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and the Abbé Goudal, who belonged to the Grand Woiwode's household, were present. The four surgeons declared that the mortification had extended to the arm; that it was now too late to amputate the hand only, and that the whole limb must be taken off the next morning at farthest. Weary of disputing with them, I told them they might come with the proper instruments at the time appointed, and that I would submit. They quickly took themselves off, to relate the news at court, to Branicki, and to the Prince Woiwode. The next morning I ordered my servant not to let them enter my room. I heard no more of them, and kept safe possession of my hand.

On Easter-day I attended mass, wearing my arm in a sling, which I was not able to leave off for eighteen months afterwards. This was only fourteen days after the accident. My firmness now gained me universal credit; and the surgeons were looked upon as men, either ignorant of their profession, or devoid of all common sense.

Another little circumstance, which occurred three days after the duel, occasioned me much amusement. A Jesuit, commissioned by the Bishop of Posen, to whose diocese Warsaw belonged, desired to speak to me in private. I dismissed all my attendants, and asked what was his business? “I am come,” said he, “by desire of my principal,” (a Czartorinsky, brother of the Grand Woiwode,) “ to absolve you from the penance to which you have subjected yourself by the late duel.”

“ There is no occasion for this," I replied, “ since I cannot allow it to be called a duel. I was attacked, and obliged to defend myself. I beg you will return my acknowledgments to your Reverend Lord; and if you choose to give me absolution, without my having any thing to confess, I am very willing to receive it.”

“ If you do not confess your sins,” returned the Priest, “it is not in my power to absolve you from them; but this much you may domyou may ask me to give you absolution for having intended to fight a duel.”

"That I will do with pleasure. If my intention is to pass for a duel, I will pray you to give me absolution, but not otherwise." Upon this he gave it me in the usual form.

Branicki, I afterwards found, when our duel was decided upon, had gone to mass, in order to confess and receive the Sacrament, according to the customs of ancient chivalry.

Three days before I left my room, the Grand Marshal withdrew the guard which had hitherte been posted at the convent door. After going to mass, I repaired to court, where the King allowed me to kneel before him, and presented me his hand to kiss. It had been previously settled, that he should ask me why I wore my arm in a sling? I answered, it was owing to rheumatism.

“ Take care of such rheumatisms in future,” was his Majesty's reply.

Having shown myself at court, I ordered my coachman to drive to the palace, which was then occupied by Branicki. I thought it would be

proper to pay him a visit; he had sent daily to inquire for me, and had returned to me my sword, which had been left on the field of action. He was ordered to keep his bed for at least six weeks to come; but was permitted to receive the congratulations of his friends, on being appointed by the King to the office of Lofsezitz, or Grand Huntsman, a dignity not so high, indeed, as that of Grand Chamberlain, but which brought in considerable profits. Every one said that the King had waited to confer on him

this appointment, till convinced of his skill as a Vol. I. No. 4.-Museum.

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marksman; yet, on the day of trial, I had proved myself a better shot than he.

On my entering the anti-chamber, officers, lacqueys, and chasseurs, seemed 'struck with astonishment at seeing me. 'I desired the officer in waiting to ask if the Count would receive me? He sighed, and went into the room, returned a moment after, threw open the folding-doors, and begged me to walk in. Branicki was lying on the bed, as pale as a corpse, enveloped in a robe de chambre of gold brocade, and supported by cushions decked out with rose-coloured ribbons. He took off his cap on my entrance. “I am come,” said I, “to implore your Excellency's forgiveness for not having borne with temper a slight affront, which, had I been more rational, I should not have regarded as any thing serious, and also to assure you, that the honour you have conferred on me is far more than proportionate to the previous offence. I entreat your further intervention in my favour with those of your friends who, not sharing in your own magnanimity, will think it necessary to consider me as an enemy."

