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The Cathedral, which is situated in the centre of this citadel, is an object of peculiar veneration to the Poles;

it is," says our author, "what the Capitol was to the ancient Romans, what the Pantheon is to France; in short, it is the precious receptacle for the mortal remains of their kings and their heroes, and it is not without a feeling of respectful veneration, mingled with religious awe, that one presumes to penetrate its ancient aisles, where one is surrounded by mausoleums, inscriptive tablets, statues, and chapels decorated with marble and bronze, and where one cannot advance a step without meeting with some monument of the renown of the country, of the valour and victories of heroes. There repose the venerable ashes of Boleslas III. and IV. of Ladislas Lokietek; of Casimir the Great; John Albert; Stephen Batory; Sigismond III.; Ladislas IV.; John Casimir; Michel Wiszniowiecki; John Sobieski; and Frederick Augustus II."

In the Chapel of the Sigismonds are deposited the remains of St Stanislas, the patron of the kingdom, and those of the heroic Kosciuszko and Poniatowski, which have been restored from foreign graves through the intervention of the Emperor Alexander, (King of Poland) and are now deposited in the vault of King John Sobieski, who conquered the Turks before Vienna, and saved that capital.*

Our author proceeds to enumerate and describe eight churches, (of which, he says, Cracau may boast as the finest in Poland,) and other splendid and remarkable public buildings;the Academy, bearing the name of "Daughter of the Sorbonne," founded by the Jagellons in 1343, and possessing a library of 30,000 volumes, and 4000 rare MSS., as well as a cabinet of natural history, and an anatomical theatre; and the palaces of the bishops and nobility, which ornament the city. The "Place" is in the centre of the city. It was formerly the custom to erect a lofty throne in it on the day after the coronation of the kings, seated upon which they received the homage of the tributary princes.

Mr Palmer is the author of the Authentic Memoirs of Sobieski, which he addressed to the Sovereigns assembled at the Congress at Vienna, in order to remind them of the claims of the Poles, who had, by their services, rescued that city from impending destruction. Mr Palmer is an Englishman.

In the neighbourhood, many pleasing excursions may be made, particularly to the Salt Mines of Wieliczka, situated in Austria, a stage from Cracau. The chambers and passages in these mines, cut out of the pure and sparkling salt, are described as superb, The passages are dry, clean, and every where high enough for persons to walk upright. In places, they open into large caverns, one of which is in the form of a capacious chapel, with an altar, ornaments, and two monks, apparently in the act of solemnizing a mass, and a statue of Augustus III., all cut out of the rock of salt, which is in enormous masses, and in general most beautifully crystallized. A second pleasure-trip may be made to the marvellous caverns of Czaiowice, lying in the midst of scenery worthy of melo-dramatic imitation. Dark forests, frowning precipices, subterraneous torrents, castles, donjons, and the bones of those who had taken refuge in the caves, from the scourge of war and pestilence, would furnish forth materials for the most gloomy scene-painter of the most gloomy spectacle.

At Cracau there are two fairs every year, which are well frequented. In the whole territory there are only 100 national guards (infantry,) 40 cavalry, and 200 mounted and dismounted of ficers of police. There is a good deal of commerce in grain.

We need not follow the author through the small towns on the road to Warsaw, but shall join him at that capital, which contains 99,000 souls, independent of the garrison, amounting to 20,000 more. It is now the capital of Poland; and has been, since the time of Sigismond III., the ordinary residence of her kings. It is situated on a considerable hill, on the left bank of the Vistula, and consists of an old and new town, suburbs, (which are the most beautiful parts of the capital,) and four conterminous towns, having each their exclusive privileges, and their respective townhouses; their names are Grzybow, Leszno, Szolec, and Prague. Prague, formerly of a large extent, was totally destroyed by Suwarrow, in the war of 1794. More than 2000 inhabitants, without distinction of sex and age, were butchered by the cruel soldiery. It was afterwards rebuilt; but, in the war of 1816, it was again partly pulled down, to make room for fortifications, and a

tête de pont. Thei is actively rebuildin tiful and general

Duke Constantine has there a palace, and usually represents, puty, the citizens of these suburbs the General Diet. These, and such like liberal proceedings, heal gradually the wounds formerly inflicted on the Poles. Prague is separated from Warsaw by the Vistula, and communicates with the capital by a flying bridge of 263 toises in length, which is speedily to give way to a more permanent one in masonry and chain-work, after a model by Mr Metzel.

