represented a foreign negotiator counting out money to Bethsal, who was examining it very carefully; the king completed the group, and was busied in secreting a portion of the treasure in the corner of his robe. In another print, John appeared feeble and childish, sitting on the lap of a young woman, and suckled by an old one. He seemed to be shrinking under the weight of many crowns, which were however made to appear tarnished, and stript of their ornaments. But the public did not content themselves with these harmless attacks; frequent attempts were made to assassinate the hated publican, which he frustrated by having in pay a guard of thirty Polish nobles. His time came at last; he was disgraced, and died in poverty. Under such a government every thing was fast verging to decay; the diets were no sooner assembled than dissolved, that Truth might not be allowed a hearing; riots and fights were substituted for debate; the soldiers were clamouring for their arrears, and levying contributions on the people. The generals set at defiance all authority, and were engaged only in their own aggrandizement. "All the departments government which require strict superintendence, such as the command of the troops and the management of the revenue entrusted to generals and ministers, independent of all authority but that of the diet, were without controul."* Happily for Sobieski he of *Rulhière. was not doomed to witness the consequences of this villanous administration; death came kindly and laid low his grey locks with their withered laurels, before the rude hand of rebellion had succeeded in tearing them from his brow. The 17th of June 1696, was his last day of trouble. He revived for a few moments from his insensibility, only to regret that he was alive again. "I was then well," said he; a sad confession of misguided heroism, effete renown, and disappointed ambition! When the mighty is fallen, the most low and dastardly will stride over his body to see " where his great strength lay," and descant on his weakness. σε — ἄλλοι δὲ περίδραμον υίες ̓Αχαιών, Οἱ καὶ θηήσαντο φυὴν καὶ εἶδος ἀγητὸν Εκτορος· οὐδ ̓ ἄρα οἵ τις ἀνουτητί γε παρέστη.” The vulture will feed on the dead lion, and the carrion crow will peck at the stranded whale. The corpse of Sobieski furnishes the same treat for those birds of prey, the petty critic and the musty moralist. But Fame puts her finger on her lips as she points to the death-bed of John Sobieski. Those tattered Turkish banners, as they sprinkle their dust on the cold corpse of the hero beneath, awaken more thought and solemn reflection in one glance, than the tongue could exhaust in hours. In his person, says his physician *,“ he was a tall * Connor. and corpulent prince, large faced, and full eyed, and went always in the same dress with his subjects." * His character is portrayed in his political career, and his actions speak for themselves. In war he was a lion, but in peace he was the plaything of others. Had he lived in the age of barbarous heroism, he would have been a Hercules bending before an Omphale. Glorious as the reign of Sobieski had been in many particulars, it has had a most pernicious effect on the destiny of Poland. This is fully exemplified in the preceding pages, and the melancholy truth will but too often present itself to the thinking mind in the subsequent narrative. Similar remarks are applicable to the state of learning in this period. More books, perhaps, were printed now than in the two preceding reigns, and there were more literary names; but it was all the conventual learning of the Jesuits. Sobieski himself was a patron of learning, and many are found who extol his talents and spirit of inquiry; but his philosophical conversations which they adduce * "The king was a well-spoken prince of very easy access and extremely civil, and had most of the good qualities requisite in a gentleman; he was not only well versed in military affairs, but likewise in all polite and scholastic learning; besides his own tongue, the Sclavonian, he understood the Latin, French, Italian, German, and Turkish languages; he delighted much in natural philosophy, and in all parts of physic; he used to reprimand the clergy for not admitting in the universities and schools the modern philosophy; he loved to hear persons discourse of these matters."-Connor. Lett. IV. L in proof are evidences indeed of his love of knowledge, but neither of a very free-thinking nor freespirited mind. It would scarcely be going too far, perhaps, to say that this would also give a tolerably just estimate of the literary and scientific character of the whole of the Polish nation under his administration. * One of these metaphysical discussions is given by Connor. CHAPTER V. Augustus II., Elector of Saxony, raises himself to the Throne.-Detains his Saxon Troops in Poland.-Makes Peace with Turkey.-Attempts to seize Livonia.--Forms an Alliance with Peter the Great of Russia.-Defeated by Charles XII. of Sweden.-Dethroned by Charles XII.Stanislas raised to the Throne.-Augustus resumes the Crown and is again deposed.-Charles defeated at Pultowa. -Augustus reascends the Throne.-Charles XII. prisoner in Turkey. Returns to Sweden.-Attempt to assassinate Stanislas. Death of Charles.-Oppression of the Protestants.-Death of Augustus. SOBIESKI and his intrigues, so long a stumbling block of offence in the eyes of the Poles, were no more; but the rancour and vehemence of contention still survived. A people in this dissentient state of feeling were not likely to be calm, impartial adjudicators. While the most powerful Polish and foreign interests were nullifying each other by opposition, a noble of inferior rank and influence started a new candidate, and carried his point. This was no other than John Przependowski, Castellan of Culm, who had first united with the Prince of Conti, one of the most popular of the candidates for the Polish crown. But he wished to derive some profit from his vote*, and finding the prince's finances exhausted, he looked * See Hist. des Revolutions de Pologne, par M. L'Abbé Fontaines. Tome II. P. 128. |