“I acknowledge,” said he,“ to have insulted you; but you will allow, in return, that I have paid for it pretty dearly. With regard to my friends, I do not hesitate in declaring, that i shall not consider any one in that light who is deficient in respect towards you. As to any testimony of mine in your favour, you do not stand in need of it. The King esteems you as much as I do myself, in common with all those who are acquainted with the laws of honour. Pray sit down, and take some chocolate, and let us be friends for the future.”

“And so you are quite well again ?” he added. To which I replied, “that I was, excepting being deprived of the use of my arm, which I did not expect to recover for at least a twelvemonth.”

“ You held out manfully against those surgeons,” pursued the Count, “and were perfectly right in not giving way to the fool who thought he would be doing me a favour, by making you a cripple. Such men always judge of the feelings of others by their own. I wish you joy at having exposed them, and kept your hand to yourself. But I have never been able to comprehend how the ball which had wounded you in the body, could ever reach your hand.”

Before I had time to answer, the chocolate was handed me: immedi. ately after, the master of the house made his appearance, and could not refrain from smiling, at beholding me; and in a few minutes the room was filled with ladies and gentlemen, who had no sooner heard of my visit to the Grand Woiwode, than curiosity prompted them with the wish of being present at the interview. I could plainly perceive that they had not expected to find us talking together so sociably, but they all seemed delighted that this was the case. Branicki, however, returned to his former question, and again asked me how the ball could have entered my hand? I answered, I would, if he pleased, show him the position in which I was standing at the time; and on his begging me to do so, I stood up, put myself into the same posture, and he then understood the whole business.

“ You must certainly have intended to kill my brother,” said Branicki's sister Sapieha,“ since you aimed at his head.” “Heaven forbid, my gracious lady,” I replied, “ that I should have I any such intention ! On the contrary, it was my best interest that life should be spared, in order that he might save me, (as in fact he

from the fury of his attendants."

"And yet you said," she pursued, "that you would try your pistol against his forehead ?"

"That is merely a common expression; but whoever understands the thing properly, aims at the middle of the body; and I can safely declare that my own aim was not at all higher."

"That is true,” said Branicki; “ your

have to thank you for a good lesson."

skill far surpasses mine; "I

The example your Excellency gave me, of courage and self-possession," I replied, "is far more deserving of imitation."

Of course," said his sister, "you must be very much accustomed to the use of pistols ?"

By no means," I replied.

"The late unfortunate adventure was my first essay. But I have an exact perception of right lines, a correct eye, and a steady hand."

not effectually be incorporated with the States of Austria without a change of name. I pass over the events of my journey, in order to relate what happened to me during the latter part of my stay in Warsaw, and my reasons for leaving that city. On my return, I found myself received, not only in a cold, but in a most unfriendly manner, wherever I went. was even told, that no one had expected to see me any more at Warsaw, and asked what had brought me back again?

To pay my debts,” I replied, astonished at such rudeness. Even the Woiwode of Russia was quite changed towards me; and though I was sometimes invited to dinner in houses where I had been most intimate, scarcely any one thought of speaking to me. The only friendly invitation I received, was from the Princess Lubomirsky, who asked me one evening to supper. I sat at a round table immediately opposite the King, who did not address a single word to me, but talked the whole evening with Bertrand the Swiss. This was a thing which had never happened to me since I had been in Warsaw. The next day I dined with the Woiwodin of Wilna, Countess Oginsky; she was the daughter of the High Chancellor of Lithuania, and of Countess Walstein, a venerable old lady of eighty. During dinner, the Countess asked where the King had supped the preceding evening? None of the company could tell her, and I remained silent. Soon after, General Romiher entered the room, and the same question was addressed to him; to which he replied, that the King had supped at Princess Lubomirsky's, and that I had been of the party. The Countess then asked me why I had not answered her inquiry at table? “ Because,” I replied, “I do not like to think of having been at a place where the King, neither spoke to, nor looked at me I see that I am in disgrace, and cannot imagine for what reason."

