*OAJ, LJUDEVIT, the founder of modern Illyrian literature, was turn about 1810, at Kropina in Croatia, where his father was an ipothecary. Gaj studied law at Pesth, and there came under the inflame. of Kollar, the Slovakian poet, who, born in Hungary, but of a Slavonia stock, had adopted the kindred language of Bohemia as the vehicle of his genius. Gej, who afterwards studied in some of the German universities, returned to Croatia about 1835, where he proposal to establish a Fvriodical publication in the Croatian !language. To do this, as Croatia was an linugarian province, it was necessary to apply to the Hungarian authorities for permission, and it was refused. Gaj then applied to the Austrian government direct, and the permission is said by some to have been granted at a personal audience by the Emperor Francis, with the parpose of baffling the views of the Han prima. for the extension of their language, which they bad already I succeeded in introducing Into the schools of Croatia. The Croatian newspaper was successful, and its editor's views began to enlarge. He perceived, that as his friend Kollar In the north of Ilitogary bad abandoned Slovakian to write in Bohemian for a larger public, so the Slavonic" dialects of the south of ilungary—Croatian included—would be intelligible to a large circle of readers if their provincial pecu liarities were kept in the background, and their general resemblance more carefully attended to and made prominent. The Serviette, the Dalmatian', the Boaciaus, the Croatians—all speak what le radically the same language, but so disfigured by different alphabets, and different system. of orthography, that the great fact has been kept out of view. Scattered under the Austrian and the Turkish govern ment, and in one case independent, as in Montenegro—divided between the Greek and the Roman church, and in one case perverted to Mohammedanism, as in BOSIDil—the great race of the South Slave /11MA is still eiltlitiSITY ono, and if as much pains were taken to unite it as to keep it divided, a South Slavonic language and literature might extend from Turkey to within sight of Venice. Guys purpose was to further this end by obliterating provincial peculiarities from his Croatian, and writing what he proposed to call 'Illyrian,' which was to form a common standard for all the dialects.
He gave to his newspaper the name of ' Ilirska Nevin*: or 'The Illyrian News, and to a literary supplement, published io connection with it, that of 'Denim Ilirska,' or • The Illyrian Morning Star.' The movement met with much success, as a bevy of young authors appeared, who followed in the path which Gaj had pointed out. The opposition of the Hungarians furnished him with the exclamation, " You Magyars are but an island in the midst of a Slavonic ocean; if you stand too much in the way the waves will overwhelm you." In 1S37 he pub Imbed an Illyrian grammar, and F000 after an Illyrian and German dictionary. Ile prepared a settled system of orthography, which was adopted by a considerable number of writer,. His efforts were of course already distasteful to the Hungarians, end not thought to be entirely acceptable to the Austrians, whose attention was frequently called by his opponents to the danger of exciting a common feeling of Slavonic enthusiasm among populations not subject to a Slavonic government. The &minas were also found unwilling to call the laeguage they spoke Illyrian, or to resign their Russian alphabet in favour of a Roman one, over which indeed their own presents many advantages. The great outbreak of 1848, in which Jellechich, the Ban of Croatia, was the champion at once of the national language, and of the Austrian government, seemed likely to decide the triumph of the Illyrian cause, but though the result of the struggle was the over throw of Hungary, Illyrianiem seems to have made less progress since thin before. Gaj, who had taken au active part in the struggle, has been little heard of of late ; it is certain that he is now looked on suspicion by the Austrians, end it Is said that ho bed been sub jected to imprisonment for carrying too far his Slavonic tendencies. Ile is of some eminence as apoet, and a national ballad by him, in imitation of the popular Polish national song, ' Ieszcze Polska niez. &else' or 'Poland has not finished yet,' with the sentiment applied to Croatia, was a few years back on the lips of every Croat.