at these
traditions formerly existed also in the shape of popular ballads; but
no trace has been left of them. In the beginning of this century the
work of Kirscha Danilof, of which we have spoken in our view of
Russian literature,[20] was first published, containing the ancient
traditions; written in the national prosodic measure, but without any
poetical spirit; replete with anachronisms and absurdities, without
the _naivete_ which can alone make these latter tolerable. They were,
besides, full of interpolations; and were evidently the productions of
a man from the people who had acquired half an education. For this
reason they have never gained popularity in this shape.

The more modern heroic ballads of the Russians are of a remarkably
tame character. Lawless and rebellious deeds are sometimes their
subjects; but they end mostly with an act of retributive justice. We
shall give a specimen of this species before we part with the
Russians.

By far the largest portion of Russian popular songs is of the erotic
kind. According to Russian authorities, even their oldest ballads, to
judge from the language,[21] cannot be traced further than to the last
quarter of the sixteenth century; and the number even of these is very
small. Most of those now current among the people are derived from the
beginning of the middle of the last century. According to Goetze, the
reign of Peter the First was very favourable to popular poetry.[52]
His daughter, the empress Elizabeth, was a successful poetess herself;
and her ditties had a perfectly popular character. If we may draw a
conclusion from the frequency with which modern historical events have
given birth to popular ballads, one must suppose that many ancient
ones are lost. The victories of Peter the First are celebrated in many
popular ballads, some of which are of no inconsiderable merit; as the
reader will judge for himself from the specimen we give below. The
French invasion also, of 1812, which aroused the Russian nation so
powerfully, gave rise to not a few patriotic songs, of many of which
the authors were peasants and common soldiers.

There are, however, various indications, which seem to justify the
belief, that several of the Russian ballads still current among the
people are, in fact, more ancient than they appear, or perhaps even
than they actually are in their present shape. We have not room here
to dwell on this subject. We remark only, that from one circumstance
al