g. in that of the consonant [Cyrillic: character ghe],
which sounds in the latter like _g_ hard, but in the former like _h_,
as _hospodin_ instead of _gospodin_, master, lord; partly in many
obsolete forms of expression, which seem to give to the Malo-Russian a
nearer relationship to the Old Slavic, in which similar idioms are to
be found. The influence of the Poles, who for nearly two centuries
were rulers of this part of the country, is also still perceptible in
the language, This dialect is especially rich in national songs. Many
of them are of peculiar beauty, touching _naivete_; and a poetical
truth which far outshines all artificial decorations. The greater part
of these songs have an elegiac character; as is the case indeed with
most productions of the common people.[2] The dialect itself, however,
is far from being less adapted to the expression of the comic. There
exists in it a travesty of the AEneid, written by J. Kotliarevski, a
Kozak, which has found great favour throughout all Russia, although a
foreigner is less able to appreciate its peculiarities and beauties;
since indeed all poetic excellence of a comic description can be felt
only by those who are familiar not only with the poetic language, but
also with all those minute local and historical circumstances, the
allusions to which contribute so frequently to augment the ludicrous.
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