nguage; and might be easily exchanged for
better Polish forms of expression.

Of all the Slavic dialects, the Polish presents to the foreigner the
most difficulties; partly on account of the great variety and nicety
of shades in the pronunciation of the vowels, and from the combination
of consonants in such a way that only a Slavic tongue can conquer
them, and cause the apparent harshness in some measure to
disappear;[9] partly on account of its refined and artificial
grammatical structure. In this latter respect it differs materially
from the Russian language; which, although equally rich, is remarkable
for its simplicity and perspicuity. The Polish and Bohemian idioms, in
the opinion of the best judges, are above all others capable of
faithfully imitating the refinements of the classical languages; and
the Polish prose is modelled after the Latin with a perfection, which,
in the golden age of Polish literature, was one of its characteristic
features. It is therefore surprising, that the Polish language in
poetry, although in other respects highly cultivated, does not admit
the introduction of the classical prosody. We mean, the Polish
language in its present state; for it is very probable, that in its
original character it possessed, in common with all the other Slavic
languages, the elements of a regular system of _long_ and _short_
syllables. So long, however, as there have existed Polish poets, they
have not measured, but, in imitation of the French, have _counted_ the
syllables. With the exception of a few recent poets, who have written
in blank verse, and a few weak attempts to adapt the Greek principles
of accent to the Polish language, all Polish poetry is, like the
French, in rhyme; and the French Alexandrine is the favourite form of
the Polish poets.[10]

FIRST PERIOD.

_From the introduction of Christianity to Casimir the Great, A.D.
1333._

In dividing the early part of the history of the Polish literature
into two periods, we follow the example and authority of Bentkowski;
although it seems to be singular to pretend to give an account of a
literature which did not yet exist. The history of the Polish
literature does not indeed properly begin before the close of the
second period; yet that of the _literary cultivation_ of the nation
commences with the beginning of that period; and a few slight traces
of it are to be found even in the middle of the first. Of the language
itself, nothing is left but t