HUNGARY
561
HUNGARY
Balduinus, the dean of the Lutheran professors at this
university, required ten years for his reply. To this
Pazmany soon wrote a "counter-reply", which secured
the final triumph of the Catholic cause in Hungary.
This work led to the re-conversion of the greater part
of Hungary, and to the end of the religious contro-
versy, while it also brought about a great develop-
ment of Hungarian as a literary language, and formed,
according to Toldy, the father of Hvuigarian literary
history, "the basis of the later Hungarian prose style".
The Bible was also repeatedly translated into the
vernacular. The monk Bathor (c. 1516) had trans-
lated the Bible in pre-Reformation times, and after
him, towards the middle of the sixteenth century.
Catholics like Konijati, Mizs^r, Erdosi, and others
preceded the Protestant translators. The first com-
plete Protestant translation of the Bible was published
in 1.5S9 by Kdrolyi, and the first Catholic one in 1626
by Kdldi, S.J.; both translations, the Catholic one
revised by Tilrkdnyi, 1865, are still in use. The pro-
fane literature of this period is represented by the epics
of the wandering minstrel Tinodi (d. 1557), the lyric
poet Balassi (d. 1.594), and especially by Pdzmdny's
disciple, the deeply religious Hungarian general,
Nicolaus Zrinyi, who, in 1651, wrote the first Hun-
garian epic, "The Fall of Sziget", dealing with the
heroic death of his grandfather and namesake at the
destruction of the fortress of Sziget by the Turks.
Gyongyosi (d. 1704), besides lyric and epic poems, such
as "Venus of Munlny", also wrote religious verse,
it is to be regretted that, like those of his master Ovid,
his poems are frequently immoral. For the rest, the
literature of this period breathes a spirit of glowing
patriotism and deep religious feeling. Worthy of
mention are the folk-songs, especially those belonging
to the time of the wars for the liberation of Transyl-
vania; amongst these is the "Rakoczy Song", which
even to-day is often set to music by Hungarian com-
posers. The drama, both in Latin and Hungarian,
was cultivated in the numerous schools of the Jesuits
and later in those of other religious orders.
(3) Period of Peaceful Development. — After the close of the Turkish and civil wars (Peace of Szatmiir, 1711) began the age of peaceful development, in many respects under the influence of the flourishing litera- ture of Western Europe. At this point, too, begins the literary treatment of the different branches of learning, which up to then had been confined to ele- mentary school textbooks (Apaczai-Cseri). To his- tory belongs the first place, especially to the works of the Jesuits Pray and Katona, the latter of whom com- posed an invaluable pragmatic history of Ilimgary in forty volumes. Second place must be given to the science of language, represented by the Piarist R^vai (d. 1807). The Jesuit p'aludi (d. 1779) wrote novels and moral essays; he is looked upon as the best stylist of his time. Mikes, the faithful companion in banish- ment of the hero of freedom, Francis Rakoczy II, wrote his classic-elegiac "Letters from Turkey", while Amade wrote lyrics. Bessenyei and others produced works closely modelled on French writers (Voltaire). These are unjustly regarded by modern anti-Catholic writers of literary history, such as Beothy, as the starting-point and creators of modern Hungarian literature. The old classical models were followed by many members of religious orders, such as Baroti-Szabo, Virag, and others. In fact from the beginning Hungarian literature was much indebted to the religious orders. The most successful classicist was the lyric poet Berzsenyi (d. 1836). Kazinczy (d. 1831), the delicate critic and enthusiastic admirer of classicism, modelled himself on German writers, as did also the lyric poet and orator Kolcsey (d. 1838); who composed the national hymn "Isten aldd meg" (God Bless Hungary), and the freemason Kdrman, who died young, in consequence of dissipation, and others. The naturalistic and often coarse writer of
vn.— 36
lyric and comic verse Csokonay, the Piarist Dugonics,
Gvadanyi, and others strove after independence from
Western influence.
(4) The Augustan Age of Hungarian Literature begins with the nineteenth century in Berzsenyi and Kolcsey and Alexander and Charles Kisfaludy. Alex- ander Kisfaludy wrote the "Minnelieder of Himfy", and Charles (d. 1830), besides writing lyric patriotic verse, produced especially tragedies from national history, and popular comedy. Under the influence of national ideals which sprang up throughout Europe, and which were especiallj^ promoted in Hungary by Count Stephen Sz(^chenyi (the "Greatest of Hun- garians", and the founder of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1825; he died in 1860), Hungarian litera- ture reached its acme in the middle of that century. Michael Vorosmarty (1800-55) is regarded by many as the greatest lyric, epic, and dramatic poet of Ilim- gary. Among his writings are "Zal6n's Flight", "The Two Neighbouring Castles" etc. Katon (d. 1830) wrote the best Hungarian tragedy, "Banus Bank". Garay, the Benedictine Czuczor, Fay, Bajza, Vajda, Kiithy, and others cultivated various forms of Uterature. The popular Alexander Petofi (1823-49) is generally regarded as the greatest Hungarian lyri- cist. He fell, when still young, as a volunteer in the War of Freedom. His poems are full of glowing patriotism and love of liberty, of bold and original imagination, expressed in pure idiomatic and popular language. He is bright and lively, but at times some- what trivial, and the love-theme plays too large a part in his verses. Among political orators before 1848, Louis Kossuth (d. 1894) is especially worthy of mention; after the Revolution, Francis Dedk (d. 1876) was the most prominent orator.
(5) Modern Period. — In modern Hungarian litera- ture the novel claims the foremost place. The pa- triotic historical romance was cultivated by the licenti- ous Baron Josika, and by the Barons Kemlny (d. 1875) and Eotvos (d. 1871), both very expert in the delinea- tion of character. To them belong "The C'arthusian" and "The Village Notary", a satire on the Hungarian oflicialdom of the time, which was reformed as a result of the publication of this work. They were in some respects surpassed by the most prolific and ca- pable of Hungarian novelists, Jokai (d. 1904), of whose more than one hundred novels most of tlie later ones are of minor literary value and are disfigured by passages offensive to morality and by an attitude hostile to the Church. His best novel is "Az uj Fiil- desur" (The New Squire). In this period the lyric and epic poet John Arany (1817-82) may be looked upon as tlie most important representative of poetry proper. He stands unsurpassed in Hungarian litera- ture for perfection of form and depth of thought and feeling. He is moreover distinguished for his pure patriotism and the grave character of the subjects he treats: he has not written a single love poem. He shows a special preference and aliility for the employ- ment of the ballad. Next to him ranks the deeply religious elegiac poet Tompa (d. 1868), whose favourite themes are folk-songs and poems about flowers. Worthy of mention as poets, chiefly lyrical, are L^vay, Szasz. Gyidai, Reviczky, and especially Mindszenty (d. 1877), by far the most gifted Catholic writer of religious lyrics in recent times. Other late Catholic writers of religious poems are Tarkdnyi, Sujd,nszky, Szulik, Rosty, Rudnydnszky, Kalman, Erdosi. The peasants also still produce folk-songs of literary value. Dramatic poetry is represented in the modern period by Szigligeti, Toth, Doczy, Teleky, the apostate Csiky, and others. The first, especially, may claim credit for the revival and perfection of popular plays, with themes drawn from the healthy patriarchal life of the people. Madach produced a dramatic poem rich in psychological and historical delineation as well as in depth of thought, "The Tragedy of Mankind", which
