excellent man and an admirable poet, whose manners were as ingenuous
and unobtrusive as his life. In many respects he may be compared to
La Fontaine, his pattern and forerunner. The same goodness of heart,
the same blind confidence in his friends, the same carelessness and
inoffensiveness, and the same absence of mind, which formed the
prominent features of La Fontaine’s character, were developed with
singular fidelity in that of Khemnitzer. Of the last trait we will give
an example or two. When in Paris he once went to see the representation
of Tancred. On Le Cain’s appearance, he was so struck with the noble
and majestic presence of that renowned actor, that he rose from his
seat and bowed with lowly reverence. An universal roar of laughter
brought him back to himself. One morning a friend, for whom he had the
highest regard, related to him an interesting piece of news. Khemnitzer
dined with him afterwards, and as a piece of remarkable intelligence
narrated to his host that which his host had before communicated to
him. His friend reminded him of his forgetfulness. Khemnitzer was
greatly distressed, and in his perplexity, instead of his handkerchief,
he put his host’s napkin into his pocket. On rising from table
Khemnitzer endeavoured to slip away unobserved; his friend saw him,
followed him, and tried to detain him. Khemnitzer reproached him for
unveiling his weaknesses, and would not listen to any entreaties.
“Leave my napkin then, at least, which you pocketed at table,” said
the other. Khemnitzer drew it forth, and stood like a statue. The loud
laugh of the company recovered him from his trance, and with the utmost
good nature he joined in the general mirth.
A very handsome edition of his fables was published in Petersburg,
1799, under the title _Basni i Skaski I. I. Khemnitzera v Trekh
Chastœkh_, Khemnitzer’s Fables and Tales. The third part consists of
posthumous fables, printed for the first time in this edition.
In Germany the works of Khemnitzer have been often spoken of as models
and master-pieces[3]. Some of them are imitations of La Fontaine, some
of Gellert[4], but they are principally original. They are remarkable
for their purity of style--genuine Russian character--their _naïveté_
and descriptive charms--their poetical smoothness--their singular
simplicity--and an original epigrammatic wit, most felicitously applied.
KOSTROV.
Ermil Ivanovich Kostrov was born in the Vjetskish province. His father
was a vassal of the crown. He received the first part of his education
in the common school of his neighbourhood, and, in consequence of
his display of talent, was sent to the Moscow university, where he
obtained the rank of bachelor of arts, and was advanced to the post of
provincial secretary in 1782. He died on the 9th of December, 1796.
A collection of his poetry, which had been scattered in different
publications, was made in 1802 in two volumes. His translations, which
are much admired, are Homer’s Iliad, of which the seventh, eighth,
and ninth books were first printed in the European Herald, _Vœstnik
Evropĭ_. It is said he offered the last six books to a bookseller, and
the liberal tradesman offering him only one hundred and fifty rubles
(about 7_l._ 10_s._ sterling) for his labours, the offended poet threw
the translation into the fire. The first six books are the only ones
which have been collected. _Apuleev Solotoi Osel_, Apuleius’s Golden
Ass; Ossian, from a French version, on which he has greatly improved;
_Elvir i Zenotemsh_, a Poem of Ardouro; and Voltaire’s Tactique in
verse.
KARAMSIN.
Nicolai Michaelovich Karamsin was born in the province of Limbersk
on the 1st of December, 1765. His earliest instructor was Professor
Schaden, of Moscow, from whose care he was removed to the university
of that place. In 1789-91 he travelled through central Europe, and
published in 1791 and 1801 his _Pi’sma Russkago Puteshestvennika_,
Letters of a Russian Traveller, which have been translated into
English. He took up his abode at Moscow on his return, and was
appointed the imperial historiographer in 1803. From his earliest youth
he exhibited a striking fondness for literary pursuits, and a great
number of his translations were printed in the Journal _Dœtskoechenie_,
Children’s Reading Book. The Idyl _Derevannaje_, The Wooden Foot,
was published in 1787. In the years 1792 and 1793 he published the
_Moskovskij Zhurnal_, Moscow Journal, in eight volumes. In 1794, two
parts of _Aglaia_, In 1797-8 and 9, a Collection of Poems, entitled
_Lonidĭ_. In 1798, his _Panteon Inostrannoi Slovesnosti_, Pantheon
of Foreign Literature, in three parts. In 1802-3, _Vœstnik Evropĭ_,
European Herald, in twelve volumes. His compositions which were printed
in the newspapers at Moscow, he published in 1794 with the title _Moi
Besdœlki_, My Trifles. Besides these, have been published his _Rosgavor
o Shchastii_, Discourse on Happiness; 1798, _Julia_, a Tale; and
_Pokhval’noe slovo Ekaterinœ Velikoi_, Eulogium on Catherine the Great.
In 1804 a collection of his works was printed in eight volumes. His
great work, The History of Russia, has been mentioned elsewhere in this
volume.
ZHUKOVSKY.
Vassilj Andrejevich Zhukovsky was born in 1783. He was educated in the
public school at Tula and in the Moscow University, which he left in
1803. He held afterwards an appointment from the Russian government.
In 1808 and 1809 he edited the _Vœstnik Evropĭ_, European Herald,
in which he was afterwards joined by Kachenovsky. He has translated
Florian’s Don Quixote into Russian, and published in 1810-11, the best
collection of Russian poetry I am acquainted with, _Sobranie Rushkikh
Stikhotvorenii_, in 5 vols. Most of his productions were originally
printed in the above periodical. Of his poetical compositions, the most
esteemed are _Marina Roshcha_, Mary’s Goat, a tale; The _Moje Boginje_,
My Goddess, from Göthe: _Liudmilla_, and _Dvenadtzat Spjeshchikh Dœv_,
The twelve sleeping Virgins.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] A Periodical Journal.--See p. 238.
[2] This is a maxim of the French school, and a very untenable one. The
characteristic of eminent genius is, that it produces the same and even
greater effect without laborious effort, which inferior merit requires
intense application to accomplish.
[3] In No. 22 of the “_Freimüthigen_,” Kluschin speaks very approvingly
of the fables of Khemnitzer, and gives as an example “The Lion’s
mandate.” In a following number an anonymous writer claims this fable
for La Fontaine. It is singular enough that the Russian copy was
never written by Khemnitzer, though it was published in a volume of
his fables, but under the title of _Chuzhiiæ Basni_, Fables by other
Authors.
[4] The imitations are always distinguished in the index from the
originals.
LONDON:
PRINTED BY R. AND A. TAYLOR,
SHOE LANE.
Transcriber’s Notes
‣ Italics represented by surrounding _underscores_.
‣ Small caps converted to ALL CAPS.
‣ Footnotes renumbered consecutively within each chapter and moved
to the end of those respective chapters.
‣ Obvious typographic errors silently corrected.
‣ Variations in hypenation and spelling kept as in the original.
‣ Duplicate chapter titles omitted.