The preceding short survey of the history of Hungary may now be followed
by a brief sketch of the character and temper of the Hungarians. The
Magyar proper, and all the numerous individuals in Hungary who have
become completely assimilated to and by the Magyar element, bear in
character much similarity to the Poles on the one hand, and to the
Spanish on the other. They are rhapsodic and enthusiastic; excellent
orators and improvisators; and most sensitive as to their personal
dignity and social respect. As their music so their character is written
in passionate rhythms, moving from broad and majestic _largo_ to quick
and highly accentuated _presto_. Yet Hungarians, unlike Poles and
Spaniards, do not let their rhapsodic impetus run away with them, and
they have shown on all great occasions of their history, much coolness
and firmness of judgment. Nor do they exaggerate their sense of dignity
into bloated _grandezza_. They are rather humorous than witty; yet in
a country replete with so many idioms and peoples, there may be found
curious borderlands of pun, wit, and humour. Passionately fond of music
and dancing, to both of which the Hungarians have given a peculiar
artistic development of their own, the Magyars have seldom manifested
remarkable talent for architecture. Painting and sculpture have found
many an able devotee in Hungary.
But it is in music that most artists of Hungary have excelled. Hungary
is saturated with music. No student of Magyar literature can afford to
neglect the study of Magyar music. The parallelism between the growth
of Hungarian music and Hungarian Literature is not so complete, as that
between German music and German literature. Yet nothing will furnish
us an ampler commentary on Magyar lyrics or epic poetry, than that
magnificent music which has inspired heroes on the battlefield, lovers
in their closets, Bach and Beethoven in their studies alike. It is
intense music of torrential and meteoric beauties, and a bewildering
bass. Strange to say, Bach’s preludes _à la fantasia_ come nearest in
character to the original Hungarian music, as played in the wayside inns
of the immense _puszta_, or Plain of Hungary. In Hungary, all musical
performances at social gatherings are entrusted to the gypsies, who
undoubtedly added much outward ornament and characteristic _fioriture_
to the melodies and harmonies of the Hungarian people; yet the body and
soul of that music are thoroughly Hungarian. Music in Hungary is the
vocal and instrumental folk-lore of the people; and no lyrical poet
of the Magyars could help writing without having in view the musical
adaptation of his poem. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that
the continual indulgence in music has had its serious drawbacks. In a
measure, music is the opium of Hungary. It fosters but too much that
bent for dreamy idleness, which is the chief failing in the Hungarian
character. Much has been done in recent times to inspirit the slumbering
energies of the nation not only in the high walks of public life, but
also in the lowly avenues of industrial, commercial, and other less
picturesque activity. Still more remains to be done.
The lack of a middle class, or _bourgeois_ proper, has retarded the
growth of literature no less than that of political independence. Within
recent times there were only two classes of Hungarians in Hungary,
nobles and peasants. The floating and unassimilated portion of the
population between these two classes remained either quite alien to
Hungarian aspirations, or it attempted to imitate the nobles, of course
chiefly in their less commendable qualities. The undeniable indolence
of the small nobleman, or country-squire; his aversion to town-life;
his abhorrence of trades and crafts; all these and similar shortcomings
inherent in a caste of nobles had a baneful influence on their numerous
imitators. Literature is, as a rule, an urban growth. The urban element
in Hungary, however—was till the end of the last century of very
subordinate importance. The frequent social gatherings of the Hungarian
country gentlemen and their numerous imitators were indeed full of
spirited talk and engaging conversation. In what might be called the
_Parlature_ of a nation, or the aggregate of their private discussions,
dialogues, speeches, etc., the Hungarians are and always have been very
rich. Many a brilliant essay or novelette has been talked in Hungarian
drawing-rooms and dining-halls, which in other countries would have
made the fortune of a writer. In fact, there is little exaggeration in
advancing the statement that the literature of a nation is the complement
of its _parlature_; and where the latter is inordinately developed, the
former is necessarily of a less exuberant growth. This “law,” if so it
may be called, operated with much force in a country where it is far
easier to find listeners than readers. It also accounts for much that
is characteristic of Hungarian prose. Like French literature, Hungarian
poetry or prose applies more to the ear than to the eye, and accordingly
suffers very much from translation. That rich _parlature_ in Hungary
has, however, another and still more serious drawback. Up to 1870, in
round numbers, there was in many parts of Hungary, more especially in
the north-west and north, a custom of using, in common conversation, two
or three idioms, almost at a time. Sentences were commenced in Latin,
continued in Hungarian, and wound up in German, or Slovak. The constant
use of several idioms, as it has rendered Hungarians peculiarly apt for
the acquisition of foreign languages, so it has made them more than apt
to read and assimilate foreign literatures. This again made many a less
enterprising mind hesitate, and likewise many a feeble mind but too prone
to imitate, especially the German writers, both in style and subject. The
originality of Hungarian authors was thus at times much impaired. In the
course of the present work we shall meet with several cases. At present
we must hasten to speak of the most potent of the factors of Hungarian
Literature; of the Hungarian language.