PETOFI, SANDOR (ALExaxnEn), who may fairly be described as the national poet of Hungary, was born at Little Kihirms, in the county of Pesth, in 182•. His father was a butcher, and a small landowner in Little Kumania, and bore the name of Petrovich (son of Peter)—a name, indicating a Slavonic origin, which the poet, when he came to manhood, exchanged for the Magyar equivalent, PeLUfi. In 1838 his father was reduced to poverty by an overflowing of the Danube, which destroyed his little estate; and it was by the help of relatives that he was able to carryout his design of educating his son for a profession. Paoli was sent to the lyceum of the town of Sehemnitz. It was while there that he began to write verses, and first displayed the extravagant fondness for theatricals which characterized bbn throughout life. From the first he neglected his studies; ultimately, he ran away with a baud of German strollers. His father after some time found him out, and brought him home, and he remained for a period in quasi custody among his relatives. When at length he was again sent to school at Outten burg, he almost immediately ran away, and enlisted as a common soldier. After he had been about two years in the army, a physician, who had taken pity upon hint, procured his discharge, and he went back to his relations, lie afterwards went to Papil, to complete his education. His passion for the stage, however, drew him away from Pmip:I, as it had formerly done from Schemnitz; in 1842 he left it to join a troop of comedians._ His stage attempts were utter failures, and he soon parted from the comedians, if, indeed, he was not dismissed by them. He made his way to Prcsburg, and afterward to Pesth, where he got some employment as a translator from the English and the Preach. Among other works, he translated a novel by Mr. G. P. H. James. As soon as his literary labor supplied him with the means of traveling, his passion for the stage returned upon him; he went to Debreczin, and made another venture as an aetor—playing the part of Othello—but failed even more completely than before. At last he had the good for tune to be invited to contribute to a newspaper at Pesth—the he hnme diately closed with the proposal. Ile made his way on foot from Debreezin to Pesth a distance of nearly 200 m.—wearing shoes padded with straw, and carrying in his bosom a MS. volume of verses, his whole provision for the journey consisting of two florins, which he got from an old school-fellow. It was on his arrival at Pesth that he exchanged the name of Petrovich for Petoli. Within a few weeks of his arrival he had troops of friends and a reputation.
He introduced himself to Viblismarti, then the most popular poet of Hungary. who received the shabbily-dressed stranger coldly, and did not readily consent to listen to his verses. But when he had listened, he expressed his admirati3n warmly, " Hun gary," he exclaimed, "never had such lyrics: you must be cared for." And from that time he treated PetOfi as a son, and never rested until his merits were fully acknowl edged by his countrymen. PetiSfi was almost at once received into the literary national circle, at the expense of which was published his Versek, which appeared in 1844. This was soon followed by other volumes, which succeeded each other with amazing rapidity; all of them, though regarded as vulgar by some of the critics, obtaining an unbounded popularity; so that it was said of Pett!ifi that "he never went to bed at night, he Dever arose in the morning without hearing his songs from the multitudinous passengers in the public streets." He sprang almost at a bound into a position in Hungary similar to that
which Burns holds in Scotland—that at once of the greatest poet and the representative man of his country. In 1848, when the revolutionary movement, which spread over Europe, began to affect the Hungarians, his energies and enthusiasm found a more use ful direction; he became, by speech and pen, the advocate of the independence of Hun gary. lie.was for some time a member of the diet, but in Oct., 1848, he became a rapt. in the Hungarian army; and in the beginning of 1849 he was appointed adjutant and m-eeretary to gen. Bern. He was present at the battle of Segesviir, fought on July 31. 1849. in which Bern's army was defeated with great slaughter; and he was never heard of after that battle. It is believed that he was trampled to death in the flight, and that his body. so defaced as to escape recognition, was buried with the multitude of :Magyar dead left upon the field. His countrymen long believed that he was not dead, but a prisoner in an Austrian dungeon; and it is said that among the peasantry this belief is cherished still. Several false Peto fis have made their appearance since his death. and much spurious poetry leis been publi-hed under his name. Lately, however, his coun trymen have sulmiritied for the ereetion of a monument to his memory, and have pm ellased, with it vie•s to its preqervation, the house in which he was born at Little KorEis. He left a widow—v: ho married again—and one son. His brother, STErnEx, has gained some reputation as a poet.
His poems, 1775 in number, were published in 10 volumes. Most of them are lyrics, of which he published several collections, under the titles, Cypress Leaves on Etelka's Grave; Pearls of Love; Starless 147ghts; Coeds. The most celebrated of his narrative poems the Janos, the hero; istok, the Fool. His earliest work was The Vil lage Halltver, published in 1843; his latest, The Assessor of the which . appeared in 1849. A volume, containing a poem entitled The Apostle, was suppressed by the Austrian government after the pacification of Hungary. Pethti published a novel, The Hangman's Rope, which was by no means successful, and several volumes of tales, era'. , clams, and sketches of travel; and he translated largely from English and French int& the Magyar.
A selection from his earlier pieces, translated into German, was published in 1845 and several volumes of translations from his writings have since appeared in Germany They have also been trim slated into French. Flemish, Polish, Danish. and Italian; and an English version, comprising his finest poems, was published in 1866 by sir John Bow ring. The quality of his poetry has been as fully recognized among foreigners as among his countrymen; thus, Grimm declared that " Pethfi will rank among the very greatest poets of all times and tongues;" Henry Heine spoke rapturously of his "rustic song, sweeter than that of the nightingale;" and Uhland avowed that only old age could pre vent his learning Magyar, that lie might enjoy Petedi in his native dress.