The castle, on a lofty and imposing situation, commands the Vistula and its opposite banks. It contains many superb and interesting apartments, adorned with pictures, marbles, and bronzes. The palaces and public buildings, to judge from the descriptions, and from the very neat prints with which this volume is adorned, are very magnificent. Chaste in their architecture, splendid in their extent, and classical in their embellishments, they would honour any capital in the world; and yet one has never heard of Warsaw as distinguished for architectural beauty. In the midst of the large court of the Academy, a statue of KOPERNIK, (Copernicus), who was by birth a Pole, and had been educated in the University of Cracau, is by this time erected. The churches, the hospitals, and the schools, are numerous and handsome. Many of the streets, squares, and places, are spacious and beautiful, some of them ornamented by statues and pillars. Thorwaldson is employed on a bronze equestrian statue, in memory of Prince Joseph Poniatowski, to be placed in some one of the principal squares. There are some streets in the city, as in all places of antiquity, which are narrow, and the houses of which are very high; but improvements are daily made in these respects.

Our author enumerates the merits of the different inns, coffee-houses, restaurateurs, &c. in every place he describes, with all the zest of a connoisseur; and perhaps the capital may boast of many which are of the first order. We must, however, take all this cum grano, especially as to accommodations on the road; for we have been cautioned against believing

Poland.

&c. of our author call good inns in hey do very well for the who carry their beds, and proaccommodations with them on their Journeys, as is the custom in other northern countries, as Prussia, Russia, and even some parts of Germany. In England, where the population is great, and where constant and frequent intercourse is kept up, for the sake of business or pleasure, the encourage ment to innkeepers is great, and the inns and their accommodations proportionably good. This is not the case in other northern climes, where the innkeeper does not feel it worth his while to risk any expence upon the accommodation of his employer. Indeed, our author himself observes, at p. 94, that although there is some improvement in the inns," it is still almost indispensible for a foreigner travelling in Poland, to take his bed along with him, which he could rarely omit with safety, even in the towns.'

[June, We shall extract one more description, and then take leave of that department. This passage is not from the pen of Krasinski, but is extracted by him from another work. It sa vours somewhat of the style of the Arabian Nights Entertainments; but our readers must judge for themselves. It is a description of Arcadia, a country seat of the Princess Radzivill.

"It is to the exquisite taste of this lady, that this place is indebted for its magnificence; all that Art and Nature have produced of rarity and price, in the most distant countries, are brought together here; and it seems as if they had contested for pre-eminence in the production of their treasures.

"You enter by a house, having the appearance of a Dutch farm; scarce have you crossed the threshold of the door, which proves to be the entrance of a palace of crystal, than you believe yourself to be in an enchanted hall;-porphyry-bronzemirrors-crystals and marble, disposed with skill and taste, complete the illusion. On leaving this splendid apartment, you pass by a shady walk to a grotto, which you reach by steps contrived in the enormous masses of rock of which the grotto is formed. The grotto serves as an entrance to a building, whose appearance is that of a Gothic castle, adorned with armour and chivalric devices; and which seems to have of the olden time. Leaving this, you pass been the residence of some preux chevalierby an open arcade to a bold arch in the Grecian style, which serves as a frame to the charming landscape formed by the evergreen thickets which surround the temple. The gates of the temple are of precious materials (acajou,) and are opened by a key of gold, enriched with diamonds. The vestibule is in the form of a rotunda, lighted by a cupola in the daytime, and by a Cupid, in a niche, bearing a torch, at night. On advancing, you are surprised to see the The first of these is a museum, containing rotunda change into a suite of apartments. every thing that is most curious-in cameos

Several newspapers and literary magazines are published at Warsaw. There are many well stocked bookshops;-15 printing presses;-two lithographic establishments;—and several engravers ;-academies for designing after nature;-and an annual exhibition of paintings, which last year contained 180 works in painting and engraving ;-rewards are given by government for the best perform ances; a royal academy, founded in 1816, by the Emperor Alexander; an academy for the instruction of the deaf and dumb ;-an academy of music;-a dramatic school;-and four schools on the Lancasterian plan. Among the numerous manufactures of the place, it is remarkable that there are above 50 coach-making establishments, in which branch there is a considerable export trade. In War- Etruscan vases- -fragments of inscripsaw there are 220 streets, and nearly 4000 houses-3000 of which are of masonry, covered with tiles, and the remainder are of wood. The wooden houses are gradually disappearing, and give room for new and splendid buildings in stone; and it is not now lawful to build in wood. The streets are paved with various sized stones, the inequality of which, although they are carefully repaired, renders them unpleasant to foot passengers. The city, and its suburbs, are lighted with argand lamps..

