337] |
| Fon-Vízin (1744-1792) | [341] |
| The Minor | [342] |
| An Open-Hearted Confession | [351] |
| Letters to Count Pánin | [355] |
| Kostróv (1750-1796) | [358] |
| Letter to the Creator of the Ode in Praise of Felítsa | [359] |
| Radíshchev (1749-1802) | [361] |
| Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow | [362] |
| Ablesímov (1742-1783) | [370] |
| The Miller | [370] |
| Bogdanóvich (1743-1803) | [374] |
| Psyche. From Book I. | [374] |
| ” ” ” II. | [375] |
| Derzhávin (1743-1816) | [377] |
| Ode to the Deity | [379] |
| Monody on Prince Meshchérski | [382] |
| Felítsa | [385] |
| The Waterfall | [390] |
| The Storm | [391] |
| The Stream of Time | [392] |
| Neledínski-Melétski (1752-1829) | [392] |
| To the Streamlet I’ll Repair | [392] |
| He whose Soul from Sorrow Dreary | [394] |
| Muravév (1757-1807) | [395] |
| To the Goddess of the Nevá | [395] |
| Kapníst (1757-1824) | [397] |
| The Pettifoggery | [398] |
| Obúkhovka | [402] |
| On Julia’s Death | [404] |
| Gribóvski (1766-1833) | [405] |
| From his “Memoirs” | [405] |
| Kámenev (1772-1803) | [411] |
| Gromvál | [412] |
| Ózerov (1770-1816) | [418] |
| Dimítri Donskóy | [419] |
| Prince Dolgorúki (1764-1823) | [422] |
| The Legacy | [422] |
| My Moscow Fireplace | [425] |
| Dmítriev (1760-1837) | [428] |
| The Little Dove | [429] |
| During a Thunder-Storm | [430] |
| Ermák | [431] |
| What Others Say | [436] |
| Index | [441] |