CSOKONAI, MIIIALY VITEZ, an eminent Hungarian poet, was born at Debreezin, on the 17th of November 1773, and educated at the college there, where Joseph Kovacs, who had published a very poor translation of the '2Eueida was at that time professor of' poetry. Kovacs, who was in the habit of making all the pupils write verses, whether they showed any talent for it or not, was surprised to find one of them who at once surpassed himself, and was accustomed to boast iu after life that ho had developed the talents of Csokouai. At the age of twenty, the young poet, who was by that time well acquaintel with most of the leading literary men of Hungary, was himself elected to the professorship. At the age of twenty-two he was expelled for irregularities, of which it appears he was accused with too much justice. The rest of his life was mainly a struggle with poverty and ill-fortune, though his genius occasionally procured him powerful patrons. His last chance of retrieval appears to have been lost, when is lady of Presburg, whom he had celebrated under the name of Lilla, and who at one time appears to have favoured his suit, bestowed her hand ou his rival, a merchant. After various wan
deriogs to Pesth and Presburg, he died at Debreezin ou the 23th of January 1805, in the house of his mother, who, early left a widow, had fostered his infant taste for reading, and now survived to superiu tend the publication of some of his poems. His reputation has risen higher since his death. There are several editions of his works, but by far the best and completest is that by Schedel, which was issued between 1844 and 1847, and forms part of the Nemzdti Kiinyvtara or ' National Library,' a collection of the Hungarian classics issued under the superiuteudeuce of the Kisfaludy Society. It contains selections from his correspondence, and is accompanied by an excellent 'Life' from the pen of Schedel, from which the above particulars are taken. Csokouaiai productions, which are mostly of a comic and lively cast, comprise a series of love-poems to Lille, three plays of a farcical character, and a burlesque epic entitled Derottyaa the name of the heroiue. Schedel has judiciously omitted to reprint some poems, which Csokonai ought never to have written.