HISTORY OF POLAND, FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD TO THE PRESENT TIME. BY JAMES FLETCHER, ESQ. OF TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE. WITH A NARRATIVE OF THE RECENT EVENTS, OBTAINED FROM A POLISH PATRIOT NOBLEMAN. LONDON: PRINTED FOR COCHRANE AND PICKERSGILL, 11, WATERLOO PLACE, PALL MALL. 1831. 1640 ADVERTISEMENT. THE singular orthography of the names is not the least difficulty we have to encounter in the minutiæ of Polish history, and it has been greatly increased by the attempts of most writers to reduce them nearer to their pronunciation. Chevalier, in his Preface tò the "Histoire de la Guerre des Cosaques", published in 1663, justly complains of the custom of Authors, even in his time, to "estropier ", as he terms it, these words; and the Revue Encyclopedique also points out the absurdity of it. The Author has endeavoured to give the Polish spelling as correctly as possible, and subjoins the following hints for pronunciation, 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 tx, and never like k; thus, Pac is sounded Patz. g, like g in Gibbon; thus, Oginski. ch, like the Greek x or k; thus, Lech-Lek. cx, 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. rx, like j in je, with a slight sound of r; thus, Rzewuski -Rjevuski. The Author gladly avails himself of the present opportunity to express his thanks for the communication so kindly furnished by E. H. Barker, Esq. ERRATA. Page 58, line 8, for "bound to furnish the king as his vassal," read "bound as vassal to furnish the king." 58, line 10 from bottom, for "Lubbin," read " Lublin.” 60, line 9, for " Catherine," read "Catharine." 76, line 8, for "son-in-law,” read "kinsman." 76, the second note should be, "The maternal great-grandfather of John Sobieski." 77, first line of note, for "Repnine," read "Repnin." |