b o o k lighter pieces of poetry, by no means contemptible, and an
v— 'indifferent epic poem; but the work of chief poetical excellence
in our tongue is a fine tranflation of the Gerufalemm
Liberata of Taffo, far fuperior to any tranflations of that admirable
poem in other languages; fome Italians of tafte and
judgement have efteemed it not much inferior to the original
performance.” I then took the liberty of inquiring
about the hiflorical productions of Poland ; when the king
informed me, that they had no good hiftory of their country
in Poliih, which he looked upon as a national reflection,
though he flattered himfelf it would foon be removed, as a
perfon of genius and erudition, admirably calculated for the
undertaking, was now employed in that work. Upon ex-
preffing my furprize at a circumftance almoft peculiar to
Poland, that they had no hiftory in their native tongue, his
majefty condefcended to acquaint me, that they had feveral
excellent hiftorians, all of whom however had written in
Latin; “ the knowledge of this language,” his majefty remarked,
*f is very general among the Poles ; the earlieft
“ laws are all drawn up in Latin until the reign of Sigifmond
“ Auguftus, when they began to be compofed in the verna-
“ cular language; the older Pabla Convenía are all in
“ Latin ; thofe of Ladiílaus IV. being the firft that appeared
“ in Polifli.” This converfation, in which I was at a lofs
whether to admire moft the knowledge or condefcenfion of
the king, was interrupted by the prince, who propofed a turn
in the garden before fupper : his highnefs led the way, and
the company followed; we paffed through a fubterraneous
paffage, long and winding, with here and there a fingle lamp,
* I had feveral opportunities o f remark- converfed in that language with a common
ing the prevalency of the Latin tongue in foldier, who flood guard at the entrance:
Poland ; when I vifited the prifons, I he fpoke it with great fluency.
which
which fhed a glimmering ligh t ; we came at length to a CHAP'
wooden door, which feemed the entrance into fome hovel; ■ m' •
it opened, and we found ourfelves, to our great aftoniihment,
in afuperb faloon, illuminated with innumerable lamps. It
was a rotunda, with an elegant dome of the moft beautiful
fymmetry ; in the circumference were four open recedes
between pillars of artificial marble * : in the recefles were
fophas, with paintings in frefco, reprefenting the triumphs
of Bacchus, Silenus, Love, and the victory of the Emprefs of
Ruflia over the Turks. As we were all admiring the beauty
and elegance of the rotunda, our ears were on a fudden regaled
with a concert of exquifite muficfrom aninvifible band.
While we were liftening to this agreeable performance, and
conjecturing from what quarter it came, a magnificent table
was fuddenly fpread in the midft of the faloon with fuch expedition,
as to refemble the effeCts of enchantment. We immediately
fat down to fupper with the king, the prince, and
a chofen company : our fpirits were elevated by the beauty
of the faloon, by the hofpitality of the prince, and by the
affability of the king; who, fo far from being a conftraint
to the fociety, greatly enlivened it by his vivacity, and feemed
the foul of the party. I never pafled a more agreeable
evening ; the converfation was animated and rational, while
the focial eafe and freedom, which diffufed itfelf through
every part of the company, realized this beautiful convivial
picture:
La Liberie convive aimable
Met les deux coudes fu r la table t.
Even without the luftre of a crown, which is apt to dazzle
°or judgements, the king of Poland could not fail of being
tion p’^ara are ° t the lame compofi- in Oxford Street,
n colour with thofe o f the Pantheon f Voltaire.
^0L‘ j l A a efteemed