There are few names in Danish litera ture before the last century. Ludwig von Melberg, born in 1683, was the first who achieved a permanent reputation as poet and historian. Towards the close of the last century, Denmark pi-educed many distinguished scholars and men of science. Rafn and Finn Magnusen res cued the old Icelandic sagas front obliv ion, and established the fact of the dis covery of New England by Iljtirne in the tenth century ; Petersen became re nowned no a classical scholar and critic; Oersted is a well-known name in science and philosophy ; and :driller and Allen successfully labored in the department of history. Nearly all these authors first became known in the present century. At the head of Denmark's !wets i,. tEh lenschliiger, who died in 1850. Ili, na tional tragislies, epics, and lyrics were written partly in German and partly in Danish. He is considered the originator of the artist-drama, of which his Coreg gio is a masterpiece. Baggesen, who commenced his career in the last century, is one of the first Danish lyric poets. Ileiberg devoted himself to vanderillc and the romantic drama, and Ilitneh to tragedy, in which he is justly distin guished. llertz is known through his King Rine's Daughter, which has been successfully produced on the English stage. One of the most distinguished of modern Danish authors is Hans Chris tian Andersen, known alike as poet, nov elist, and tourist. His romances of Da nish life arc the most characteristic of his works, though he is better known out of his native country by his Improrisa tore and The True Story of my Life.
Russian Literature—The first frag ments of Russian Literature belong to the tenth and eleventh centuries. They consist principally of rude songs and le gends, the hero of which is Wladimir the Great, who first introduced Christianity into the country. Nestor a monk in the monastery of Kiev, who flied in the year 1116, loft behind him a collection of annals, beginning with 852, which throw much light on the early history of Russia. After the empire was freed front the Mongolian rule by Ivan I. in 1478, the progress of literature and the arts was more rapid. The first printing-press was established in Moscow in 1564, thong', the Academy in that city was not found, until a century later. Peter the Great devoted much attention to the Rust fail language and literature. At his com mand, the characters used in printing were greatly simplified and improved. The first Russian newspaper was printed in 1705, in this character.
From 1650 to 1750, Russia produced several authors, but principally among the clergy, and their works are disserta tions on theology or lives the saints. Tatitschev wrote a History of Russia, which still retains some value. The only poet of this period was Kantemir, son of the Hospodar of Moldavia, who entered the Russian service, devoted himself to study, and obtained much reputation from his satires. Towards the close of the last century, and especially during the reigns of Elizabeth and Catharine II. the establishment of universities and academies of science and art, contributed greatly to the development of the lan guage and the encouragement of litera ture. The distinction between the old
Slavic and modern Russian dialects is strongly exhibited in the works of Lomo nosow, and the predominance of the latter was still further determined by Sumara kow, the first Russian dramatist, whose plays were performed on the stage. Cheraskow, who belongs to the last half of the eighteenth century, wrote a long epic poem on the Conquest of Kazan, and another on 'Vladimir the Great. He was considered the Homer of his time, but is now never read. Among his cotemporary poets were Prince Dolgoruki, who wrote philosophic odes and epistles, and Count Chvostow, the author of some of the best lyric and didactic poetry in the language.
The first Russian poet whose name was known beyond the borders of the empire, was Derzhavin, who was born at Kazan in 1743, and after filling important civil posts under the Empress Catharine, died in 1616. Many of his most inspired odes were addressed to his imperial patro ness. His ode "To God," has been trans lated into nearly all languages, and a Chinese copy, printed in letters of gold, hangs upon the walls of the palace at Pe kin. The prose writers of this period were Platon, Lewanda and Schtscherha tow, who wrote a History of Russia. Under Alexander I. in the commence ment of the present century, Russian literature made rapid advances. Karam sin, who stood at the head of Russian au thors during this period, first freed the popular style from the fetters of the clas sic school, and developed the native re sources of the language. Prince Alexan der Schakowski wrote many comedies and comic operas, and Zukowski, following in the path of Karamsin, produced some vigorous and glowing poetry. Count Poschkin, one of the most celebrated Rus sian authors, was born in 1799. His first poem published at the age of fourteen, attracted so much attention that he re solved to devote himself to literature. An " Ode to Freedom," however, procur ed him banishment to the south of Rus sia, where his best poems were written. His works are : Russldn and Ljudmilla, a romantic epic of the heroic age of Rus sia ; the Mountain Prisoner, a story of life in the Caucusus ; the Fountains of Baktschi-sarai, and Boris Godunof, a dramatic poem. In his invention, the elegance c` his diction and the richness of his fancy, Puschkin excels all other Russian authors. He was killed in a duel, in 1837. His cotemporary Baratyn ski, who stood nearest him in talent, died in 1944. Other poets of the present generation are Lermontosv, Podolinski and Baron Delwig. Russian romance is not yet fairly developed. The first names in this department are Bestuzew, who suffered banishment in Siberia and met death in the Caucusus, where his best work, was written—and Bulgarin, author of Demetrius and Ilfareppa. The only histories written in Russia are Histories of Russia. The best of these, which have been produced by the present generation of authors, are those of Ustrialow, Pogodin, Polewoi and Gen. Michailowski-Danilewski.