tions bas reliefs-tripod candelabras, &c. The imposing aspect of the temple, strikes you, on your entrance, with a sort of religious awe; and carries you, in imagination, back to the days of the oracles of old. The grandeur of the vase and of the cupola, charms and seduces the eye, which reposes with delight upon those walls of white marble, adorned with Corinthian columns, and statues of Vestal virgins, guarding the sacred fire which burns upon the altar. The harmonious tones of an organ increase the charm; and, in the midst of the sweetest sensations that the soul can enjoy, you find yourself, as it were by enchant

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ment, hurried out of the sanctuary;-suddenly your sight is plunged upon (plongée sur) a lake, though which a river forces its way, bearing along the foam occasioned by its recent fall, near the ruins of a hand some aqueduct, which serves as a bridge to enable you to make the tour of the lake, and to obtain a view of the façade of the temple.

"Following the flowery banks of this river, you reach an isle, where there is placed a monument of black marble, on which rests a figure of white marble, in the reposing attitude of the St Cecilia of Bernini at Rome, which changes the interest of the inscription, Et in Arcadia ego,' to that inspired by the epitaph on the tomb,

J'ai fait Arcadie et j'y repose.'

ans.

on the exact model in Tivoli, the other of The first is destined for Poland; it contains a great man cient Polish armour shields, helmets bres; it is overhung with standards won in the battles with Turks, Crusaders, AustriThere stand around at the wall, the of great generals and poets; some with some cenotaphs of conspicuous men of old; those relics of bones, some empty-all with appropriate emblems and mottos. That of an ancient poet, Kochanowski, hung over with inscription-Sta Sol. In a dim under vault a lyre; that of Copernicus with a sublime of this temple, an obelisk of black Carpa thian marble

placed, to the memory of the Prince Poniatowski, who fell in the battle at Leipsic. The Emperor Alexander having visited this temple, adorned hereafter its cupola, which was open, with a large glass made expressively for this purpose; through which a dim and sombre day-light Poles. falls on the glorious remains of the ancient

Then you have the picturesque ruins of the ancient habitation of the god Pan; the sacrifice to Esculapius, surrounded by his attributes; the isle of offerings, which you reach by a flying-bridge, fixed to the banks by cordage. The circus, constructed on the Grecian model, and of the same size, is filled with monuments of marble, and of Oriental granite of the highest antiquity. contains chiefly the antiquities of middle "The other, that is the Gothic temple, A chapel, lately constructed at the gate ages, of all foreign countries and nations; leading from the park, and in the middle they consist mostly in ancient and modern of a meadow enamelled with flowers, is tomb-stones-rare books and manuscripts above all remarkable. Its massive exte--portraits. Among the last is to be seen, rior gives it the majestic appearance of a sarcophagus. It is elevated on four arches, which serve as supports to it. It is ornamented in the interior by some copies in Sepia, of the works of the best painters, by Seydelman, an artist celebrated for the spirit and truth with which he gives the character of the painters after whom he designs. Among these, there is the Virgin, after Raphael,-Sacrifice of Emanuel, after Rembrandt,-Repose in Egypt, after Ferdinand Boll,-Magdalen, after Bottoni, and others.

"Delille has consecrated this spot, by his admirable description of it in his immortal poem, LES JARDINS.

"But the most beautiful place in Poland that has been equally chaunted by Delille, is Pulawy, the usual country residence of the Prince Czartoryski. Nature, art, taste, expence, all seem to have been combined to adorn it. It is situated on the

pro

minent banks of the Vistula. The buildings are shaded over with an extensive park, or rather dark grove; where, in a beautiful variety, are to be seen, Chinese Kiosks and precipices, hermitages and subterraneous grottos a colossal statue of the dying Clarinda, supported by Tancred, in white marble of Carara-epitaphs hewn in the rock for the deceased friends of that illus trious family. These, and such like objects, strike the attention of a traveller; yet it is not a place of beauty alone, but also of veneration. To it the natives resort, as in pilgrimage, to gratify their patriotic feelings; for there are two temples-one built

the Portrait of Raphael, painted by himself, on wood. Besides, this splendid seat of Prince Czartoryski's, who, like the Dukes of Weimar in Germany, are Mecænasses of learned men in Poland, and who themselves bear a high literary character-is enriched by the largest library in Poland, containing about 110,000 volumes, in different languages. Especially, there is the richest store of manuscripts, particularly relating to the history of Poland.”

