"EOTVOS, JOZSEF, one of the most conspicuous names of modern Hungary, both in the literary and the political world. His grand father was a government officer of high rank in Hungary; his father, who also held high posts in the government, married a German lady, the Baroness Lilien. Efitviis was born at Buda, on the 3rd of Sep tember 1813. His education we, entrusted to the care of a private tutor of the name of Pruszinsky, who was of republican sentiments, and had been concerned in the conspiracy of Martinovics, which had been punished with great severity by the government of Vienna towards the close of the last century. The boy was sent to a public school just at the period when his grandfather had rendered himself obnoxious by taking part in the proceedings commenced by the Austrian court in 1823 to raise taxes and recruits in Hungary without the consent of the Hungarian Diet, and he was at once told by his schoolfellows that his grandfather was a traitor, and that he too was a traitor, for he was almost thirteen and could hardly speak Hungarian. Stung by these reproaches, and fall of the republican sentiments of his tutor, the boy made a speech to his schoolfellows to the effect that he would atone for the crimes of his father, and be "liberty's servant and his country's slave." From that day dates his mastery of the Hungarian language, of which he is perhaps the first living writer. In the year 1826 the Austrian government, met by the steady conati• tutional opposition of the Hungarian counties, was obliged to give way, awl a quieter period succeeded, which was speedily marked by the rapid progress of Hungary in the path of material and mental improvement, in which Count Szechenyi led the van. Maas, who in 1830 had already commenced his literary career by a translation of Gothe's ' Goetz von Berlichingen,' followed it up before 1833 by two original comedies, 'The Critics' and 'The Weddings,' and a tragedy, 'Bonn,' or Revenge,' which were considered of high promise, and showed a singular beauty of style. In 1836 he travelled in Germany, Switzerland, France, and England, when he probably formed the high opinion of our country which he has expressed in his funeral oration on Csoma de Kfiros. [Csoma.] Soon after his return to Hungary, the calamitous inundations at Pesth lad, among other projects, to the publication of a work made up of contributions from the pens of the first Hungarian authors, the profits of which were to be given to the relief of the sufferers. Of this work, the 'Budapeeti Arvizkonyv,'
which extended to 5 vols., and was published between 1838 and 1841, Efitvos was the editor, and he also contributed the longest article, a novel, entitled The Carthusian,' which at once revealed a writer of remarkable powers. The views of life contained in it, which are of the Byronic school, led to severe censure on the part of some of the Hungarian critics, who could not however contest that the style placed its author on a level with Kirlesey, who had hitherto been without a rival in the literature of the day. The young novelist soon made himself conspicuous in a new career• as a parliamentary orator. His views of political matters differed not only from those of the con• servative party, but from thaw of the rival leaders, Szeclidoyi and Koestith, though most nearly allied to those of the latter. While 1:oasuth was at that time disposed to rely on the old machinery of the Hungarian institutions, objectionable as much of it was, as the beat means of counteracting the despetio tondeucies of the Austrian court, Eistviie advocated a bolder course, aud was for extensive reforms, in accordance with the spirit of the age, to be carried out by a vigorous centralised government, unchecked by the prejudices of local authori ties, to which he thought too much`power of obstruction was already conceded. Though the Eotvos party was far from equal, either in numbers or influence, to the others, it had considerable effect on the progress of affairs. A pamphlet by its leader on prison discipline, in which he opposed the American system, which had been advocated by Farkas, the American traveller, produced a strong impression ; and a committee of the diet was appointed to consider the subject, in which he had a seat. Count Louts I3atthyani and Eavolis were at this time the leaders of the opposition in the upper house of the Hungarian Diet, and E6t1133 was its ablest speaker, occupying, from his rank, his fine person, and his splendid talents, one of the very first positions in Hungarian society.