months in fight of us: its general, tranquil at prefent within his entrenchments, impatiently waits, until, forced by famine, Í fhall furrender myself at difcretion. powerful Deity, if a God, the protector of Poland, has infpired me with this hardy project, to terminate her evils; if thy good fortune fhall procure a fuccefs equal to thy courage, what a glorious profperity will be achieved by means of this noble daring! M. de P Behind my camp are marfhes which he thinks impracticable: the moment that it is night, we fhall traverse them. I have difpofed of will no fee, in every thing in fuch a manner that my camp, other than citizen-folthe enemy will be deceived, and diers, the foes of foreigners, but not perceive my retreat until it is ftill faithful to their king: under too late. I hope therefore to be my patriotic tents, he will refpire, able to fteal more than an hour's as it were, the air of liberty, and march upon them, and, if fortune the love of his country: the enefeconds me, perhaps a whole day. mies of the ftate fhall become his; I fhall advance ftraight forward to our brave nobility, afhamed of their Warfaw by the great road that indolence, will readily combat unleads to that capital, notwithstand-der the royal banners, for the coming the efforts of the little Ruffian bands who hover continually in its neighbourhood. I fhall either encounter and conquer thefe feparately, or, if they form a junction on purpose to ftop my progrefs, I fhall at least be able to occupy their attention in fuch a manner that they will not be able to impede your operations. In the mean time, Lovzinfki, you will have preceded me. Your forty followers, difguifed, and armed only with fabres, poniards and piftols concealed under their clothes, fall have arrived at Warsaw by different roads. You must wait there until the king has left his pa. face: you are then to carry him off, and to bring him to my camp. The enterprise is bold-raf, if you please fo to term it; the march to Warfaw is difficult; the ftay in it dangerous; the return from it extremely perilous. If you are vanquifhed, if you are taken prisoner, you will perish, Lovziniki! but you will perith a martyr to liberty and Pulauki, jealous of fo glorious an end, fighing at being obliged to furvive you, fhall fend Ruffians, thousands of Ruffians, to accompany you to the tomb! But on the contrary, if an all mon caufe; the Ruffians fhall either be cut in pieces, or be obliged to pafs the frontiers :-my friend, in thee thy country fhall behold her faviour! * * * Pulaufki kept his word. That very night he accomplished his retreat, with equal fkill and success, by traverfing the marches in profound filence. My friend, laid my father-in-law to me, as foon as we were out of the reach of the enemy, it is now time that you should leave us. I know well that my daughter has more courage than another woman; but he is a tender wife, and an unfortunate mother. Her tears will affect you, and you will lofe in her embraces that strength of mind, that dignity of foul, which now be come more neceffary to you than ever: I advise you, therefore, to be gone, without bidding her farewell. Pulaufki preffed me, but in vain, for I was unable to confent. As foon as Lodoifka knew that I should depart a one, and perceived the we were refolved not to inform her whither, the thed torrents of tests, and strove to detain me. I beg to hesitate. Lovzinfki, cries my father-th at this critical moment, Lov. 7 depart! Wife, children, relations, all ought to be facrificed, when it is necessary for the falvation of your country. I inftantly mount my horfe, and make fuch hafte, that I arrive by the middle of the next day at Czenftachow. I here found forty brave men waiting for me, and determined for the moft hazardous enterprife. Gentlemen, faid I to them, we are now met on purpose to carry a king out of the midft of his own capital. Those capable of attempting fuch a bold enterprife, are alone capable of effecting it either fuccefs or death awaits us! : After this fhort harangue, we prepare to depart. Kaluviki forewarned of our defign had already procured twelve waggons, loaded with hay and straw, each of which was drawn by four good horfes.` We inftantly difguife ourselves as peasants; we hide our clothes, qur fabres, our piftols, and the faddles of our horfes, in the hay with which our waggons were partly filled; we agree upon certain figns, and I give them a watch-word, to be ufed according to circumstances. -Twelve of the confpirators, commanded by Kaluvíki, enter into Warfaw, accompanied by as many waggons, which they themfelves conduct. I divide the reft of my little troop into feveral brigades, on purpose to avoid fufpicion: each is ordered to march at fome distance from the other, and to gain the capital by different gates. We depart, and on Saturday the 2d of November, 1771, arrive at Warfaw, and lodge together at a convent belonging to the Domini cans. On the next day, which was Sunday, and which will for ever form a