TELEKI AND MADACH 249 Curiously enough the author's own life was an even greater tragedy than his drama. In x8so Teleki was an adherent of Kossuth and one of the leaders of the emigration. ln x 86o, in defiance of ali right, the Austrians took him prisoner in Dresden, and conveyed him to Vienna and straight to the palace where Francis Joseph, emperor but not yet king, receíved him and made him promise that he would take no part in politics for the time being. He was then set at liberty, but soon found hímself unable to resist the force of circumstances and of his own traditions. In the next year, Hungary's fate was at stake, and Teleki became the admired leader of the oppo sition, whether he would or not. The opposition was strongly hostile to Deák's scheme and Teleki was chasen to speak agaiost it. H e was torn by conflicting feelings. Hungary was tooking to him and expecti ng much from him, but on the other hand there was his promise to the emperor to take no more part in politics. He escaped from the dilemma by com mitting suicide wh en his fame was at its zenith. In the year x861, when John Arany had risen to fame, and established his leadership in the world of literature, he receíved a visít from a wealthy country gentleman who left with him the manuscript of a dramalic poem havi ng the peculiar title, Th e Trag edy of Man. Arany, as secretary of the Kisfaludy Society, was usual ly over whel med with manuscripts, and merely gave the work a rapid glance, noting chiefly, here and there, an occasional fault of style. As he read, however, his interest became more and more aroused, and the wanderfui power and originality of the poem revealed thernselves to him. The author, IMRE 1IAD.-cH (x823-I 864) • was at th is time
