The Press.
London, England, 1854-12-16 00:00:00

111

racter as to be the ruling influence of his life,
his feelings, and pursuits. In no country in
Europe is there so remarkable a variety of tribes
as in Hungary ; each attached to its peculiar cos
tune, and adhering to its peculiar creed and
dialect. This diversity of character is so great
that it seems almost impossible that such ob-
stacles to national union should ever have been
overcome, and the kingdom have been swayed
by one man. But that it was so is undoubted,
until it became the policy of Austria to arouse
the peculiar tribal feelings of the races of the
kingdom one against the other—to array the
Slovacks of the north and the Croats and Sla-
vonians of the south against the Magyars
(pronounced MOdyor) of the centre ; and what
kingdom divided against itself can stand ?
First among these tribes must ho ranked the
Magyars, numbering about four millions, origin-
ally an Asiatic race, belonging to the Mar
subdivision of the great Caucasian family, and
who, detaching themselves about the year 880
from their Asiatic connections, under a chief,
Arpad, took possession of a large tract of coun-
try between the Danube and the Theiss, con-
quered the aboriginal inhabitants, and founded
the Tiitar Slavonic kingdom of Hungary.
Proud, fierce, and warlike, possessed of an
indomitable love of freedom, staunch sup-
porters of the Reformed Church, tall and
handsome in form, magnanimous in cha-
racter, enthusiastically attached to music
and poetry, speaking the purest Hungarian
idiom—the very language of a nation of war-
riors, solemn, deep, and impassioned—with
peculiar pathos and power of expression, they
are in truth a chivalrous nation.
In contradistinction to the Magyars may be
placed the Croats, who, although not number-
ing more than 800,000 in their tribes,
_yet
played a prominent part, under their Ban
Jellachich, in '4B, and, iu spite of the small-
ness of their numbers, deserve the second
place. Scarcely acquainted with the refine-
ments of civilisation, rude in habits, crafty in
nature, bigoted Roman Catholics, excluding
Protestants from even residing in their dis-
tricts, they possess little nationality and no
elements of growth and greatness.
Next, the Slovacks, originally peoi ling the
fertile plains, until driven by the fierce Mag-
yars to the barren ranges of the northern
Carpathians, but still occupying the southern
districts between the Danube and the Theiss,
numbering about three millions, of various
creeds. In the north—belonging to the Re-
formed Church—they are industrious and
skilful, cultivating their land with care, and
offering a remarkable contrast to their tierce,
drunken, indolent, Romanist and Greek breth-
ren of the southern provinces.
Then the Serbians, idle in disposition yet
loving freedom, Greek in creed and conse-
quently fanatical, ignorant and prejudiced,
cruel and vindictive, hating every other race
and every other faith. Warlike in spirit but
bigoted by nature, slaves to their priests and
primate, they have never lost an opportunity
of waging an exterminating war of are and
sword against those noble Protestant Magyars
who in former times had granted them refuge
and conferred upon them civil and religious

liberty.
Then comes a mountain tribe, the Szeklers,
who must not be forgotten ; 300,000 hardy
mountaineers, who for• centuries previous to
the Magyar conquest had long been estab-
lished in their southeastern mountain fast-
nesses and primeval forests, and by those
politic conquerors were confirmed in their
possessions. Protestant in religion, they are
remarkable for their advancement over aL
neighbouring tribes in education and agricul-
ture. With a college in their chief town of
Maros Vitsarkelsy, there is not a village but
h:ts its public school and English university
teachers—a very oasis of education in a desert
of primitive ignorance. Sober and honest,
poor and proud, with a lively imagination and
poetic fancy, they present iu their industry
and perseverance a remarkable contrast to
their more bigoted brethren the Wallaehs, a
powerful tribe who surround them on all sides.
Numerically superior to the 11.1xettlers as six to
one, the Wallaehs, having all the bias of the
Turks without their virtues, entertain an he-
reditary jealousy and hatred of their Seekler
neighbours ; but even in 1848 9, when hemmed

