tion,
not excepting even ancient history. Poland indeed does not possess a
single distinguished work on foreign history; and their Gibbons and
Robertsons seem ever to have been absorbed in their own patriotic
interests. As writers of merit on universal history and its auxiliary
branches, we may mention Cajetan and Vincent Skrzetuski, count John
Potocki, Bohusz, Jodlowski, Sowinski. prince Sapieha, count Berkowski,
and above all Lelewel.[54] Several of his works have been translated
into French and German. The German version of his History of the
discoveries of the Carthaginians and Greeks (Berlin 1832), was
accompanied by an introduction from the celebrated Ritter.

The Polish language, the purity of which at the beginning of the
present period was an object of particular attention, has in our own
century been the subject of numerous learned inquiries; some of which
have added considerably to the light thrown in modern times by
Slavic-German scholars upon the Slavic languages and Slavic history in
general. Linde, besides several other philological and historical
writings, has enriched Slavic literature with a comparative critical
dictionary in six volumes, which is considered as one of the standard
works of the language. G.S. Bantkie, the author of several historical
and bibliographical works of great merit in the Polish, Latin, and
German languages, has written a Polish grammar and Polish-German
dictionary. Rakowiecki prepared a new edition of the _Jus Russorum_,
introduced by a critical preface, and accompanied with many
explanatory notes. We must, however, take this occasion to remark,
that the Polish critics in general; even if in every other respect
qualified as sagacious and impartial judges, are by no means
infallible on subjects which have any relation to their own country.
The glory and honour of their own nation are always with them the
principal objects, to which not seldom the impartiality of a
scientific inquirer, and even historical truth, is unscrupulously
sacrificed. Maiewski wrote a book rich in ideas on the Slavi;[55]
bibliographical works, and books on the literary history of Poland
have been published by Chrominski, Sowinski, Juszynski, count
Ossolinski, Szumski, and more especially by Bentkowski.[56] Count
Stan. Potocki's works contain likewise a number of articles on Polish
literature. In the previous periods, all bibliographical works were
written in Latin.

The brilliant talent of the Poles fo