older captains, which of the Turks
had most injured their country during the last invasion, while he was
a child. The old captains name to him Zukan, the Turkish standard
bearer. Vuk consequently challenges him, proposing at the same time,
in true Oriental character, that, himself having a beautiful sister
and the Turk a wife of equal beauty, both shall belong to the victor.
Zukan of course accepts the challenge. Their meeting is in the best
chivalric style; they demand of each other no pledge or oath of faith,
but meet in Vuk's tent with perfect confidence; they embrace and kiss
each other, and make friendly inquiries after each other's health. The
first hour of their meeting flies away in conviviality, and in
admiration of the ladies. At last the desire to gain the Christian
girl induces the Turk to interrupt their drinking. But, before they
begin the fight, "they kiss each other on the cheeks, and forgive each
other mutually their blood and death." This scene indeed has a
decidedly Oriental costume; but the feelings, from which it results,
are produced by as much of romantic exaltation as any Spanish romance
could exhibit.

Goetze, in the introduction to his German translation of Russian
popular ballads, observes: "In the Russian love songs we meet with
more _softness_ of feeling than romantic delicacy." We do not perceive
any marked difference in that respect, between the character of
Russian and of other Slavic erotic songs; and apply therefore his
remark to the whole race. _Romantic_ delicacy we must not, in fact,
expect to find; but often all the natural delicacy of warm, tender,
devoted love; all the freshness of youthful, unsophisticated feelings;
all the burning passion of Spanish love, with the same strong tincture
of sensuality; though seldom, very seldom, that depth, that
infiniteness of the same feeling, so affectingly expressed in more
than one popular ballad of the Scandinavians, Germans, and
British,--that love which reaches far beyond the grave, and chains
souls to each other even in different worlds. Russian lovers, who are
compelled by circumstances to leave their mistresses, give frequently
the following or similar advice:

Weep not, weep not, O sweet maid!
Choose, O choose another love!
_Is he better, thou'll forget me_;
Is he worse, thou'lt think of me,
Think of me, sweet soul, and weep!

Love, among the Slavi, more than among any other Christian race, seems
to be a _dream of youth