An Essay on the Importance of the Study of the Slavonic Languages Being the Inaugural Lecture Delivered Before the University of Oxford, January 25, 1890 Classic Reprint

Excerpt from An Essay on the Importance of the Study of the Slavonic Languages: Being the Inaugural Lecture Delivered Before the University of Oxford, January 25, 1890

For the purposes of my Inaugural Lecture, it seems to me that the two following points would be most worthy the attention of my hearers.

(1) What attempts in the way of studying the Slavonic languages have previously been made in England?

(2) What advantages can we gain from a study of these languages and their literature?

I shall proceed to discuss the first of these, and say a few words about the relations between England and Slavonic countries.

The connexion between England and Russia, as is pretty generally known, dates from the middle of the sixteenth century. In the year 1553 three ships were sent under the command of Sir Hugh Willoughby and Richard Chancellor to attempt to find the north-eastern passage. The ships were unfortunately separated by a storm; Sir Hugh Willoughby and his crew were afterwards found frozen to death on the coast of Russian Lapland, but Chancellor arrived at Archangel, where he landed. He succeeded in reaching Moscow, the capital of Ivan the Terrible, then reigning, who concluded a treaty of commerce with the English and sent an embassy under Osep Napea in return.

The whole reign of Ivan is described to us in the graphic diary of Sir Jerome Horsey, the English ambassador at his court, but I can only allow myself a few allusions to it, as the scope of my lecture is not historical.

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