Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 12.djvu/392

378 378 HUNGARY [LITERATURE. Polite literature had received a great impulse in the preceding period (1807-30), but after the formation of the academy and the Kisfaludy society it advanced with accelerated speed towards the point attained by other nations. Foremost among epic poets, though not equally successful as a dramatist, was Michael Vbros- marty, who, belonging also to the dose of the last period, com bines great power of imagination with elegance of language. His historical tragedy Salamon Kirdly (King Solomon, 1821), though de ficient in dramatic force, attracted considerable attention. As fine specimens of epic poetry the Zaldn futdsa (Flight of Zalan, 1824) and Cserhalom (1826) are unrivalled. His lyrical poems are ex quisite both in taste and style ; his Szdzat (Appeal) is the Magyar national anthem. Vorosmarty is also celebrated as the translator of Shakespeare s &quot; Julius Gesar &quot; and &quot;King Lear.&quot; Generally less varied ami romantic, though easier in style, are the heroic poems Auysburgi iitkozet (Battle of Augsburg) and Aradi gy tiles (Diet of Arad) of Gregory Czuczor, who was, moreover, very felicitous as an epigrammatist. Martin Debreezeni was chiefly famed for his Kidvi csata (Battle of Kieff), published at Pest in 1854 after his death by Count Emeric Miko. The laborious John Garay in his Szent LdszU shows considerable ability as an epic poet, but his greatest merit was rather as a romancist and ballad writer, as shown by the Pen Sketches&quot; or Tollrajzok (1845), and his legendary series Arpddok (1847). Joseph Bajza was a lyricist of a somewhat melancholy cast, but his Borenek (Wine Song), Sohajtds (Sigh), Ebrcszto (Awakening), and Apotheosis are much admired. He is known further as the translator of F. C. Dahlmann s Geschichte der englisclien Revolution. As generally able writers of lyrical poetry during the earlier^ part of this period may be mentioned among others Francis Csaszar, Joseph Szekacs, and Andrew Kunoss, also Lewis Szakal and Alexander Vachott, whose songs and romances are of an artless and simple character, and the sacred lyricist Bela Tarkanyi. As an original but rather heavy lyric and didactic poet we may mention Peter Vajda, who was, moreover, the translator of Bulwer s &quot;Night and Morning.&quot; Of a more distinctly national tendency are the lyrics of John Kriza 1 and John Erdelyi, but the reputation of the latter was more especially due to his collections of folk-lore made on behalf of the Kisfaludy society. More popular than any of the pre ceding, and well-known in England through Sir John Bowling s translation, are the charming lyrics of Alexander Petofi, the &quot;Burns&quot; of Hungary. His poems, embodying as they do the national genius, have passed into the very life of the people ; particularly is he happy in the pieces descriptive of rural life. In his verse &quot;Folk-tales,&quot; Nepregek (1846), and &quot; Ballads,&quot; Regek (1852), may Michael Tompa, another popular poet, be regarded as sometimes hardly less felicitous. The most diversely gifted Magyar singer, however, is John Arany, whose talents have been displayed, not only in ballads and lyrical effusions, but in almost every branch of poetry except the dramatic. Especially famous is the Toldi trilogy, of which the first part Toldi, in 12 cantos, relating to the youth of the hero, was published at Pest in 1847 ; the third part, Toldi Esteje (Toldi s Eve), describing his fall and death, in 1854 ; and the middle part, Toldi Szerelme (Toldi s Love), in 1879. The Nagyidai czigdnyok (Eida Gipsies), a fine humorous epic poem in 4 cantos, appeared in 1852. A collective edition of Arany s poeti cal works was published at Pest and Vienna in 1867. Among recent lyricists who have attracted attention are the following : Coloman Toth, who is also the author of several epic and dramatic pieces ; John Vajda, whose Kiscbb Koltcmenyek (Minor Poems), published by the Kisfaludy society in 1872, are