memorable ep ch in the annals of Poland, one of my people , of the name of Stravinski, being covered with rags, places himself near the collegiate church, and foon after proceeds, demanding charity even at the gates of the royal palace, where he obferves every thing that paffed. Several of the confpirators walked up and down the fix narrow ftreets in the neighbourhood of the great fquare, where Kaluvfki and myself were pofted. We remain in abufcade during the whole day, and part of the after noon. At fix o'clock at night the king leaves the palace; he is followed, and is feen to enter the hotel of his uncle, the grand chancellor of Lithuania. All our followers receive notice of this event, and affemble inftantly: they throw off their miferable clothes, faddle their horfes, and prepare their arms, in the large fquare belonging to the convent, where their movements are entirely concealed. They then fally forth, one after the other, under favour of the night. Too well known in Warfaw to hazard appearing there without difguifing myfelt, I ftill wear my peafant's drefs, and I mount an excellent horfe, caparifoned, however, after the common manner. I then point out to my followers the different pofts in the fuburbs, which I had affigned them before our departure from the convent, and they were difperfed in fuch a manner, that all the avenues to the palace of the grand chancellor were carefully and ftrictly guarded. Between nine and ten o'clock at night, the king comes forth on purpose to return home; and, we remark, with joy, that his attendants were far from being numerous. The carriage was preceded by two men, who carried flambeaux, fome officers of his fuite, two gentlemen and an efquire followed. i know not what was the name of the grandee in the coach along with the king. There were two pages, one at at each door, two heydukes running by the fide of the equipage, and three footmen, in the royal livery, behind. The king proceeds flowly part of my people affemble at fome diftance; twelve of the most determined fpring forward: I put my felf at their head, and we advance at a good pace. the hair; feven or eight of the confpirators furround, difarm, overpower him, and preffing him between their horfes, make off at full gallop, towards the end of the ftreet. During this moment, I confess to you, that I thought Pulauki had bafely deceived me; that the death of the monarch was refolved upon, and that a plot had been formed to affaffinate him. All of a fudden I form my re As there was a Ruffian garrifon at that very moment in Warfaw, we affect to fpeak the language of thofe foreigners, fo that our pettyfolves; I clap fpurs to my horse, troop might be mistaken for one of their patroles. We overtake the carriage at about a hundred and fifty paces from the grand chancellor's palace, and exactly between thofe of the bishop of Cracow, and of the late grand ge⚫neral of Poland. All of a fudden we pass the heads of the foremost horfes, fo that those who preceded, found themfelves feparated from those who furrounded the royal equipage. I inftantly give the fignal agreed upon. Kaluviki gallops up with the remainder of the confpirators: I prefent a piftol to the poftil on who inftantly ftops; the coachman is fired upon, and is precipitated beneath the wheels. Of the two heydukes who endeavoured to defend their prince, one drops, pierced with two balls; the other is overturned by means of a back-handed ftroke from a fabre, which he receives on the head; the fteed be longing to the efquire fails down covered with wounds; one of the pages is difmounted, and his horfe taken; piftol-balls fly about in all directions-in fhort, the 'attack was fo hot, and the fire fo violent, that I trembled for the king's life. He himself, however, preferving the utmoft coolness in the midft of the danger, had now defcended from his carriage, and was ftriving to regain his uncle's palace on foot. Kaluviki arrefts and feizes him by overtake the little band, cry out to them to ftop, and threaten to kill the first perion who should dare to disobey me. That God who is the protector of good kings, watched over the fafety of M. de P --! Kaluvski and his followers ftop at the found of my well-known voice. We mount the king on horseback, make off at full fpeed, and regain the ditch that furrounded the city, which the monarch is constrained to leap, in company with us. At that moment a panic terror takes poffèffion of my troop; at fifty paces diftant from the ramparts, there were no more than feven who turrounded the perfon of the king. The night was dark and rainy, and it was neceflary to difmount at every inftant, on purpose to found the morafs with which we were furrounded. The horse on which the monarch rode fell twice, and broke his leg at the fecond fall during thefe violent movements, his majefty loft his peliffe, and the fhoe belonging to his left foot. If you wish that I fhould follow you, fa,s he to us, you must furnish me with another horse and a pair of boots. We remount