But the talent for which this
nation is the most distinguished is that of music A fondness for music
and a natural gift to execute it is indeed common to all Slavic
nations: but whilst their talent is mostly confined to a susceptible
ear, and a skill in imitating,--for the Russians and Poles possess
some celebrated musical _performers_ though very few distinguished
_composers_,--the talent of the Bohemian is of a far higher order.
He unites the spirit of harmony which characterizes the Germans, with
the sweet gift of melody belonging to the Italians, and thus seems to
be the true _ideal_ of a complete musician. A great part of the most
eminent names among German composers are Bohemians by birth; and there
is hardly any thing which strikes the American and English traveller
in that beautiful region more, than the general prevalence of a gift
so seldom met with in their own countries.
Bohemia, until the sixth century was inhabited by a Celtic race, the
Boii. After them the country was called _Boiohemnum,_ i.e., home of
the Boii; in German still Boeheim.[1] The Boii were driven to the
south-west by the Markomanns; the Markomanns were conquered by the
Lombards. After the downfall of the great kingdom of Thuringia in the
middle of the sixth century, Slavic nations pushed forward into
Germany, and the _Czekhes_ settled in Bohemia, where an almost
deserted country offered them little or no resistance.
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