Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

of the names and titles of the others. The subject of the second is the discovery of the mariner's compass, and its earliest use in navigation. The third treats of the origin and antiquity of the venereal disease, and of its first appearance in Europe. The fourth is an inquiry into the earliest use of gunpowder in the art of war, and into the first invention of artillery. The fifth treats of the construction of the vessels used by the ancients; and the sixth, of the size and burden of the vessels used in the middle ages.

D. Antonio Capmany, the author of these essays, is a native of Catalonia. His principal work has been already mentioned, under its title of Memorias historicas sobre la Marina, comercio y artes de la antigua ciudad de Barcelona. The two first volumes appeared in 1779; the two last in 1792. The 3d and 4th volumes are collections of state papers, and other original and important documents from the archives of Barcelona. This truly excellent work is marked throughout with a spirit of liberality and good sense, and distinguished by an attention to general and philosophical views but seldom displayed by those who ransack archives, and compile papers for the use of future historians. We consider it as a most valuable addition to the history of the commerce and manufactures of the middle ages.

Capmany has also published an edition of the maritime customs of Barcelona; the foundation of the present maritime law of Europe. He has also edited a collection of antient treaties between the kings of Arragon, and the Mahometan princes of Asia and Africa; and published a translation of the antient naval ordonnances of the Crown of Arragon, as they were confirmed in 1354. He is, besides, the author of several works in literature, which are deservedly held in high estimation by his country

men.

ART. XI. View of the present State of Poland. By George Burnett, late of Baliol College, Oxford. 8vo. pp. 456. London. Longman & Co. 1807.

THERE

HERE is more pretension in this title, than the contents of the volume, or, indeed, the author's own account of it in the preface, will justify. He informs us, with great candour and modesty, that his work has peculiar claims to indulgence. He was only settled in Poland, it seems, about ten months, during which time he lived in a nobleman's family at a great distance from any place of consequence, and made but two visits to towns, Warsaw and Lemberg, for a few days each. Even of these opportunities

portunities he did not make the most, having scarcely taken any notes while he remained in the country. But about two years after his arrival here, if we rightly understand him, he found that every thing relating to Poland was an object of interest; and, he got up this work to suit the public curiosity. He is so candid as to admit fairly, that this temporary interest regulated almost entirely the preparation of the book, and that the manu script was sent to the press as fast as it was written; so many are the deductions from the claims of the title-page, which we are obliged to make by the acknowledgements in the preface! In fact, the book contains nothing which can be called a view of the state of Poland. Mr Burnett has given us, however, a considerable mass of anecdote and information, from his own recollection of a very limited part of the subject; and in this point of view his work, crude and hasty though it be, possesses some claims to our attention. We shall therefore extract from it the parts most worthy of notice, after premising a few remarks on the exceedingly, bad manner in which it is written through

out.

The hurry of composition has by no means prevented Mr Burnett from adopting an inflated and often fantastical style. We have pines lifting their lofty heads in the cold clear air, huge and still as giants enchanted into pillars of salt.' (p. 32.) Never having had an opportunity of seeing this kind of giant, we cannot speak positively; but, so far as our fancy can carry us, we confess a pine, with flakes of snow on its branches, does not seem to be the object bearing closest resemblance to such a person. Describing the appearance of the winter, when the air is so clear, that one can almost see the cold,' our author adds, that the sun, the while, pours his glistening glory on the subject snow, impenetrable as a rock to his beams. (p. 45.) He has also found time to invent a number of clumsy and useless words, which he uses in a very intemperate manner. It is quite painful to look at such terms as womanised, amiability, societyship, excurse, selfishment, &c. To notice the want of elegance, correctness, and, indeed, grammar, which prevails in this book, would be endless. Such defects are perhaps excused by the rapidity with which it was got up; but such imperfections as we have just exemplified cannot be passed over upon the same ground.

Mr Burnett shews a curious degree of ignorance upon many very common-place topics; and a great number of his remarks, indeed many of his details, are derived from this source. The long account of the Polish houses, for example, occupying near fifty pages, and the minute description of the manner of living of the Polish nobles, might be reduced to a very narrow compass, if

every thing were omitted which is common, both in all foreign countries, and even in our own. He describes the houses and furniture, the domestic arrangements of all sorts,-the economy of the table, &c. exactly as if he were making us acquainted with some newly discovered island in the South Seas. Thus, if the company be very numerous, there is a table on each side the hall, and one at the upper end, leaving the middle open, the whole forming the two long sides, and one short one of an oblong square.' (205.) Every dinner as well as supper begins with soup. While this is taken, the joint which is to succeed (consisting almost uniformly of boiled beef) is removed to the side-table, to be carved by the steward or attendants. The sidetable, in these large halls, is situated in a very considerable recess, at the end opposite the door. When the soup-plates are removed, the beef, thus cut into pieces of no very delicate proportions indeed, is handed round. This is dressed to rags, the more savoury parts having been extracted in the soup. (206.) After dinner the company rise, by a sort of tacit consent, and retire to another room, where they are dispersed about in small knots or parties. Thus circumstanced," he adds, each is served with a cup of coffee, which is taken, on this occasion, with sugar only, without either milk or cream.' (225.) During summer, the redingote is worn by most persons not of the first rank. This word is evidently borrowed from the English riding-coat.' (243.) Mr Burnett surely cannot mean that redingote is a Polish word, though his notions about the word joli (p. 332.) half incline us to think that such is his opinion.

