_January 3d._
Yesterday, amid the drinking of toasts, the peals of joyous music, and
the volleys of musketry from our dragoons in honor of the investiture of
the Duke of Courland, the chamberlain despatched to Warsaw returned,
with letters announcing that the ceremony had been delayed, on account
of the king's illness: it has been postponed until the eighth of
January. Our little Matthias says it is a bad omen, and that as the
ducal crown eludes his grasp, so will a royal one. I felt quite
uneasy,... but then there came several visitors, and they distracted my
thoughts. After dinner came Madame Dembinska, wife of the king's
cupbearer, with her sons and daughters; the pantler Jordan, with his
wife and son, and M. Swidinski, Palatine of Braclaw, with his nephew,
the Abbe Vincent. The latter gentleman has been several times at
Maleszow; he is a very pious man; my parents love and esteem him very
much. Although he is quite young, we kiss his hands as a minister of
God. Barbara has completely won his good opinion; he has given her a
rosary, and the 'Christian's Daily Manual.' He was seated next to her at
supper, and even addressed his conversation to her twice. This is not at
all astonishing, for Barbara is so good; besides, she is the eldest, and
hence entitled to more politeness than the rest of us.
_Friday, January 5th._
The palatine and his nephew are still with us, and we are daily
expecting other guests. The eldest of the palatine's sons is Starost of
Radom, and the younger is a colonel in the king's army. The palatine,
who has been a widower several years, has also two daughters, one
married to Granowski, Palatine of Rawa, and the other recently wedded to
Lauckorouski, Castellan of Polaniec. I am very curious to see the
palatine's sons; they were educated at Luneville, in France; they must
have an air and manner different from those of our young Poles.
The good King Stanislaus, though he dwells in a foreign land, is always
seeking to be useful to his compatriots; several young Polish gentlemen
are maintained and educated by him at Luneville. They receive the best
instruction, and the sons of our first families strive for the honor,
using the pretext of relationship, however distant, to obtain their
desires. Indeed, they are quite right, for when one can say of a young
man, He has studied at Luneville, and has been to Paris, he has
certainly an excellent foundation for the beginning of his career. Every
one feels quite sure that his manners will be irreproachable, that he
can speak French, and dance the minuet and quadrilles. All the gentlemen
who have been in France are very successful in society, and very
pleasing to ladies.... Really, I am exceedingly curious to see the
palatine's two sons!