第29章

LivesofGreatHungarianCitizens。HewasdeadbeforeIwasborn，butIfoundhisbook，whenIwasachild，inthesolitaryhomeofmyfather，whichstoodontheconfinesofapuszta，orwilderness，andthatbookIusedtodevourinwinternightswhenthewindswerewhistlingaroundthehouse。

OhIhowmybloodusedtoglowatthedescriptionsofMagyarvalour，andlikewiseofTurkish；forFlorentiushasalwaysdonejusticetotheTurk。ManyapassagesimilartothishaveIgotbyheart；itisconnectedwithabattleontheplainofRigo，whichHunyadilost：—"Thenextday，whichwasFriday，asthetwoarmiesweredrawnupinbattlearray，aMagyarheroridingforth，gallopedupanddown，challengingtheTurkstosinglecombat。ThencameouttomeethimthesonofarenownedbashawofAsia；rushinguponeachother，bothbroketheirlances，buttheMagyarheroandhishorserolledoverupontheground，fortheTurkshadalwaysthebesthorses。"OyoungmanofHorncastle！ifeveryoulearnHungarian—andlearnitassuredlyyouwillafterwhatIhavetoldyou—readthebookofFlorentiusofBuda，evenifyougotoHungarytogetit，foryouwillscarcelyfinditelsewhere，andeventherewithdifficulty，forthebookhasbeenlongoutofprint。ItdescribestheactionsofthegreatmenofHungarydowntothemiddleofthesixteenthcentury；andbesidesbeingwritteninthepurestHungarian，hasthemeritofhavingforitsauthoraprofessoroftheReformedCollegeofDebreczen。

MYSELF。IwillgotoHungaryratherthannotreadit。IamgladthattheTurkbeattheMagyar。WhenIusedtoreadtheballadsofSpainIalwayssidedwiththeMooragainsttheChristian。

HUNGARIAN。Itwasadrawnfightafterall，fortheterriblehorseoftheTurkpresentlyflunghisownmaster，whereuponthetwochampionsreturnedtotheirrespectivearmies；butinthegrandconflictwhichensued，theTurksbeattheMagyars，pursuingthemtillnight，andstrikingthemontheneckswiththeirscymetars。TheTurkisanoblefellow；IshouldwishtobeaTurk，wereInotaMagyar。

MYSELF。TheTurkalwayskeepshisword，Iamtold。

HUNGARIAN。WhichtheChristianveryseldomdoes，andeventheHungariandoesnotalways。In1444Ulaszlomade，atSzeged，peacewithAmurathfortenyears，whichhesworewithanoathtokeep，butattheinstigationofthePopeJulianhebrokeit，andinducedhisgreatcaptain，HunyadiJohn，toshareintheperjury。TheconsequencewasthebattleofVarna，ofthe10thofNovember，inwhichHunyadiwasrouted，andUlaszloslain。Didyoueverhearhisepitaph？itisbothsolemnandedifying：—

RomulidaeCannasegoVarnamcladenotavi；

Disciternortalesnontemerarefidem：

MenisiPontificesjussissentrumperefoedusNonferretScythicumPannonisorajugum。"

"Halloo！"saidthejockey，startingupfromadozeinwhichhehadbeenindulgingforthelasthour，hisheadleaninguponhisbreast，"whatisthat？That’snothighDutch；I

bargainedforhighDutch，andIleftyouspeakinghighDutch，asitsoundedverymuchlikethelanguageofhorses，asI

havebeentoldhighDutchdoes；butasforwhatyouarespeakingnow，whateveryoumaycallit，itsoundsmorelikethelanguageofanotherkindofanimal。Isupposeyouwanttoinsultme，becauseIwasonceadicky—boy。"

"Nothingofthekind，"saidI；"thegentlemanwasmakingaquotationinLatin。"

"Latin，wasit？"saidthejockey；"thataltersthecase。

Latinisgenteel，andIhavesentmyeldestboytoanacademytolearnit。Come，letushearyoufireawayinLatin，"hecontinued，proceedingtore—lighthispipe，which，beforegoingtosleep，hehadlaidonthetable。

"IfyouwishtofollowthediscourseinLatin，"saidtheHungarian，inverybadEnglish，"Icanobligeyou；IlearnedtospeakverygoodLatininthecollegeofDebreczen。"

"That’smore，"saidI，"thanIhavedoneinthecollegeswhereIhavebeen；inanylittleconversationwhichwemayyethave，IwishyouwoulduseGerman。"

"Well，"saidthejockey，takingawhiff，"makeyourconversationasshortaspossible，whetherinLatinorDutch，for，totellyouthetruth，Iamrathertiredofmerelyplayinglistener。"

"YouweresayingyouhadbeeninRussia，"saidI；"IbelievetheRussiansarepartoftheSclavonianrace。"

