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THE STRANGE STORY OF RAB RABY
DR. MAURUS JOKAI'SMORE FAMOUS WORKS
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portrait of Mor Jokai]
THE STRANGE STORY OF RAB RABY
BY MAURUS JOKAI
SANS PEUR ET SANS REPROCHE.]
THIRD EDITION
LONDONJARROLD & SONS, 10 & 11, WARWICK LANE, E.C.
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PREFACE
TO JOKAI'S "RAB RABY," IN ENGLISH,
By Dr. Emil Reich.
In "Rab Raby," the famous Hungarian novelist gives us, in a manner quitehis own, a picture of the "old regime" in Hungary in the times ofEmperor Joseph II., 1780-1790. The novel, as to its plot and principalpersons, is based on facts, and the then manners and institutions ofHungary are faithfully reflected in the various scenes from private,judicial, and political life as it developed under the erroneous policyof Joseph II.
Briefly speaking, "Rab Raby" is the story of one of those frightfulmiscarriages of justice which at all times cropped up under theinfluence of political motives. In our own time we have seen the Dreyfuscase, another instance of appalling injustice set in motion forpolitical reasons. "Rab Raby" is thus very likely to give the Englishreader a wrong idea of the backward and savage character of Hungariancivilisation towards the end of the eighteenth century, unless hecarefully considers the peculiar circumstances of the case. I think Ican do the novel no better service than setting it in its righthistoric frame, which Jokai, writing as he did for Hungarians, did notfeel induced to dwell upon.
The Hungarians, alone of all Continental nations, have a politicalConstitution of their own, the origin of which goes back to an age priorto Magna Charta in England. Outside Hungary, it is generally believedthat Hungary is a mere annex of "Austria"; and the average Englishman inparticular is much surprised to hear that "Austria" is considerablysmaller than Hungary. In fact, "Austria" is merely a conventionalphrase. There is no Austria, in technical language. What isconventionally called Austria has in reality a much longer name by whichalone it is technically recognised to exist. This name is, "Thecountries represented in the _Reichsrath_." On the other hand, there is,conventionally and technically, a Hungary, which has no "home-rule"whatever from Austria, any more than Australia has "home-rule" fromEngland. In fact, Hungary is the equal partner of Austria; and noAustrian official whatever can officially perform the slightest functionin Hungary. The person whom the people of "Austria" call "Emperor," theHungarians accept only as their King. There is not even a commoncitizenship between Hungarians and Austrians; and a Hungarian to befully recognised in Austria as, say a lawyer, must first acquire theAustrian rights of naturalisation, just as an Englishman would.
The preceding remarks will enable the reader to see clearly that Hungarynever accepted, nor can ever accept Austrian rule in any shapewhatever; and that the entire business of political, judicial, andadministrative government in Hungary must legally be done by Hungariancitizens only. The King alone happens to be an official in Austria aswell as in Hungary; but according to Hungarian constitutional law hecannot command, nor reform things in Hungary except with the formalconsent of the Hungarian authorities, in Parliament and County. InAustria indeed, the "Emperor" was, previous to 1867, quite autocratic;and even at present he has a very large share of autocratic power.
Now, Emperor Joseph II. desired to melt down Hungarian and Austrianmanners, laws, and institutions into one homogeneous mass of aGermanised body-politic. With this view he commanded the Hungarians topractically give up their own language, their ancient nationalconstitution, and old County institutions, thinking as he did, that suchan unification of the Austro-Hungarian peoples would make the DanubianMonarchy much more powerful and prosperous than it had ever been before.He sincerely believed that his scheme of unification would greatlybenefit his peoples; nor did he doubt that they would readily obey hisbehests to that effect.
However, the Emperor was quite mistaken as to the effect of his imperialpolicy upon the Hungarians. Far from acquiescing in his plans, theHungarians at once showed fight in every possible form of passiveresistance, rebellion, scorn, or threats. To them their Constitutionwas, as it still is, dearer by far than all material prosperity.
The Emperor's ordinances were coolly shelved, not even read, and with afew exceptions, all his commands proved abortive. Many Hungariansadmitted then, as others do now, that Joseph's reforms were in more thanone respect such as to benefit Hungary. Yet no Hungarian wanted topurchase these reforms at the expense of the hoary and holy Constitutionof the country. Joseph, in commanding all those reforms, without so muchas asking for the consent of the Estates, violated the very fundamentalprinciple of the Hungarian Constitution. This the Hungarians weredetermined to resist to the uttermost. In the end they vanquished theruler, who shortly before his death withdrew nearly all his ordinances,and so confessed himself beaten.
It is in the midst of these historic and psychological circumstancesthat Jokai laid his fascinating novel. A young Hungarian nobleman,indignant at the illegality and injustice of public officials of hisnative town, who shamefully exploit the poor of the district, approachesthe Emperor with a view to get his authorisation for measures destinedto put an end to the criminal encroachments of the said officials. TheEmperor gives him that authority. But far from strengthening youngRaby's case, the Emperor thereby exposes him to the unforgiving rancourof both guilty and innocent officials who desperately resent theEmperor's unconstitutional procedure.
The novel is the story of the conflict between the young noble and theEmperor on the one hand, and the wretched, but in the nature of thecase, more patriotic officials, on the other. As in all such cases,where virtue appears either at the wrong time, or in the wrong shape,the ruin of the virtuous is almost inevitable, while no student of humannature can wholly condemn his otherwise corrupt and despicable enemies.In that conflict lies both the charm of the novel and its tragiccharacter.
As in all his stories, Jokai fills each page with a novel interest, andhis inexhaustible good humour and exuberant powers of description throweven over the dark scenes of the story something of the soothing lightof mellow hilarity.
EMIL REICH.
_London, Nov. 1st, 1909._