b o o k Some alarming, fymptoms in Sobieiki's diforder having,
— »—j awakened the queen’s folicitude about the fucceflion to his.
fortune, (he eameftly importuned Zaluiki to prefent himfelf
before the king^and .infinuate fome advice with refpedl to
the difpofitionsof his affairs. The bilhop, when he entered the
apartment,.finding, the king in an agony of excruciating
pain *, endeavoured-. to, give him comfort and hopes of
recovery... But Sobieiki replied,..“ I forefee my approaching
^-deathpmy fituation will be the fame to-morrow as it is to-
“ day ; all confolation is now too late;” then, fetching a
deep figh, his majeftyaiked him “ why he. came fo feldom to
“ court, and in what manner- he employed himfelf at his,
“ diocefe alone !” Zaluiki, after expatiating-.upon the duties
o f his epifcopal office and the reiources of literature,
artfully turned the. difeoucfe to, the bufinefs in queftion...
“ Lately,” faid he, “ I have been employed .in no very
“ agreeable, yet neceffary duty : weighing the frail condition
“ of. human nature,, remembering, that as Socrates and
“ Plato fo all men muff die and coniideriog the diffenfions
“ which may arife among my relations after my deceafe, I*
“ have taken an inventory of, my effe61s,.jmd have difpofed
“ of them by will.”' The king,, who faw the-purport of his-
difQour-fe, interrupted him,.with,a loud laugh,and exclaimed,.,
in a quotation from Ju:venal t, “ 0 .medici, , mediant contun—
“ dite venamr “ What, my.Lord Bilhop ! you whofe judge-
“ ment and good fenfe 1 have fo ■ long/, efteemed, do you
“ make, your will ? What an ufelefs lofs of time !” &c,.
Not difcouraged by this Tally-, the bilhop perfevered in fug-
L gelling,.“ that in jufticerto his family and country he ought)
* Zaluiki, Epift. vol. I l l , p. 5-— 14. ‘ ‘ vein.” In applying this paflage, the king
1" Juvenal, Sat. V I . I. 4 °. “ Open..a meant to infinuate that the bilhop was mad,
5 “-without.
“ without delay to regulate the drfpofition o f his effects, and c^ ?'
“ to declare his final inclinations.” “ For God’s fake,” re- >— .— •
turned Sobieiki with a more ferious tone, “ do not fuppofe
“ that any good will arife in this age ! when vice has in-
“ creafed to fuch an enormous degree, as almoft to exclude
“ all hopes of forgivenefs from the mercy of the Deity ! Do
“ you not fee how great is the public iniquity, tumult, and
“ violence ? all ftrive who ihall blencl good and evil -without
“ diftinétion : the morals of my fubjedls are overturned
i will you again reftore them ? My orders are not attended
fl to while I am-alive can I expedt to be obeyed when I am
“ dead ? That man is happy-, who with his own hand dif-
“ pofes of his effedt% which cannot be entrufted with fecu-
“ rity to his executors while they who leave a wilT adl-
“ abfurdly, for configning to.the care.of others what is more
“ fecure in the hands of their neareft relations. Have not
“ the regulations of the kings my predeceffors been defpifed
“ after their deaths ? Where corruption univerfally prevails,
“ judgement is obtained by money : the voice of confcience
“ is not heard, and reafon and equity are no more.” Then
fuddenly giving a ludicrous turn to the converfation, he
exclaimed, “ What can you fay to this, Mr. Will-maker* !” '
On the 17 th o f June, the king growing,worfe, the bilhop
was again fummoned to Villanow, when his majefty heard
prayers, and was particularly fervent in his devotion. After-
dinner, .while he was converfing, with his ufual gaiety in .
the prefence of Zaluiki and the abbé. Polignac, he was fuddenly,
feized with a ftroke of apoplexy; but recovering a
little; he confeffed, and, having received abfolution and extreme
unétion, expired almoft without a groan, in the 66th
* Qjlid.ad haec Domine teftimentarie !
year