1194

in on all sides by the Wallachs, pressed by
the Austrians, and attacked by the Cossacks,
the Sailers yet valiantly stood at bay, and
with superhuman energy fought for and suc-
cessfully defended their mountain homes till
the surrender of Villagos decided the fate of
Hungary.
Lastly, the gipsies and the Jews imperfectly
conclude this heterogeneous list. The former,
numbering about 40,000, retain to this day, as
in centuries past, their unconquerable antipa-
thy to civilisation and regular life. In ever•
country, uninfluenced by example, they have
remained intact and uncontrolled, the same
restless, thoughtless, indolent nomades, pre-
senting the most striking contrast imaginable
to the Jews, here as in every other part of the
world ever careful, planning, saving, and con-
triving.
Such are some of the leading characteristics
of the principal nations—for they are beyond
tribes—which inhabit the ancient kingdom of
Hungary ; and what variety of character is
here ! The fierce pride and condensed
nationality of the Magyar, the savage craft of
the Croatian, the furious fanaticism of the
Serbian, the opposed qualities of the Slavokian,
varying with their creed, the mountain
patriotism and high intelligence of the
Szekler, the bigotry and vices of the 'Wallach,
the lively wit and lazy contentment of the
wandering gipsy, the grasping industry of
the Jew, and, louring over all like a cloud, the
dull leaden oppression of Austrian rule. What
materials are here for the study of character
and for those singular and imposing effects
which the contrast of distinctly-marked races
affords!
The few extracts we make from Miss Birk-
beck's agreeable little book will show that she
understands the value of her materials, and
has talent to make a good use of them.
Hungarian families frequently pass the even-
ing in the recital of stories connected with the
late war to keep up the enthusiasm of the
country's children. Here is a story of Szekler
patriotism :
One of the mountain passes leading from eastern Hun-
gary into Transylvania winds through the picturesque and
romantic valley of the Maros river. The pass is in cue
place defended by the fortress of Deva, which though small,
still, on account of its inaccessible site upon a high stee
rock on the left bank of the Maros, is one of great strength
and importance. Towards the close of the war Day;,
belonged to us, and was garrisoned by one officer, two au c
officers, and forty-seven privates, most of them young'
Szekler recruits.
After General Bem had been driven by the Russians
from Transylvania, the entire country fell into their power,
save a part of Szeklerlancl and the castle of Deva. The
latter, after a fruitless summons to surrender, was
invested by the enemy. The siege or rather blockade had
lasted about a fortnight, when Giirgey's treacherous sur-
render at Vilgois ensued. The besiegers lost no time in
acquainting the garrison with this terrible event, warning
them at the same time not to aggravate their fate by a
further useless resistance. The communication, though at
first considered in the fortress as a snare, soon turned out
to be but too true, as the report was confirmed by the arrivals
from the disbanded armies. The commander of Diva, with
whose name I am, to my regret, unacquainted, was one of
those rare characters who do not reckon their life by days
but by deeds, and whose courage, keeping pace with the in-
creasing danger, excites them, amidst the general despon-
dency, to mark their retirement from the stage of action by
some memorable achievement. Seeing the fruitlessness
of a protracted defence the commander informed his men
of their desperate situation. He spoke to them as Leonidas
must have spoken to his three hundred Greeks at
Thermopyls', and at length wrought the enthusiasm of his
young soldiers to such a height that death seemed to them
preferable to submission. One and all solemnly swore to
perish in the fortress, the only spot that in the whole of
their fatherland could yet be called free. Deva being pro-
vided with a large store of gunpowder, it was after a short
debate decided that they should blow themselves
up, together with their trust. In order, however, that the
manner of their death might come to the knowledge of their
relatives, one of their comrades was to be s,•nt off to their
mountain homes before the decisive moment took place.
Though each of them had either parents or friends, or some
being even yet more dear, nevertheless not one would ac-
cept the offer of life and separate from his companions :
so that the commander was obliged to decide by lot who
was to be the hearer of the fatal message.
Besides the men there was also the wife of a sub-officer
in the fortress, who, it had been arranged, was to accompany
the messenger home. But the brave women, instead of
taking advantage of that opportunity to save her life, an-
nounced her determination, at all events, to share her
husband's fate, and, urged on by patriotic inspiration, im-
plored for permission to set fire herself to the gunpowder;
as the Hungarian heroine had done three centuries before in
the castle of Veg-Veszely, when, seeing the place stormed by
the Turks, she threw the lighted torch into the powder
magazine and blew herself up together with hundreds of
the savage foemen. Such romantic heroism in a woman
filled the men wen on the brink of destruction with nn•