In a recent work on Russian literature, by F. Otto,[49] the Lexicon of authors subjoined comprises about 250 names; and the English translator speaks of having seen a list of nearly _twelve hundred_ more in the author's hands. We are compelled to regard this last statement with some distrust; especially when we perceive, that among the names printed in the Lexicon, at least _thirty_ are Germans and Poles who wrote _on_ Russian matters, but not _in_ Russian. It is also singular to find among Russian _authors_, not only the Grand-duke Constantine of Kief, because he was a _patron_ of science, and first caused the Old Slavonic Bible to be printed; but also even the old traditional bard Bojan, mentioned in the ancient epic of Igor![50] The recent movements in Europe have of course built up still higher the Chinese wall which surrounds the Russian empire. Even in anticipation of them, the government had been seized with a new shock of fear; and attempted to shut out the intrusive new lights. This was indicated by several strong and very unpopular measures; among which we may here mention, that travellers in foreign countries were called home, and the number of students at each university was suddenly limited to _three hundred_. This is not the place to enlarge on the distinguished merits which foreigners, and especially Germans, have acquired in relation to Russian history, statistics, etc. But their labours in relation to the language, form a part of the literature to which they were devoted; and cannot of course be separated from the works of native writers. The most distinguished names in this department are again Germans, viz. Heym, Vater, Tappe, Puchmayer, etc. The catalogue of elementary works upon the Russian language, is too long to be inserted here; we limit ourselves therefore to those only which are written in English, and the best in German and French. The English grammars and dictionaries of the Russian, are indeed so few, that an American or Englishman would hardly succeed in acquiring a full knowledge of the language, except through the medium of the German and French. The first Russian Grammar, however, that was ever printed, was published at Oxford. We give the titles of this and of the other principal grammars and lexicons of the Russian language, in the note below.[51] FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 1: Also called Ivan I.] [Footnote 2: See more on this subject in Part IV.] [Footnote 3: See Schaffarik, _Geschichte_ p. 178, note 4.] [Footnote 4: Sviatoslav, Jaropulk, Jaroslav, etc.] [Footnote 5: The chronographic manuscript in which the above poem was found, entitled _Slowa o polku Igora_, literally _Speech on Igor's Expedition_, is said to have also contained several other pieces of poetry. By an unpardonable carelessness, the manuscript, after Igor was copied, was lost again. We hear too of an old poetical tale, _History of the wicked Tzar Mamai_; but have no means of ascertaining its age or value, nor even its existence.]