When his predecessor died,--a powerful man who had
ruled for fifty-three years, during which time he had led his flock to
many a bloody battle, and who was canonized as a saint by the present
bishop,--this latter was appointed by the emperor Nicholas. But as he
was then only fifteen years old, Montenegro was governed by a sort of
guardian; and the Vladika did not enter upon his office until he had
completed his eighteenth year. The wisdom, the energy, the consistency
in his improvements, which, he has displayed since that time,
constitute him, in connection with his youth, one of the most
remarkable personages of our time. His chief aim seems to be to make
Montenegro a member of the great civilized family of Europe, without
depriving her of her freedom and independence; and the firmness with
which he proceeds further and further in a course, where he meets with
difficulties at every step, deserves praise and admiration.

The first circumstance which directed the attention of literary Europe
to this remote corner, was a visit of the present king of Saxony, who
in 1838 made a botanical excursion into those "black mountains." [16]
Since then, the celebrated Egyptian scholar, Wilkinson, has visited
it; and this country is no longer closed against travelling artists.
The Vladika has naturally the manners of a gentleman; he is said to
speak French, and to understand German, Italian, and of course
Russian. That he is considered as one of the best riflemen and
horsemen in his country, we cannot esteem as of much importance in a
bishop; but he studies also the classics and translates the Iliad for
his own pleasure. His Servian poems seem mostly to have been written
on particular occasions. He addressed an ode to the king of Saxony
after his return to Dresden, which unfortunately not a person of the
whole court could understand; and the author of this volume, who
happened then to be at the "German Athens," was applied to for a
translation.[17] In their own productions, all these educated writers
imitate the modern literature of other nations further advanced in
civilization, especially the Germans. Milutinovitch has even a tinge
of their philosophy. There is no want of talent; but there is no
nationality in them. Nothing of that wonderful amalgamation of the
East and the West; of mountaineer wildness and Christian principles;
of barbarism and civilization; nothing of that interesting blending of
Asia and Europe, which we feel ent