On quitting the Woiwode's palace, I went to pay a visit to Prince Sulkowsky, a man distinguished for his good sense and sound judgment. He received me, as he always did, with great kindness, but told me I had done very wrong in returning to Warsaw, as the general opinion respecting me was entirely changed. “But what have I done to deserve this?" I inquired. “ Nothing,” said he; “but it is ever thus with the Poles; always wavering, inconsistent, and influenced by the opinion of others: your fortune was made, but you did not profit by the happy moment: my advice is, that you leave Warsaw -I am going to quit it myself.” After this

visit, I returned to my lodgings, where, about ten o'clock, an anonymous letter was brought me, purporting to be from a person who entertained for me a sincere regard, and who imparted to me a piece of intelligence which he had heard from the King himself. This was, that his Majesty never desired to see me again at Court, as he had discovered that I had been flogged in effigy at Paris, for having absconded with a considerable sum belonging to the funds of the Military Institute, and moreover, that I was known to have perambulated all the provinces of Italy, as the manager of a troop of strolling players.

Calumnies such as these are easy to invent, but difficult to subvert; and thus it is, that the restless activity of hatred, urged on by envy, pursues its machinations at court. Willingly would I have treated this with the contempt it deserved, and instantly quitted the place; but I had debts to discharge, and my means were not sufficient to bear the

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expenses of a journey to Portugal, where I knew that ample resources awaited me. From this moment I avoided all society, saw no one but Campioni, and wrote to Venice and other places where I had friends, for pecuniary supplies. While waiting for these, I one day received an unexpected visit from the officer who had been present at the duel. He entered my room with an embarrassed air, bringing me an order in the King's name to quit the country within eight days. I replied firmly, that he might tell the King, I should not think of quietly submitting to a command of this nature; if I must quit the place, the whole world should know I was compelled to do so. “It is impossible for me to be the bearer of such an answer,” replied the Colonel. “All I can do is, to tell the King I have made known to you his commands; it remains with you to act upon them as you may think proper."

Transported with rage, I wrote a long letter to the King, representing to him, that regard for my own honour obliged me to oppose his decree. "My creditors," I added, " can only forgive me for leaving Warsaw without satisfying their demands, when they find it was your Majesty who compelled me to this step." Whilst I was considering through what means I could have this letter laid before the King, I received a visit from Count Mosczinsky. I related to him what had befallen me, and having read my memorial, I asked him how I could send it? To which he replied, with great kindness, that he would undertake to present it himself. After this, I went out, to refresh myself with a little cool air, and during my walks I met Prince Sulkowsky, who appeared not in the least astonished when I told him what had happened, and related to me a similar adventure which had occurred to him at Vienna, where he received an order from the Empress Maria Theresa, to quit the place within four-and-twenty hours, and this for no other reason, but because he had brought the heredi. tary Arch-Duchess of Austria Prince Louis of Wurtemberg's compliments.

The next morning, Count Mosczinsky brought me two thousand ducats from the King, at the same time telling me, that his Majesty had had no idea I could have been distressed by pecuniary matters at a time when I had so much more reason to tremble for my life. That a regard for my personal safety had been the only reason for bis ordering me away, as my life was in imminent danger as long as I remained in Warsaw, and more particularly, as I was in the habit of walking out in the evening. It was well known, that several persons had challenged me without the slightest provocation, to whom I had never returned any answer, and they, to revenge themselves for the contempt with which I had treated them, would be very likely to assassinate me! The King, therefore, was anxious to remove the possibility of this, and of the disturbances to which it might give rise. Mosczinsky likewise assured me, that I had no reason to consider my honour as at all compromised by the order I had received, as the circumstances under which it had been given, the person through whom it had been communicated, and the length of time allowed me for preparation, all tended to obviate such an imputation. The result of our conference was, that I promised the Count to take my departure as soon as possible, and entreated him to lay at the feet of his Majesty, my acknowledgments for the favour he had shown me, and the