rivers Waag
and Gran, reappears as an ingredient part of the ephemeral kingdom of
great Moravia. The rest of Pannonia was inhabited by other Slavic
tribes, by Bulgarians, Rumelians and Khazares. In A.D. 894, the
Magyars conquered Pannonia, drove back the Slovaks into the mountains,
and made them tributary; whilst they themselves settled on the plains.
But although the Slovaks appear to have submitted to their fate, and
to have thenceforth lived on good terms with their conquerors, it
cannot unconditionally be said that the two nations were merged in
each other; since, even after nearly a thousand years have passed,
they still speak different languages. The Magyars learned the arts of
peace from the Slavi; who, besides being already Christians, had built
many cities, and were mechanics, traders, agriculturists. All words
and terms relating to these occupations, the Magyars had to obtain
from them. The Slovaks on their side lost their national existence in
that of their Asiatic conquerors, entered into their ranks as
soldiers, and participated thence-forward in all their fortunes; but
the influence of the Magyars on their language could be only
inconsiderable, since the circle of new ideas which the Slovaks had to
receive in exchange from them, barbarians as they were, could be only
very limited. The language however is the only remnant of their
national existence which the Slovaks have preserved; in every other
respect they belong to the Hungarian nation, of which they form an
ingredient part, as the Magyars form another; and on the glory of
whose valiant deeds they have an equal claim.

Hungary, traversed by two large rivers, the Danube and the Theiss, is
divided into four great districts, usually called this side the Danube
and beyond the Danube, this side the Theiss and beyond the Theiss. The
district this side the Theiss is the principal seat of the Slovaks.
The counties Trencsin, Thurocz, Arva, Liptau, and Sohl, are entirely
inhabited by them, amounting to about 550,000 in number. In the other
counties of the same district they live more mingled with Russniaks
and Magyars; and, together with the numerous Slovakish settlements
which are scattered over all Hungary, are computed in all at about
1,800,000. About 1,300,000 of them are Roman Catholics, and the
remaining 500,000 Protestants.

The Slovakish language, exposed through the geographical situation of
the nation, to the influence of various other Slavic idioms-