partly written in the mode of Heine, and are of a pleasing but melancholy character ; Joseph Levay, known also as the translator of Shakespeare s Titus Andronicus, Taming of the Shrew, and Henry IV. ; and Paul Gyulai, who, not only as a faultless lyric and epic poet, but as an impartial critical writer, is highly esteemed, and whose Ro/nhdnyi is justly prized as one of the best Magyar poems that has appeared in modern times. To the above may be added the names of Charles Berecz, Joseph Zalar, Samuel Nyilas, Joseph Vida, Lewis Tolnai, the sentimental Ladislaus Szelestey, and the talented painter Zoltan Balogh, whose romantic poem Alpd-ri was published in 1871 by the Kisfaludy society. The lyrics of Anthony Varady(1875, 1877) are somewhat dull and unequal in tone ; both he and Baron Ivor Kaas, author of Az itelet napja (Day of Judgment, 1876), have shown skill rather in the art of dramatic verse. The poems of Count Geza Zichy and Victor Dalmady, those of the latter published at Budapest in 1876, are mostly written on. subjects of a domestic nature, but are conceived in a patriotic spirit. Emil Abranyi adopts a rather romantic style, but his Nagyp&ntek (Good Friday) is an excellent descriptive sketch. Alexander Kmlrbdy, author of Tiicsok dulok (Cricket Songs, 1876), is a glowing writer, to which a supplementary vol., Sliakspere Fd ydja (1880), containing a critical account of the life and writings of Shakespeare, has been added by Profess &amp;gt;r A. Greguss. Translations from Moliere, Kacine, Corneille, Calderon, and Moreto have also been issued by the Kisfaludy society. The Ei-lapok vjfo yama, or &quot;New Series of Annuals,&quot; fiom I860 (Budapest, 1868, Ac.), is a chrestoma hy of prize orations, and translations and original pieces, both in poctrv and prose. 1 Late Unitarian bishop of Tiansylvnnla, author of Va&amp;lt;lr6z?ak, or &quot;Wild- Roses&quot; (1863), a collection of Szukler folk-songs, ballads, and sayings. svith great power of conception, but his metaphors, following rapidly one upon the other, become often confused. Joseph Kiss in 1876 wrought out a few lyric and epic poems of considerable merit. The Mcsek of Augustus Greguss (1878), a collection of verse &quot;Fables,&quot; Delonging to the school of Gay, partake more of a didactic than lyrical nature. This feature is noticeable also in the Kbltemenyek (1873) of Ladislaus Torkos, and the Modern Mesek (1874) of Ladislaus Nevy. An energetic satirical poet has recently appeared in Lewis Bartok. As one of the latest remarkable productions of Magyar poetry, we must not omit to draw attention to the Salamon (1878) of Charles Szasz, which poem was rewarded with the prize of the academy. The subject, taken from the age of Hungarian chivalry, is artistically worked out from mediaeval legends, and gives an excellent descrip tion of the times of St Ladislaus of Hungary. Charles Szasz is generally better known as a metrical translator than as an original poet. He is the Magyarizer of Shakespeare s Anthony and Cleo patra, Othello, Macbeth, Henry VIII., Winter s Tale, Romeo and Juliet, and Tempest, as also of some of the best pieces of Burns, Moore, Byron, Shelley, Milton, Beranger, Lamartine, Victor Hugo, Goethe, and others. A translator from Byron and Pope appeared also in Maurice Lukacs. 2 Meanwhile dramatic literature has found many champions, of whom the most energetic is the late Edward Szigligeti, proprie Joseph Szathmary, who has enriched the Hungarian stage with more than a hundred pieces. Of these the most popular are comedies and serio-comic national dramas. His recently produced tragedy Bela IV. is also much admired. A less prolific but more classical writer appeared in Charles Obernyik, whose George Brankovics is, next to Katona s Bank Ban, one of the best historical tragedies in the lan guage. Several of the already mentioned lyric and epic poets were, as we have shown in the case of Vorosmarty, occasional writers also for the drama. To these we may add the gifted but unfortunate Sigismund Czako, Lewis