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STORIES OF
of song itself, Italy, has no strictly proper national air, and it is left to the so-called un-musical nations as a rule to rejoice in these characteristic features and advantages. The French and Germans, with a pathetic attempt at diffidence, acknowledge that they are excep-tionally gifted in the way of music—but Eng-land ! well—well, we shall see anon, as the play-books have it.
Sweden has ever been more or less patriotic, and nowadays, when the Swedes feel in that highly desirable temper,they sing lustily, "Kung Oscar Stod Pa." A very old national song is "Kung Erik." The Scandinavian popular songs are many and to the country born, and very beautiful and touching some of them are, while others are as fierce and wild as the north wind. The Hungarian national song is a mag-nificent production, and most of us have experi-enced its rugged grandeur. Hungarian songs may be classed under one of three headings:
i. Legends of yore.
2. Glorification of the North with its appal-ling majesty.
3. Welcome of the Spring. Those who have sampled the climate can
thoroughly appreciate the Scandinavian heart rejoicing at the return of the spring. Of course
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