Page:Poetry of the Magyars.djvu/56

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xxxiv
INTRODUCTION.

poisoned by Wallenstein in 1626. It has been said that his sword had been stained with Turkish blood before he was ten years old; and that, in after times, crowds of Osmanlis rushed to see a hero, "the beautiful, tall, thin hero," who had been so much the object of their dread. There is an address of Soliman to the Grand Vizier, in which he directs him not to desist from attack until he has captured Zrinyi, "the author of so much mischief." Zrinyi fought and won many battles, but was killed by a wild boar on the 18th November, 1664. He had been covered with honours from many of the powers of Christendom, and was as distinguished for his learning as for his courage. He spoke six languages, and was a master of the literature of ancient and modern times. The first edition of his works appeared at Vienna, in 4to., in 1651.[1]

Liszti, a man of considerable condition but of barren fancy, printed a long Epic, Mohácsi veszedelem, on the Mohács' defeat. It is in six-lined stanzas, the lines of six and seven syllables following one another, and the whole effect intolerably monotonous. His Lyrics have not this defect. In 1659, on account of some charge made

against him by the King's Fiscal, he was tried by

  1. A'driai tengernek Syrenája, Grof Zrinyi Miklos.