b o o k variegated tints and rich fragrance of the flowers, joined to
, . j , the tranfparency and murmurs, of the fountain, produce a
moil plealing, effecft, and, together with the coolnefs of the
apartment, render it a delicious retreat from the heats of
fummer. The Viftula winds along at a fmall diftance from
the palace, through a fandy and almoft level country.
In the evening we accompanied prince Staniflaus to his
majefty’s villa, fecure of palling an interefting evening, but it
was now embittered with the idea that it would never again be
repeated, and that this was the laft time o f our being admitted
to the company of fo amiable a monarch. In the following
converfation I had an additional proof of his humanity and
condefcenfion : “ You have been to the prifons * , and I am
“ afraid you found them in a wretched condition.” To have
. mentioned all their abufes, when I knew that his majefty
could not alter them, would only have been an infult; I endeavoured
therefore to palliate my anfwer, by remarking,
what is but too true, that in feveral inftances they were not
fo badly regulated as in England. “ I am furprized,” returned
the king, “ that a nation, who fo juftly piques itfelf
“ for its humanity, fhould be deficient in fo eflential an ar-
* tide of police.” I then ventured, with as much delicacy
as poffible, to point out one material abul'e in the prifons
of Warfavv, which I thought might probably be in his
majefty’s power to alleviate at leaft, i f not to remedy.
The circumftance which I alluded to was, that there is
no feparate room for the accommodation of fick pri-
foners; at the fame time I begged pardon for this in-
ftance of prefumption, which nothing but my compaflion
for the unfortunate could have extorted from me. “ He
* See the latter part o f Châp. V ,
“ w h o
“ who pleads the Caufe of the unhappy,” replied his majefty,
« is always liftened to; with pleafure an expreflion I ftlall > ■ „
never forget, and which convinced me, by the pathetic manner
in which it was uttered, that it was the real fentimehts o f
his heart. The turn of the converfation led the king to enlarge
upon the code of laws preparing for the infpeétion of
the approaching ;diet ; when his majefty expatiated, with
peculiar fatisfa<ftion, upon feveral beneficial regulations calculated
to promote the impartial adminiftration of jüfticé.
“ Happy Englifhmen !” exclaimed the king, “ your honfe is
“ rafted, and minois ye t to build.” Every part of this conference
imprelfed me with the higheft opinion of thé king’s
benevolence, patriotifm, and legiilative abilities.
After fupper, which pafiTed off no lefs agreeably than the
preceding entertainments, w.e were prefented to take leave, «
when the king condefcended to inquire of us the route we
intended to take ; and to-point out what was moil likely to
occur worthy of obfervation. “ Your majefty,” I ventured
to obferve, “ has.omitted the manufactures which you have
“ eftabliihed at Grodno “ An Engl ill) man,” replied the
king, “ after having feen. the manufactures of his own
“ country,, will find little deferving his curiofity in any other,
“ and particularly in this kingdom, where there is fueh a
“ fettled averfiontocommer.ce.. The eftabliihment at Grodno
“ is but a beginning : I confider it only as a pledge of my fu-
“ ture intentions.” I then mentioned the new regulations in
theuniverfity of Vilna,and the foundation of.aphyfic-garden
at Grodno. “ You are deceived by the fimilarity of names«..
“ An Englilh univerfity is as much fuperior to foreign fe*
“ minaries, as your nation ,excels all others in the cultivation
* See C h a p ,,V I . article G r o d n o .
i, “ o f