b o o k nants: hut. a s new modified in 1 7 0 7 for common ufe. is
V . —v—'reduced to 30 % letters.
The Sclayonian, in its different dialedts, is known through
a larger extent o f country, and by a greater number o f people,
than perhaps any other language in the world. It is the
native tongue in Bohemia, Moravia, Croatia, Garinthia, Gar-
niola, Sclavonia, Bofnia, Servia, Albania, Dalmatia, different
parts o f Hungary and Bulgaria, Poland, and Ruffia ; in a
word, a traveller acquainted with that language would be
underftood from the confines o f Germany to the Sea o f
Kamtchatka.
The Ruffian dialed! o f the Sclavonian, which is faid to be
extremely rich and harmonious, has not, till very lately,
undergone any degree o f cultivation, having been chiefly
confined to affairs o f government, ecclefiaftical writings, and
to unconnected chronicles and journals.
Some authors, in confidering the fmall advances which the
Ruffians have made in the arts and feiences, when compared
with the progrefs of the more enlightened nations in Europe,
have erroneoufly attributed this deficiency to the effects of
their climate, or to an innate want o f genius. With refpedt
to the latter affertion,' it fcarcely deferves a ferious refutation :
for all intelledtual improvement muft arife from culture
and the greater or leffer degree o f knowledge muft ultimately
depend upon the greater or leffer degree pf inftruc-
tion. Befides, this illiberal national reflection, indifcrimi-
nately eaft upon a whole people, is fufficiently refuted by the
bare mention o f leveral illuftrious Ruffians, who, amongft
many others, might be feledted on this occafion : Philaretes
and Nicon ; Sophia Alexiefna; prince Vaflili Galitzin and
* Ruffian D i& ion a ry , 11778. In Cha rpentiere s G ram m a r th e re are 32 ch arac te rs .
Peter
Peter the Great; the learned Theophanes; the poets Lomo- CHAP-
nozof and Sumorokof; and the prefent hiftorian prince She-
rebatof.
With refpedt to the firft objedtion, that the genius o f
this nation has been fettered by the intenfe cold o f their climate,
we play fuhjoin the following remarks. I f climate has
fuch an invincible eftedt upon mankind, where ihall we draw
the line pf the greateft intelledtual ability ? fhall we fuppofe
a point, ip which the human mind is at its greateft perfection,
apd from which, in proportion as it recedes, it gradually
degenerates; in the fame manner as rays o f light become
fainter and fainter as they diverge from their'focus to
a greater diftance? Is the influence o f climate uniform or
cafuai ? i f uniform, why is modern Greece no longer the feat
of arts and learning ? Why was Iceland once the foie re-
politory o f northern literature ? Why are the Swedes more
enlightened than the Ruffians f and why are not the Ruffians
of Altracau more, civilized than thofe o f Peterfburgh and
Archangel? If the efledts o f climate are cafual, they are
then counterbalanced by other circumftances, and it ceafes
to be a pufitive. criterion of diftindtion. y
To a perfpn at all converfant with this fubjedt o f inquiry
there are many impediments arifing from the government, .
religion, and particularly from the abfolute vaffalage o f
the peafants, which would tend to check the diffufion o f ;
the arts and feiences in this empire, without the neceffity
of having recourfe to a fuppofed want o f genius in the natives,
or to the effedt o f climate. But inftead o f combating
theoretical reafonings, which have no foundation in fadt or
experience; I fhall haften to trace the rife and progrefs of
Ruffian literature, and take a curfory view o f its prefent ftate.
4 W h ile ’