B bábi, Tibor

He became interested in the ancient homeland and language of the Hungarians after reading Pál (Paul) Beregszászi’s book the “Ueber die Aehnlichkeit der hungarischen Sprache mit den morgenländischen…(On the similarities between the Hungarian and the Oriental languages…) (Leipzig, 1796). In April of 1829 he set out and toured the Crimea, the Caucasus, Turkey, Algiers and East India. Next he took part in a Russian expedition aimed at conquering the Elbrus Peak. Besse also toured the valleys of the Rivers Kuma and Terek, and reached the ruins of the ancient “Madzsar” (Magyar) settlement. Upon his return to Hungary he published his experiences in the Scientific Collection (Tudományos Gyűjtemény). However, the lack of interest and appreciation of his endeavours made him bitter and prompted him to leave his homeland forever. First he went to Italy, where he became known as a free-thinker, and consequently was imprisoned in the Castel d’Angelo. He wrote about this experience as “His Holiness treated me as the barbarians treated St. Peter, whose keys He uses so effectively that He is able to lock up even the innocent.” Upon his release he settled permanently in Paris, where he embarked on Persian and Turkish studies, became acquainted with the best Orientalists of the time and taught languages at a college. He wrote: “After Cardinal Mezzofanti, I am the most famous polyglot in Europe. The Cardinal speaks twenty-two languages, I speak thirteen.” He took an active part in local literary life as Editor of the magazine Mercure Étranger ou Annales de la Littérature Etrangère. At the same time he became the first propagandist of Hungarian culture, literature and art in France. He was a Bonapartist and kept a close friendship with János (John) Batsányi. He looked to Napoleon for the overthrow of Habsburg rule in Hungary.