HUNGARIAN。Yes，partofthegreatSclavonianfamily；oneofthemostnumerousracesintheworld。TheRussiansthemselvesareverynumerous；wouldthattheMagyarscouldboastofthefifthpartoftheirnumber！

MYSELF。WhatisthenumberoftheMagyars？

HUNGARIAN。Barelyfourmillions。WecameatribeofTartarsintoEurope，andsettleddownamongstSclavonians，whomweconquered，butwhonevercoalescedwithus。TheAustrianatpresentplaysinPannoniatheSclavonianagainstus，andusagainsttheSclavonian；butthedownfalloftheAustrianisathand；they，likeus，arenotanumerouspeople。

MYSELF。Whowillbringabouthisdownfall？

HUNGARIAN。TheRussians。TheRysckieTsarwillleadhispeopleforth，alltheSclavonianswilljoinhim，hewillconquerallbeforehim。

MYSELF。AretheRussiansgoodsoldiers？

HUNGARIAN。Theyarestubbornandunflinchingtoanastonishingdegree，andtheirfidelitytotheirTsarisquiteadmirable。SeehowtheRussiansbehavedatPlescova，inLivonia，intheoldtime，againstourgreatBatoryStephen；

theydefendedtheplacetillitwasaheapofrubbish，andmarkhowtheybehavedaftertheyhadbeenmadeprisoners。

Stephenofferedthemtwoalternatives：—toenterintohisservice，inwhichtheywouldhavegoodpay，clothing，andfairtreatment；ortobeallowedtoreturntoRussia。

Withouttheslightesthesitationthey，toaman，chosethelatter，thoughwellawarethattheirbelovedTsar，thecruelIvanBasilowits，wouldputthemalltodeath，amidsttorturesthemosthorrible，fornotdoingwhatwasimpossible—

preservingthetown。

MYSELF。YouspeakRussian？

HUNGARIAN。Alittle。IwasborninthevicinityofaSclavoniantribe；theservantsofourhousewereSclavonians，andIearlyacquiredsomethingoftheirlanguage，whichdiffersnotmuchfromthatofRussia；wheninthatcountryI

quicklyunderstoodwhatwassaid。

MYSELF。HavetheRussiansanyliterature？

HUNGARIAN。Doubtless；butIamnotacquaintedwithit，asI

donotreadtheirlanguage；butIknowsomethingoftheirpopulartales，towhichIusedtolistenintheirizbushkas；

aprincipalpersonageintheseisacreationquiteoriginal—

calledBabaYaga。

MYSELF。WhoistheBabaYaga？

HUNGARIAN。Afemalephantom，whoisdescribedashurryingalongthepuszta，orsteppe，inamortar，poundingwithapestleatatremendousrate，andleavingalongtraceonthegroundbehindherwithhertongue，whichisthreeyardslong，andwithwhichsheseizesanymenandhorsescominginherway，swallowingthemdownintohercapaciousbelly。Shehasseveraldaughters，veryhandsome，andwithplentyofmoney；

happytheyoungMujikwhocatchesandmarriesoneofthem，fortheymakeexcellentwives。

"Manythanks，"saidI，"fortheinformationyouhaveaffordedme：thisisratherpoorwine，"Iobserved，asIpouredoutaglass—"IsupposeyouhavebetterwineinHungary？"

"Yes，wehavebetterwineinHungary。FirstofallthereisTokay，themostcelebratedintheworld，thoughIconfessI

preferthewineofEger—Tokayistoosweet。"

"HaveyoueverbeenatTokay？"

"Ihave，"saidtheHungarian。

"WhatkindofplaceisTokay？"

"AsmalltownsituatedontheTyzza，arapidriverdescendingfromthenorth；theTokayMountainisjustbehindthetown，whichstandsontherightbank。ThetopofthemountainiscalledKopacsTeto，orthebaldtip；thehillissosteepthatduringthunder—stormspiecesfrequentlyfalldownupontheroofsofthehouses。ItwasplantedwithvinesbyKingLajos，whoascendedthethronein1342。ThebestwinecalledTokayis，however，notmadeatTokay，butatKassau，twoleaguesfartherintotheCarpathians，ofwhichTokayisaspur。IfyouwishtodrinkthebestTokay，youmustgotoVienna，towhichplacealltheprimeissent。ForthethirdtimeIaskyou，OyoungmanofHorncastle！whydoesyourGovernmentalwayssendfoolstorepresentitatVienna？"

"AndforthethirdtimeItellyou，OsonofAlmus！thatI

cannotsay；perhaps，however，todrinkthesweetTokaywine；

fools，youknow，alwayslikesweetthings。"

"Good，"saidtheHungarian；"itmustbeso，andwhenIreturntoHungary，Iwillstatetomycountrymenyourexplanationofacircumstancewhichhasfrequentlycausedthemgreatperplexity。Oh！theEnglishareacleverpeople，andhaveadeepmeaninginalltheydo。Whatavisionofdeeppolicyopensitselftomyview！th