This volume, a goodly octavo, will be peculiarly acceptable at the
present season. It presents a lucid view of Polish history, from the
earliest period to the present eventful moment; and, as a passage of
immediate interest, we quote the following character of the President of
the National Government of Poland:
This illustrious personage, Prince Adam Czartoryski, is the
eldest son of the late prince of the same house, and is
descended from the family of Jagellon, the ancient sovereigns of
Lithuania. His father was long known, not only as a nobleman of
the first rank in Poland, but as one of the most accomplished
scholars in Europe. Such was his reputation, that at the period
of the last vacancy in the throne of Poland, Poniatowski
(afterwards king) was deputed by the diet to propitiate the
Empress Catherine, to second the election of Czartoryski; but
the deputy's handsome form found such favour in the licentious
eyes of the modern Messalina, that he ceased to urge the suit of
the diet, and returned the avowed nominee of his imperial
mistress. Prince Czartoryski's claims on the throne, popularity,
and consequent influence, rendered him odious to the court of
St. Petersburg, and when the last act of spoliation was
perpetrated, his lands were ravaged, his beautiful Castle of
Pulawy destroyed, and a sentence of extermination pronounced
against him, unless he would consent to send his two sons, one
the subject of this notice, and the other Prince Constantino
Czartoryski, as hostages to St. Petersburg. To avoid this
wretched alternative, the prince and his princess, who still
survive, consented to the separation, and the two young
noblemen, were placed under the eye of those who were deemed
worthy, by the Autocrat, of reforming their principles. The
talents displayed by both brothers soon obtained for them the
admiration of the court; and as it was of great importance to
gain them over, every mark of imperial favour was heaped upon
them by the Emperor Alexander, with whom, from infancy, they had
established terms of the utmost familiarity. The elder brother
held for a long time the portfolio of the Foreign Office, and,
in his official capacity, accompanied his imperial master to the
scenes of some of his most serious disasters. During Napoleon's
invasion, Prince Constantino was in Poland, and confiding in the
integrity of the then master of the destinies of Europe, and
breathing naught but freedom for his country, he joined the
banners of the invader, and raised a regiment at his own expense
to aid in the cause of liberation. At Smolensk he received a
severe wound, from the effects of which he has never yet
recovered. He resides at Vienna.
The influence of Prince Adam Czartoryski proved to be singularly
useful to Poland after the downfall of Napoleon. He interposed,
and interposed successfully, between the anger of Alexander and
his suffering country; and, on the establishment of the kingdom
of Poland, was appointed the curator of all the universities,
both there and in the incorporated provinces. These duties he
sedulously discharged, until he was superseded by the notorious
Count Novozilzoff. From this period he has lived in retirement,
faithfully performing all the duties of private life. The
promotion of agriculture, science in all its branches, and
kindly offices among mankind, constituted his occupations until
recent events drew him from his privacy. The first call was made
by the Russian functionaries, as stated in the text, for the
purpose of self-protection! the second was that of his devoted
country, when a government was essential to success. He was
chosen not only one of the five members of the executive body,
but its president, a station which he still honourably fills.
Into his new office he has carried all the unostentatious and
disinterested virtues that adorned Pulawy, and there is little
doubt that if (and no one suspects that such will not be the
case) the independence of Poland be fairly won, the choice of
his country will point to him as its sovereign. Having finished
his academical career at the University of Edinburgh, he early
acquired a strong taste for English institutions and for
Englishmen, and of this he gave substantial proof by devoting
250 l. a-year to the exclusive purchase of English books. His
revenues are enormous; but his liberality is unbounded; and, as
it is a rule in his munificent establishment to provide
liberally for the families of all his dependants, his means are
comparatively restricted, but his personal wants are few; and
that he is ready to accommodate himself to circumstances, was
well shown by his only observation on hearing of the
confiscation of his large property in Podolia by Nicholas.
"Instead of riding, I must walk, and instead of sumptuous fare,
I must dine on buck-wheat."[3] Such is a faint outline of this
illustrious man's character. Were it only for the admirable
example of such an individual guiding the reigns of the
government of a devoted people, it is most ardently to be hoped
that Poland may triumph over her enemies, and be raised to that
rank from which she was degraded only by the basest of
treasons.--_Fletcher's History of Poland._
[3] The common food of the poor.
As the pronunciation of the Polish language is attended with some
difficulty, the author of this work has, in his advertisement, subjoined
the following hints, taken principally from the "Letters Literary and
Political on Poland, Edinburgh, 1823."
All vowels are sounded as in French and Italian; and there are no
diphthongs, every vowel being pronounced distinctly. The consonants are
the same as in English, except
_w_, which is sounded like _v_, at the beginning of a word; thus,
Warsawa--_Varsafa_; in the middle or at the end of a word it has the
sound of _f_, as in the instance already cited; and Narew--_Nareff_.
_c_, like _tz_, and never like _k_; thus, Pac is sounded _Patz_.
_g_, like _g_ in Gibbon; thus, _Oginski_.
_ch_, like the Greek [Greek: ch] or _k_; thus, Lech--_Lek_.
_cz_, like the English _tch_ in pitch;--thus, Czartoryski pronounce
_Tchartoryski_.
_sz_, like _sh_ in _shape_; thus, Staszyc like _Stashytz_.
_szcz_, like _shtch_; thus, Szczerbiec like _Shtcherbietz_.
_rz_, like _j_ in _je_, with a slight sound of _r_; thus,
Rzewuski--_Rjevuski_.
* * * * *