and fought bravely during the contest with the French empire. He first appeared as a diplomatic agent in 1814, in the chancery of Governor Miloradovitch. In 1830 he took up his abode at Smolensko. In the second year of his residence there as governor-general, he obtained from the czar a million of rubles to rebuild the fortifications, which had been greatly damaged in 1812. In 1837 he was appointed governor-general of Archangel, but the next year he gave up that eminent post, and repaired to St. Petersburg for the benefit of his health. He was just then starting into reputation as a dramatic author. He first translated Moliere's Tartuffe and l'Ecole des femmes. The performance of these two plays gave quite a new impulse to the Russian theatre. Tchmelnitzky was not an original genius. Good judges agree, however, in considering his comedies admirably done. They are terse in style—his iambics being remarkably sharp—and they teem, without being overloaded, with amusing incidents. "Govoroon" (the Prattler), is undoubtedly his best play; the love-story is of the simplest character, and it is framed throughout with admirable simplicity. The author evidently took Reynard and Moliere for his models, but the treatment is entirely his own. During the remaining years of his life, Tchmelnitzky successfully composed the following—"Vosdooschnyë Zamki" (Castles in the Air); "Nereshitelny" (the Irresolute Man, or a Week's Holiday); "Karantin" (Quarantine); "Akteory mejdoo soboyoo" (the Actors among themselves); "Roosky Faust" (the Russian Faust); "Tsarskoyë Slovo" (the Word of a Czar); "Sinovy Bogdana Schmelnitzkago, illy Prisoyedinenië Malo-Rossiyi" (the sons of Bogdan Schmelnitzkago, or the Annexation of Little Russia), an event brought about by the Hetman Bogdan, an ancestor of the author, under the second Romanov, 1654.—(Tchmelnitzky's Complete Works, 1849, St. Petersburg, 3 vols. 8vo.)—Ch. T.
* TCHOMIAKOV, Alexander Stephanovitch, a Russian lyrical and dramatic poet and critic, born at Moscow in 1810. His "Yermak" (the Conqueror of Siberia), a historical drama, is very popular in Russia. Tchomiakov has Voltaire's flowing freedom of versification, his discursiveness, and his fondness for bringing the distant and sublime into juxtaposition with the near and familiar. But we cannot deny that the author, who wrote his "Yermak" "for the approval of people a thousand years hence," has one great fault—he never looks on a question as posterity will look on it. Every syllable is measured, every word is weighed; but, like other poets who have not thought of future generations, he scruples not to violate historical truth. His "Demetry Samovanetz" (the Pretender Demetrius) is a more elaborate work, both as regards the style and the analysis and development of character. Tchomiakov's very clever and striking contributions to the Moskoitianin are interesting both for their intrinsic merit, and as representatives of the best recent criticism. Other contributions to the leading periodicals of Russia may display a greater power of thought and elegance of style; but we know of nothing in Northern literature which exhibits the most pleasing traits of the genuine Russian critic in so marked a manner as the critiques of Tchomiakov.—Ch. T.
