Page:Poetry of the Magyars.djvu/78

lvi. Between the 400 shorter Dalok or Songs, are introduced 28 Canzonets, somewhat in the Petrarchan style. There is throughout, a masterly condensation of thought, without any embarrassment of language. Kazinczy called these productions the Epigrams of Love. They have many novel forms of expression, some uncommon words; but they approve themselves constantly to the mind. His Regék are the very images of Hungarian life. In his Dramas, whether historical or domestic, he has been less successful; the characters rather describe than develop themselves. Kisfaludy was born of an ancient Hungarian family at Sümeg; educated at Gy&#xf6;&#x301;r (Raab) and Poson; entered the army in his twentieth year; fought the Italian campaign, and was taken prisoner by the French in 1796. Visiting Avignon, it seems as if the mantle of Petrarch had descended upon him, and that out of the fountain of Vaucluse he had drunk of the Italian Helicon. In 1800, he left military service and married the Lisa of his songs. They were published anonymously, and he was for a time "the Great Unknown" of Hungary. His later lyrics have been all welcomed with enthusiasm. In 1809, he enlisted among the Hungarian insurgents, and wrote a history of the campaign. His abode is at Sümeg,