reached the highest degree of perfecPOSTING, we are informed, has tion in Poland. The postillions are worthy. The horses, chiefly from the active, sober, intelligent, and trustUkraine and Russia, are indefatigable, strong, although small, and full of fire and action. The celerity with which the traveller is conveyed from stage to stage is agreeable in many respects. Even on 66 obliged, as in Germany, to kick his postes doubles," he is not heels while the horses are baiting. The public carriages, which regularly travel on the great roads, are on the model of those in England. They travel night and day. At every post-house, in which travellers are entitled to en(station de poste,) a register is kept, ter any complaints they may have to make of the postboys, &c., whose deceptions, inattention, or impertinence, if established, are severely punished.

*

Poland.

is under the superdirection generale des Those who do not wish to travel post, may find in every place voituriers in great numbers, among whom are many Jews, who will contract to convey them, at a small expense, distances of 20 or 30 miles, or farther, travelling at the rate of 10 or 12 miles a-day. When arrived at the end of the stipulated journey, the voi turier is sure to meet with a fare back again, and the traveller with the means of further conveyance. The probity of these voituriers is well established, and they may be safely entrusted with valuable effects, or money, to be conveyed to distant places. These advantages in travelling will be further increased by the rapid improvement of the roads, which proceeds with activity under the superintendance of govern

ment.

THE FORESTS are of great extent, particularly those in the north. Notwithstanding this, the roads are safe; and accidents of robbery or murder committed, are almost unheard of in Poland.

THE VILLAGES are of great length, and consist of thatched wooden houses. Those of the better order of peasants contain spacious and commodious apartments. Of late years, houses of stone are often met with. In many places there are as it were colonies of gentlemen farmers. They are the descendants and worthy rivals of those nobles who, under the name of pospolite, have given such proofs of devotion and fidelity to their native land, and from whom also the most celebrated individuals, and the most distinguished families, take their origin.

The richest inhabitants of the cities, as well as the nobles, have all their CHATEAUS, or country houses, with parks and gardens, which rival in beauty, and in the works of art which adorn them, those of France and Germany. These mighty improvements are only the work of later years. While all other nations were making exertions to extend their commerce and their territory, to build new cities, and generally to improve and to beautify

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themselves, Poland, from its geoga phical position (the bulwark of Germany,) was continually subject to the invasions of the Turks, the Tartars, the Swedes, the Cossacks, &c. Thus repose and tranquillity, so necessary for purposes of improvement, if obtained at all, were necessarily employed in repairing the ravages of war. But a few years of peace have shewn that the spirit of improvement is not wanting, if the means are afforded.

THE SOIL in general is fertile, and produces a great variety of different kinds of grain. Wine, bread, and coffee, are universally allowed to be of surpassing excellence." If you want your coffee strong, ask for Polish coffee; if weak, call for German." Formerly, the Hungarian wines were consumed in great quantity, and they are still to be met with of ancient vintages at the tables of rich proprietors, and, above all, of ecclesiastics, who have kept them more than a century in their cellars. Of late years the French have introduced a taste for their own wines, which are now to be met with, in variety and good, in all the small towns and private houses. English ale and porter are now a common beverage; and champagne, mixed with a profusion of seltzer water, is the usual cooling drink in the hottest sea

son.

THE PEASANTRY, who are declared free by the constitutions of 1791, 1807, and 1815, though not very far advan ced in civilization, are laborious, and abound in good qualities. They are devoted to their landlords, and are easily guided to improvement. They are not in general proprietors of the soil, but possessors of portions allotted them by their landlord, (Seigneur,) who receives his rent in labour, the. peasant working for him so many days in the week, called by the French corvée;t this practice is restrained by laws preventing its abuse. Every peasant may quit his landlord if injured or dissatisfied. In some districts the peasants rise to be farmers, both hereditary and for terms of years; and it hoped that the condition of this class will improve from day to day.

is

* The Polish mile is nearly six English miles.

+ A practice of this sort prevailed a few years ago, and perhaps still prevails, in Northumberland, where the cottagers were obliged to do bondage work, as they called it, for the landlord.

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