Page:A history of Hungarian literature.djvu/288

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274 HUNGARIAN LITERATD RE work entitled CetJiuries of Hu ngarian History, but he did not get further than the Battle of Mohács. It is curious that the two most important concise histories of H ungary were written by two exiled historians, both living in Switzerland, after the revolution. One of these was the bishop MICHAEL H ORVÁTH (18o9-1878), who was Minister for Public lnstru ction in 1848-9, and wh o when exiled went to reside in Zurich . The other was LADISLAS SZALAY {18IJ-1864) whose work deals chiefty with th e juridical aspect of Hungarian affairs. FRANCIS SALAMON (r825-189 2), a professor at the University of Budapest was perhaps the most pithy of the historians. He produced some good work in the way of literary essays before taking up history. His chief book treats of Hungary under Turkish rule, during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, describing her administration, legislature, and economic condition. Salamon' s strength lay in his ability to recon struct in his imagination a series of important events with the aid of a few small details. Sometimes, it is true, the details did not provide a sufficien t basis for his conclusions, but he was very ingeniaus in declucing the ancient · methods of Hungarian warfare from a slight knowledge of the tactics that were employed. At the request of the chief magistrate of the capital he wrote a History of Bttdapest down to th e end of the Middle Ages. He sh owed, in a very interesting way how the part which Budapest was to play in Hungarian history was determined by its geological forrnation and geo· graphical position. Excepting history, the pursuit of no branch of know­ ledge has beeri attended with so much national sentiment