itled to expect from the poetry of
_Servians_, who stand on the border between Muhammedanism and
Christendom. Nothing which these educated writers have hitherto
produced, can be compared with the effusions of their old blind men,
and of their peasant lads and girls, that is, their popular poetry.

Vuk's grammar, printed at Vienna 1818, before his dictionary, has
since been rendered accessible to other European nations by Grimm's
translation. Another Servian grammar has been published in German, by
Schaffarik. Vuk's judicious alphabetical arrangement and orthography,
we are sorry to say, have not been generally adopted; and the Russian
alphabet is still partly in use, with a number of letters superfluous
for the Servian language, which has not the shades of sound they are
meant to denote.

The political movements in Servia, during the last twelve years, have
of course been exceedingly injurious to the development of its infant
literature. While it seemed, under the energetic administration of
prince Milosh, in a fair way of progress, the confused cries of war
and insurrection since his abdication have drowned the modest voice of
the young muse. Of late, indeed, intelligence from that country has
been so rare, that we are unable to give a picture of the present
state of things.

2. _Literature of the Dalmatians or Illyrico-Servians of the Romish
Church_.

a) GLAGOLITIC LITERATURE.

It is not without some hesitation that we approach a region, into
which we cannot penetrate without stepping through a border of perfect
darkness. We allude to the introduction of the Glagolitic alphabet;
the great antiquity of which, supported by numerous traditions and
legends, as well as by its venerable and almost hieroglyphic look,
Kopitar's recent investigations and discoveries have again made
probable; without, however, throwing any more light upon its origin.

As Christianity was first introduced into Dalmatia by Romish priests,
the Latin language was of course adopted for religious purposes. But
so soon as the people became acquainted with the liturgy of Methodius
in a language intelligible to them, this innovation met with such a
general and heartfelt welcome, that all the severe decrees of synods,
nay, of the holy chair of Rome itself, were unable to stop its
progress.

Even more than a hundred and fifty years afterwards, when Methodius
was solemnly declared by pope Nicolas II. a heretic, and the Romish
mass again introduce