Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1878-05-29
r USSIAN LITERATURE DUR
ING CATHERlNES REIGN.

u u
The reign of Catherine formed dis
tinct epoch in the Intellectual history
OF the empire. The patronage accord.
cd by the empress 10 letters, the ex
ample Of her personal brilliancy, stim-
ulated the creative mculty Of the court
that surrounded nor She gathered
the intellectual results Of the century
from oil parts OF Europe, demonstrating
them among the steppes of her empire.
Her broad philosophy Of life and
thought and government astonishcd
even the schools from which II had
sprung Tho bold, halfsavage auda-
city OF her system went 80 far beyond
the timid speculatious Of Western Eu-
rope that even Voitaire said, speaking
oil the superb husslan, "C'est du Nord
mhIntenant que nors Went 10 lumierc."
The Russian court vas tho epitomc Of
inc wnoie ,aw'ess, corrupt mngnifi.
cencc OF tne 'ast century, combining its
own Eastern oaroanty ana sumptuous.
ness Win tno eSprH OF me- cyhicism Oh
aouon, tne exquisite egotism oi the
western nations. An age glorious Tor
,ussia, ,ne cnimlnat,oh OF tne material
pn'loSopny OF tne ola oaroarlc empire
an age wneh ietters hourisned as the
ornament oi court ana poe,s were
Pehsloneu 'or 'nelr praises Oh tneir en-,
press "nere serdom was increased
tnrougnout tne empire when powder
ca, pain'eu lovers ana laVorites went
iorln 70 conquer armies IN caitans COW
creu win Jewe's wheh, in ceieoraton
VI tnc'r Victor'es' princes, tne heroes OF
sno poeis cPics, orucieu JeleS ~ artl'
nciai Baruens plahteu Win exoucs
wncrc Jcwehou eiePnants slaiked
Auions .ne sues's' anu ,non' iro'n eN-
yrs o' reacllon' passeu uays 70 moody
sl,cnce' yawn'ng WIN e""ut' inc cup
y, ~ pleasure uin'neu 70 lne tnc nregs.
= ne paccnanais Oh the rrehcn regency
,a ,an 'n.o ,nS'gn'ncancc oy .ne s'ue oi
sno sunP.uous orgies oi tne husslan
oour.; otange that az tune when
suy nu'opcan STATES were 'nus corruPs
ana the foundations OF society were
kLauua'y pe'ng uhue,mlnou, 'nere
suo.iu apPuar upon tne nor'zon' pierre
.ng through tne gathered SHADOWS m
'eneo's s.tong, wh''e, anu true as the
suh,ght OF reason. Inc decay OF Italy
eroauceu lna' nne antique marble, Az
nvr'' whose ihtultiohs were as iacts 10
otner men porn not OF inc Cfusca,
ou' ',' oi inc smou'd9ring creek spirit Of
l's countrymen' In RUSSIA whie inc
en'press louhueu academies anu FOSTER.
Gu lne classical tendencies oil her poet
~ .nere was one among them,
nersonaw'n, VINO a'niust much OF nat
tery ana iawnlng, much oil the spirit lost
III matter many oaes ana peahs oe-
graueu oy the worship OF the warrior
iaVor''cs, uttered words that make MN
~ uear 10 ,ne nearts OF 'ne husslan as
A'her' 70 'nose Oh the itaiiahs' ne
carrleu 'no mouve power oil MS genius,
inc iuea Oh haturaiization, the spirit Oh
anclent RUSSIA, mgn ana pure across
al inc ioreign innltrations oil the cen
Jury.
livery country totiering on the verge
q obstruction, covering tne abyss win
MOVERS, nn1s suuoeniy some grlnn'ng
sa',,'s. lurking among tnem, as france
~ neaumarcna's, i.aiy ~ uoiuoni' ~
requires y compiox''y OF me ana clVlii,
70 produce comeay' furi'y ana
~ OF soul 40 nol generatesatire.
me many-Sldco prlli'ant oaroque Of tne
court ana empire OF oatner'ne called
,n.o ihe the genus Oh the poet Won
'isln. lie wrote Two comedies, lmmor-
Iai IN the minds oi the people, the char
acters ol which have passed into pro
verbs. Both satlrize the customs and