Origin of the Lekhes, or Poles, 222.—­Periods, 225.—­Extent of the Polish language, 225.—­Its ancient character, 227.—­FIRST PERIOD, 229.—­SECOND PERIOD, 231.—­THIRD PERIOD, 235.—­Rapid progress of literature, 235.—­Toleration, 236.—­Dissidents, Unitarians, etc. 236.—­Culture of the language, 240.—­Printing offices and schools, 241.—­Degradation of the peasantry, 241.—­Copernicus, 243,—­Writers, 244.—­FOURTH PERIOD, 250.—­Perversion of taste, 251.—­Theological controversy and persecution, 252.—­The Jesuits prevail, 253.—­Poets, 255—­FIFTH PERIOD, 256.—­Revival, French influence, 257.—­Political struggles, 258.—­Schools and cultivation, 259.—­The peasantry were serfs, etc. 260.—­Literary activity, 262.—­Effect of French influence, 263.—­Writers, 264.—­Czartoryski, 265.—­The family Potocki, 266.—­Lelewel, 268—­Niemcewicz, 275.—­SIXTH PERIOD, 285.—­Causes of the revolution in 1830, 285.—­Results upon literature, 286.—­Russian efforts to destroy Polish nationality, 287.—­Historical researches, 288.—­Literature of Polish emigrants, 291.—­Lelewel, 292.—­Mickiewicz, 293.—­Recent poetry, 297—­Works on the Polish language, etc. 298.

CHAPTER III.

LANGUAGES OF THE SORABIAN-VENDES IN LUSATIA, AND OF OTHER.  VENDISH TRIBES NOW EXTINCT.

History, 298.—­Branches:  The Obotrites, 300.—­The Wiltzi, or Pomeranians, 302.—­The Ukern in Brandenburg, 303.—­The Sorabians or Vendes in Lusatia, 304.

1. Vendes in Upper Lusatia.

Language, 308.—­Influence of the Reformation, 308.—­Two systems of orthography, 310.—­Literary efforts, 311.

2. Vendes in Lower Lusatia.

Language, 313.—­Literature mostly religious, 313.—­Philological works, 314.

Part Fourth.

SKETCH OF THE POPULAR POETRY OF THE SLAVIC NATIONS.

SLAVIC POPULAR POETRY:  Difficulties of the subject, 315.—­Still flourishes only among Slavic nations, 317.—­Its antiquity and prevalence, 318.—­Nothing in it of romance, 319.—­Different moral standard, 320.—­Nothing dramatic, 322.—­Sometimes allegorical, 323—­Elegy, 323.—­Antithesis, 324.—­Standing epithets, 325.—­Plastic, 325.—­Personifications, 327.—­Superstitions, 328.—­Jelitza and her Brothers, 329.—­Moral characteristics, 332.—­Love and heroism, 334.—­Hopeless love, 336.—­The Farewell, 336.—­A mother’s and sister’s love, 338.

EASTERN SLAVI.

RUSSIAN POPULAR POETRY, 339.—­Character and antiquity, 339.—­Tenderness, 342.—­The Postilion, 343.—­Diminutives, 344.—­Melancholy, 344.—­Hopeless love, 344.—­Parting Scene, 346.—­The Dove, 347—­The Faithless Lover, 349.—­Veneration for the Tzar, 350.—­The Boyar’s Execution, 350.—­The storming of Azof, 353.—­Malo-Russian songs, 354.—­The Kozaks, 355.—­Their history, 356.—­Their ballads, 358—­The murder of Yessaul Tshural, 359.—­Lament for Yessaul Pushkar, 360—­Song of the Haidamack, 362.—­Sir Sava and the Leshes, 363.—­The Love-sick Girl, 365.—­The Dead Love, 366.