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COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA. 847
of climate. But inftead of combating theoretical reafonings, which have no foundation
in fa& or experience, I fhall haften to trace the rife and progrefs of Ruffian literature,
and take a curfory view of its prefent ftate.
While fome authors deny the finalleft portion of literature to the Ruffians, and even
hold them incapable of any confiderable progrefs in fcience; others, on the contrary,
affert, that they began to be enlightened even at fo early a period as during the reigns
of Oleg and Igor*. The arguments in favour of this hypothefis prove little more than
that the Ruffians in thofe times were not unacquainted with the art of writing ; and
that they had compofed, or could repeat, a few ancient fongs, which celebrated the
military exploits of their Princes and leaders. But undoubtedly the whole nation was
plunged in the groffeft ignorance, and in a fituation not fuperior to that of the wander-
ing hordes who now inhabit Independent Tartary. It is faid of Svatoflaf, the fon of
Igor}; ‘On his march he carried with him no baggage-waggon, no kitchen furni-
ture ; his food was the flefh of horfes and other animals, juft warmed over the fire; he
had no tent; his houfings ferved for a bed, and his faddle for a pillow; the whole
army followed his example.”? A defcription which charaéterizes the chief of an unlet-
tered Scythian tribe, and not the fovereign of a people in whom the fmalleft traces of
the arts were found. And although perhaps the knowledge of the Sclavonian alphabet
might have been brought into Ruflia by a few chriftians, who were drawn to the court
by Olga, the wife of Igor; yet the firft introdution of literature muft be afcribed to
Vladimir the Great, on his converfion to chriftianity in 988; who inftituted fchools,
and paffed a decree { to regulate the mode of inftruing youth. Under the aufpices
of his fon Yaroflaf, who afcended the throne in 1018, many learned priefts were in-
vited from Conftantinople, various Greek books tranflated into the Ruflian tongue, and
hymns and other poetical verfions of the Pfalms fung in the churches. He alfo eftab-
lifhed a feminary at Novogorod for three hundred ftudents, and gave to that republic
the firft code of written laws. This dawn of letters was obfcured by fubfequent cala-
mities, and fucceeded by a long darknefs of three centuries, during which the nation
was fubjeét to the Tartar yoke. The Chriftian religion, however, tended in this, as
well as in moft other countries of Europe, to preferve fome fmall remains of literature
in the {chools of the monafteries. Each convent fortunately became an afylum for the
prefervation, though not for the diffufion of knowledge ; and in this period of barbarifm
and ignorance, many monks were diftinguifhed for their erudition.
* Ruric, entered Ruffia about 862; died 879. 2. OvtG, probably the nephew of Ruric,
| Great-Duke or regent during the minority
of Igor,
3. Icon, died 9455 married Olga.
|
|
4. SvarosuaF, died 974.
|
|
oE tes died 980. 6, Viapimir the Great, reigned 980; died 10r4.
|
7. YAROSLAF, 1053.
+ Journ. St. Pet. for 1781, part I. ps r5r. : !
This curious decree ftill exifts in the Ruffian tongue, and is tranflated into French by Bachmeifter, in
his Effai fur la Bib. &c, p. 9. p
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