TEGNÉR, Esaias, Bishop of Vexiö, the greatest poet of Sweden, was born at Kyrkerud in Vermland on the 13th November, 1782. His father was a clergyman, and died when Tegnér was in his tenth year. As he left his wife and children in narrow circumstances, Esaias was set at that early age to earn something for himself in a tax-collector's office, but he soon attracted notice by his remarkable intelligence, and obtained permission to share in the instructions of a family to whom his elder brother, Lars Gustaf, acted as tutor. Yet after all he was chiefly self-taught, studying the classics, especially Homer, until he almost had some of them by heart; and, when in his seventeenth year he passed his preliminary student's examination at Lund, it is said that he knew more Latin and Greek than would have sufficed to procure him a degree. The fruits of his unwearied study were ere long apparent. In his twentieth year, he became assistant-teacher of esthetics at the university, and in 1812 was appointed to the Greek professorship, being at the same time, according to Swedish fashion, ordained clergyman of a country parish. He had previously married in 1806, Anna Myrhman, daughter of an ironmaster, whose acquaintance he made some years before. In his earlier life, Tegnér had cultivated poetry, but severer pursuits afterwards repressed the tendency and banished for a time all thought of worshipping the muses. At Lund, however, where he moved in a sphere of intellectual activity suited to his powers, and the pleasure of which was now farther enhanced by the charms of a happy home, the old inclination resumed its sway. To the efforts which founded his renown, belong the battle song "För det Skånska landtvärnet" (For the Scanian local militia) in 1808, and "Svea," another patriotic effusion, which in 1811 gained the prize of the Swedish Academy. For many years he continued to pour forth a multitude of minor and occasional poems, but it is a curious fact that almost all his greater works date from a period either shortly before or after his fortieth year; for example, the "Nattvards barnen," a beautiful religious idyl, published in 1820; "Axel" in 1821; and "Frithiofs Saga," finally completed in 1825. After his appointment to the bishopric of Vexiö in 1824, the duties of his high office appear to have greatly interfered with his poetical activity, yet they contributed not a little to evoke the oratorical powers which he also possessed. His speeches are alike clear and eloquent, and have been greatly admired in his native country. Tegnér's last years were darkened by various troubles, the worst of them being a hypochondriac affection deepening into insanity, which, however, happily left him previous to his decease. That event took place on the 2nd of November, 1846. Of Tegnér's two great works, "Axel" and "Frithiofs Saga," Lenström truly says that "hitherto they are the fairest pearls in the whole of Swedish poetry." The latter especially bears a world-renowned name. It has been translated into many European languages, and wherever read, it has charmed irresistibly. We do not, indeed, esteem Tegnér so perfect a poet as Oehlenschläger, nor do we place the "Frithiofs Saga" on the same level with similar creations of the illustrious Dane; there is too much of the subjective element in the great work of the former to allow it to compete with the pure objective poems of the latter, as a faithful transcript of the old heroic life of Scandinavia; but the "Frithiofs Saga" is nevertheless a production of true genius, and contains many passages of marvellous grace and beauty. It evinces also a rare mastery of the nervous and noble language in which the author wrote. On the whole, the "Frithiofs Saga" is justly entitled to take high rank among the world's great poems.—J. J.
TEIGNMOUTH, John Shore, first baron, was descended from a Derbyshire family, one of whom was knighted in 1667. He was born in 1751. His father, Thomas Shore, was a supercargo, and his grandfather was a captain in the marine of the East India Company. After completing his education at Harrow, he was sent to Bengal in 1769 as a cadet in the company's civil service. An old gentleman named Burgess chanced to say to the young writer, "Make yourself useful and you will succeed," and on this maxim Mr. Shore acted through life. His first station was at Moorshedabad, where in a single year he decided six hundred causes, and with his own hand compiled several volumes of the records of the secret political department. He acquired a knowledge of the Persian, Hindostanee, and Arabic tongues, and his linguistic attainments procured him the appointment of Persian translator and secretary to the provincial council of Moorshedabad. In the following year he obtained a seat in the "provincial council" at Calcutta. On the dissolution of that board in 1781 he was appointed second member of the general committee of revenue, which had been instituted by the new charter. For this appointment he was indebted to Warren Hastings, whose opponents he had previously assisted in their attacks both against the governor-general, and his friend Sir Elijah Impey. But, as it has been justly remarked, whatever might be his change of party Mr. Shore never changed his maxim, and he made himself eminently useful at the board of revenue, as revenue commissioner in Dacca and Behar, and in preparing plans of judicial reform. He returned to England in the same ship with Hastings in 1785, and in the following year was sent back to Calcutta as one of the members in the supreme council of three, established under Mr. Pitt's India bill. He assumed as his special province the settlement of the revenues of Bengal, Behar, and Orissa, and through Mr. Shore's influence, under Lord Cornwallis, the new governor-general, that important change was effected in 1789 in the settlement of the landed property in the presidency of Bengal, by which the zemindars were recognized as proprietors of the land, and the ryots as their tenants at will. In 1792 he was created a baronet; in the following year he was appointed successor to Lord Cornwallis, and held the important office of governor-general till the close of 1797, when he was succeeded by the earl of Mornington, afterwards marquis of Wellesley. His knowledge, industry,
