nation produced so many literary works of unquestioned merit. The revival of letters is complete. Standards are established but constantly advanced by the demand not only of critics but of the authors themselves and their very readers. Critics demand sincerity and depth instead of mawkish sentimentalism, forcefulness and energy instead of the old time “beautiful resignation” or Oblomovesque inertia.
Karel Havliček Borovský undeniably stands foremost as intolerant of the patriotism of the lips which never reaches the reality of deeds. Just as bitter is he in his judgment of authors drifting aimlessly in their work. He was in his early youth an intense Russophile thinking to attain Slav unity by the submergence of the other Slavic dialects. But after a year spent in Russia he returned fully cured of the idea. He brought back, however, a keen admiration for N. Gogol whose stories he translated and a study of whose style made Havliček the best epigramist of his times. His “Pictures from Russia” show his keenness of observation and clear conception of true democracy. Undertaking the editorship of the Pražské Noviny (Prague News) and “Česká Včela” (Czech Bee), he made them the leading literary and critical publications, the latter journal being universally known as “the conscience of the Czech Nation.” He was active politically being a representative to the Vienna parliament in 1848-1849. In his Národní Noviny (National News) which he began to publish April 5, 1848, he was the voice of the