Dobsa, Joseph Szigeti, Ignatius Nagy, Joseph Szenvey (a translator from Schiller), Joseph Gaal, Charles Hugo, Lawrence Toth (the Magyarizer of the School for Scandal), Emeric Vahot, Alois Degre (equally famous as a novelist), Stephen Toldy, and Lewis Doczi, author of the popular prize drama Cs6k (The Kiss). Az ember tragocdidja (The Tragedy of Man), by Emeric Madach (1861), is a dramatic poem of a philosophical and contemplative character, and is not intended for the stage. Among the latest most successful dramatic pieces may be mentioned the Falu rossza (Village Scamp) of the late Edward Toth (1875), which represents the life of the Hungarian peasantry, and shows both poetic sentiment and dramatic skill ; A szerclem harcza (Combat of Love), by Count Geza Zichy ; Iskdriot (1876) and the prize tragedy Tamora (1879), by Anthony Varady ; Jdnus (1877), by Gregory Csiky ; and the dramatized romance Step Mikhal (Handsome Michal), by Maurice Jokai (1877). The principal merit of this author s drama Milton (1876) consists in its brilliance of language. The Szerelem iskoldja (School of Love), by Eugene Kakosy, although in some parts exquisitely worded, did not meet with the applause accorded to his Ripacsos Pista Dolmdnya (1874). The Grof Dor- mdndi Kdlmdn (Count Coloman Dormandi) of Bela Bercsenyi (1877) is a social tragedy of the French school. Among the most recent writers of comedy we single out Arpad Berczik for his A hdzasitdk (The Matchmakers) ; Ignatius Siilyovsky for his Noi diplomatic!, (Female Diplomacy); and the above-mentioned Gregory Csiky for his ELlendllhatatlan (The Irresistible), produced on the stage in 1878. As popular plays the Sdrga csik6 (Bay Foal) and A piros bugyclldris (The Red Purse) by Francis Csepreghy, have their own special merit, and were often represented in 1878 and 1879 at Buda pest and elsewhere. Original romance writing, which may be said to have commenced with Dugonics and Kantian at the close of the 18th, and to have 2 Besides the various translators from the English, ns for instance William Gyori, Augustus Greguss, Ladislaus Arany, Sigismond Acs, Stephen Fcjes. and Eugene Hdkosy, who, like those already incidentally mentioned, have assisted in the. Kisfaludy society s version of Shakespeare s complete works, metrical trans lations from foreign languages have, during the last few years, been successfully made by Emil Abranyi, Dr Ignatius Barna, An bony Varady, Andrew Szabd, Charles Bdrczy, Julius Greguss, Lewis Ddczi, B&amp;lt;5Ia Krb di, Emeric Caspar, and many others. A Magyar version, by Ferdinand Barna, of the Ka/evafa was published at Pest in 1871. Faithful renderings by Lewis Szeberdnyi, Theodore Lehoczky, and Michael Fincicky of the popular poetry of the Slavic nationalities appeared in vols. i and ii. of (he Hazal nep ko teszet tdra (Treasury of the Country s Popular Song), commenced in 18(ifl, under the auspices of the Kisfaludy society. In vol. iii. Roumanian folk-songs liave been Magyarized by George Ember, Julian Grozescu, and Joseph Vulcanu, under the title Roman nepilalok (Budapest, 1877). The Rozsdk (Zombor, 1875) is a translation by Eugene Pav- lovits from the Servian of Jovan Jovanovits. Both the last-mentioned works are interesting from an ethnographical point of view. Versions from the Erglish appear from time to time in the Budapesti Szemle (Budapest Review), conducted by Paul Gyulai. We may here note that for foreigners unacquainted with Hun garian there are, besides several special versions of Pel oft and of Arany, 21 anthologies of Magyar poetry in German, by Count Majlath (182&quot;)), J. Fenydry and F. Toldy (1828), G. Steinacker (1840, 1875), G. Stier (1850), K. M. Kertbeny (1854, 1860), A. Dux (1854), Count Pongracz (1859-61), A. M. Riedl (1860), J. Nord- heim (1872), G,M. Henning (1874), A. von d- r Heide (1879), and others. Selec tions have also been published in English by Sir John Bowling (1830), S Wdkey in 1 is grammar (1852), ami E. D. Butler (1877), and in French bv H. Uesbordcs- Valmorc and C. E. De Ujfalvy (1878).