[ocr errors]

Where a family lives in public, as it were, and constantly open to the inspection of a hundred or more dependants and guests, the members of it have, perhaps, little right to complain of seeing themselves in print. Yet we rather think Mr Burnett has transgressed somewhat upon this publicity of his Polish friends. He lived with the Count Zamoyski, we presume in his employment, and seems to have been on familiar and friendly terms with that powerful nobleman and his family. It is therefore a certain violation of propriety, (though, considering the above mentioned circumstance, we admit it is a slight one), to fill part of his book with minute descriptions and characters of the count and his relatives, female as well as male. Every thing, indeed, is well meant and perfectly laudatory; but were we the Countess Zamoyska, for example, we should not like to be talked of in this manner. When her soul is up-when her feelings are awake, and in search of objects to keep them in play, she will often go to her instrument; and the obedient strings, responsive to the electric kiss, will proudly rise in full and warbled harmo

ny,

ny, or gently sink in dying sounds, which melt and pierce the soul.' And this is only a small part of about five pages to the same effect, devoted to the service of that lady. A long discussion of the question, whether Count Zamoyski should or should not build a new house near the village of Zamoyst, is no doubt extremely interesting in that neighbourhood; but does not, in the same degree, touch the rest of Europe. We much fear that the anecdote (p.258.) must be put down in the list of those not quite favourable to the persons of whom they are related; though it is clear that our author is by no means aware of this himself. Princess Czartoryska, it seems, has amassed a considerable collection of curiosities; and, among these, the chair of Shakespere. This relic of our revered bard,' says Mr Burnett, she bought in England for three hundred pounds;' and she has likewise the chair of Rousseau.

We confess, we are rather provoked at Mr Burnett for filling so much of his book with the details now shortly alluded to, and excluding a variety of recollections which are of general and permanent interest. His opportunities were, in some respects, much more favourable than he seems to think. Though he saw few towns, he lived on a footing of close intimacy with various natives of the highest rank and greatest accomplishments in the country, and might have obtained from them almost as much information as is to be procured, respecting the present state and the late history of Poland. His own observation, too, might have supplied many important blanks in the knowledge which we possess of the condition of the lower orders in that country. We cannot help complaining a little, that his senses should have been so acute, and his memory so faithful, for all the trifling incidents of halls and rooms and doors,-and chairs and tables,-and roast meat and boiled meat,-when subjects of real importance might well have been illustrated by him. However, he has contributed some information, and, such as it is, we thank him for it. Without attempting, what would be quite useless where there are so few materials, to digest this into a regular form, we shall notice those elucidations of the state of the country which chiefly struck us. Mr Burnett landed at Dantzic, and proceeded up the country through Warsaw, he does not exactly say whither; but we infer from several circumstances, that he went into the Austrian part of Poland, and that his remarks apply to this and the Prussian part. He never was in the Russian division, and heard scarcely any thing about it. Respecting Dantzic and Lemburg, he communicates little or no information.

The face of the country over which our author passed, is uninteresting, from its flatness and uniformity. The Vistula, VOL. X. NO. 20.

Ff

though

though a fine river, runs so much through bogs and heaths, that it seldom affords any fine views. The following description of the country beyond the plain of Dantzic, he says, is nearly applicable to the whole scenery of Poland.

The traveller fometimes finds himself in an expanse of surface, almoft without a houfe, a tree, or any fingle object large enough to at tract his notice. Soon, however, are defcried the skirts of some vaft foreft fringing the distant horizon; and on entering it we proceed, for eight or ten miles (more or lefs) winding with the road through lofty pines, &c. &c. precluded from the fight of all objects but trees and fhrubs. Sometimes, in the midft of a foreft we meet with a small spot of ground (for example, of ten or twenty acres) cleared and cultivated; its fides prettily fenced by the green furrounding woods. Sometimes a fmall lake is found thus fituated, its borders ornamented in a fimilar manner and these, generally speaking, are the prettiest scenes which Poland furnishes. Thefe forefts, in fome places, are fifteen, and even twenty miles, in all directions; an affertion which will appear the more credible, when I obferve, that of an eftate belonging to a certain nobleman, nearly one half is computed to be foreft. Indeed, if we exclude moraffes, and the level pafture lands, I should not fcruple to affirm, that not more than one half of the country, fpeaking generally, is clear. ed. After paffing the Viftula, at the place juft mentioned, the furface is confiderably open, for a diftance at least of thirty or forty miles. But woods no fooner begin to appear, than it is rare the traveller entirely lofes fight of them. The view is bounded, in one direction or another, by foreft lands. I have proceeded in a south-easterly direction through a diftance of four or five hundred miles, and this description, with infignificant variations, appears to me ftrictly applicable.' p. 29-31..

There are fome lakes far more extenfive than thofe juft mentioned. The Viftula itself, from the great increafe of its waters in the fpring, is expanded, in certain places, into a fort of lake. There are affo occafional bogs and impaffable moraffes. At very diftant intervals are found plains of fome extent, affording rich pafturage. The richest I have had an opportunity of seeing, are thofe contiguous to the Viftula, fome of which are periodically overflowed by that river. Such are thofe in the neighbourhood of Warfaw, and which fupply that town "with good butcher's meat. These pasture-lands, in general so thinly fcattered, are faid to be more frequent in Lithuania, and particularly in Podolia.' P. 32. 33.

The villages are the most wretched that can be imagined. They are thinly scattered, rather along the skirts than in the midst of the forests, and sometimes in the middle of vast bare heaths, where no other object is to be seen as far as the eye can reach. They consist of from ten to fifty miserable huts, rudely con-structed of wood, and covered over with straw and turf; and afford so imperfect a shelter, that the inhabitants are glad to stop up the vents during winter, and to be half smothered with smoke,

« AnteriorContinuar »