him once more, and, on purpose to gain the road by which Pulaufski had promised me to * Fur cloak. advance advance, we refolve to pass through a village called Burakow but the king exclaims, Do not go that way; there are Ruffians there! I immediately change our route; but in proportion as we advance through the wood of Beliany, our number continues to diminish. In a fhort time I perceive nobody around me but Kaluvíki and Stravinski: a few minutes after, we are challenged by a Ruffian centinel on horfeback, at whole voice we inftantly ftop, greatly alarmed for our fafety. Let us kill him! cries the ferocious Kaluvíki, pointing to the king. I inftantly avow to him, without difguile, the horror which fuch a propofition infpired me with. Very well, you may then take upon you the tafk of conducting him, adds this cruel hearted man, who immediately after precipitates himfelf into the woods. Stravzintki follows him, and I alone remain with the king. effects of which are eafieft to be feen, is ambition. As this paffion fometimes grows fo violent, as to abforb all the powers of the mind, fo it is oftentimes of the greateft benefit to mankind in general, and to thofe who are governed by it; nor does it féem reafonable to fuppofe that the benevolent Author of our being fhould have implanted in us paffions fo powerful, as at times to be beyond the reach of reason, were it not to fome ufeful purpofe, and contributory to our happiness. The defire of glory is not blameable in it elf, but worthy of praife ; therefore, if ambition can be in any wife accounted criminal, it must be from its effects, which are ufually pure as the fpring from whence they How. It may, indeed, be urged, that it has been the occafion of much mifchief, and that it fometimes pufhes men on to commit unjust actions, to obtain the object of its wifh; but this is not often the cafe, fince difhonour always attends on injustice, and it confequently counteracts its own ends. Though in fome cafes it may have been the cause of injuftice, yet it is, on the contrary, generally the fource of the greateft and noblest achievements. in youth, when reafon is not yet in its bloffom, it fires the mind of man, and haftens him on in the purfuit of glory, to acts worthy of reafon the moft refined and exalted; and when he arrives at a mature age, then reafon affumes her authority, and what in the beginning was only an enthufiaftic paflion, ends in the most folid and permanent virtue. Were we ftrictly to examine the conduct of our greatest men, both ancient and modern; could we lay open their hearts before us, and view them in every part, it would in moft cafes appear, that ambition was their grand and primary mo. tive of action: we should fee them difdaining a difhonourable action, not from any conscientious motives, but merely for the prefervation of that ineftimable gem, their honour; and thus grafping at fame, at length fatiate themfelves with the fhadow of virtue, and purfue the original itfeif; fenfible by experience, that this alone is the foundation of all their hopes. Inftead of complaining of what we conceive to be imperfections, we fhould confider, that, the great Being who gave us all the paffions, likewife gave us reason to direct them; and no doubt but all was for our good. We examine but one fide of the object, and immediately pronounce our judgment; but were we thoroughly to confider and inveftigate his works, we should find, "All difcord, harmony not under: flood, "All partial evil, universal good." We ought therefore, for thefe reafons, to confider ambition as a bleffing neceffary to our profperity, and cultivate it accordingly; ohferving only, that we point out the proper path, which we may be afured it will purfue. T. J mifery, rather than be the occafion of his acting against his judgment and his confcience. Crook, ftruck with the exalted fentiments, and ftrengthened with the farther encouragements, of fo dear and perfuafive a friend, altered his purpose, and not only gave his opinion against the king, but argued with a noble boldness and firmnels on the fide of law and liberty. The VISION of FEMALE EXCEL LENCE. Beauty in vain her sparkting eyes may roll: Charms ftrike the fight-but merit wins the foul. POPE Say, man-wbat more delights thee than the fair? We rule the noisy world-but they rule us; Then teach them how to guide, and hold the rein, with judgruent. Folly, and the fhame of vice. N the month of May, when na ture puts on her gayeft robes, I paffed a few weeks at a friend's country-houfe. As its diftance from town was inconfiderable, I walked thither, and fauntering along amufed myself with the picturesque fcenes prefented to my view. Quitting the confined metropolis, I, with agile foot, tripped over the dewy mead, and my heart thrilled with the livelieft fenfations of joy; Nor palace, theatre, nor proud exchange, Here lift their heads, but fir-trees, beach, and pine, O'er verdant valleys, and on pleasant hills, Lift up the thoughtful mind from earth to heaven. My |
