Page:Poetry of the Magyars.djvu/84

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INTRODUCTION.

speak of Berzsenyi with a wild enthusiasm. He has fanned and flattered the strongest of the Magyar sensibilities—has sung the ancient glories of the Hunnish race—and, with deep pathos, has poured strains of plaintiveness over their present decay. Rumy says of him, that as a boy he was "non sine Dis animosus infans." It has been objected to him that his style is sometimes inflated and degraded by provincialisms, but his severest critics are willing to allow that he has many distinguished merits. His place of birth was Hetye, and he became in early life the friend of Kis, and the correspondent of Kázinczy. In one of the assemblies of the different orders at Sümeg in 1812, Count Teleki presented our poet as the treasure of the Hungarian Parnassus. His works were published in three volumes, by Helmeczy, in 1813. Berzsenyi was one of those who were sharply attacked by the Mondolat, a satire on the Neologists, as they were called, as the introducers of novelties. His present abode is Mikla.

Helmeczy has ventured far in introducing new words and new combinations of words, particularly in his translations from Schiller and Tasso, in the original measures. Perhaps he is not al-