BOOK « m a y footh, i f not fatisfy, the demands o f hunger; but we
j “ have travelling appetites, and are not faftidious.”— “ You
“ are not', however, without knives, forks, and fpoons ; for
e< fuch conveniences are not known among the peafants.”
« We each of us carry a- clafp-knife are now and then
“ fo fortunate as to meet with a wooden fpoon ; and never
“ regret the want of a fork.” Here our noble hoftefs made a
propofal to fupply us with knives,, forks, and fpoons, together
with wine and. provifion : upon our declining this offer,
ihe pleafantly replied, « Perhaps you are above accept-
“ ing them ; I know the Engliih are very haughty -, will
« you purchafe them ?” We made' anfwer," that we were not
afraid of laying ourfelves under any obligations to a perfon.
of her politenefs and generofity ; but that the objedt of our
travels was to gratify curiofity rather than appetite ; and that
we thought ourfelves moft likely to become acquainted with-
the domeftic ceconomy of the peafants, by partaking of their
accommodations, and by relying on them for the fupply
of our wants. Willing, however, not to appear rude in a
rejection of the whole offer, we accepted a few bottles of
wine.
The countefs did us the honour to conduit us herfelf
through the apartments of the palace, which is a large
building in the Italian tañe ; and, on account of its grandeur
and magnificence, generally called the Verfailles of Poland.
It was formerly only a royal hunting feat ; John Cafimir
gave it, together with Bialliftock and other eftates, to
Czarnieiki, a general highly diftinguiihed by his victories
over the Swedes at the time that Poland was nearly
cruihed by her enemies. Among the curiofities pre-
ferved in the palace is a golden cup, which Czarnieiki ufed
after
after the cuftom of thofe times to wear faftened to his girdle; c ^ p-
and an embroidered fafh which he took among the >— ,—j
fpoils after a defeat of Charles X. and fuppofed to belong
to that monarch. Czarnieiki left one daughter, who married
Braniiki the father of the late great general, by which marriage
the eftate came into that family. There is one apartment
which Auguftus III. ufed to occupy whenever he paffed
this way to the diet of Grodno ; and which, out of refpedt to
the memory of their late fovereign, is left in its original
ftate. In another room is a fine portrait of Auguftus in his
royal robes, with his head ihaved in the Polifh faihion, as he
appeared on the day of his coronation. In the afternoon
we drove about the park and grounds, which are very exten-
five, and elegantly laid out in the Engliih tafte.
We clofed this agreeable day with a fupper at the palace,
and took leave, with regret, of its amiable and noble miftrefs.
Auguft 13. We fet off early from Bialliftock : for fome
way we traverfed a continued foreft ; afterwards the country
became more open, abounding with corn and pafture ; the
towns and villages were long and ftraggling; all the houfes,
and even the churches, of wood; crouds of beggars fur-
rounded our carriage whenever we flopped ; Jews made their
appearance without end. About four we arrived at Grodno ;
we firft paffed through fome wretched fuburbs inhabited by
Jews, and ferried over the Niemen, which is broad, clear,
and fhallow, afcended the rifing banks, and came to the
town, which is built upon an eminence overlooking the
river.
Though Vilna is the capital, yet Grodno is efteemed the
principal town in Lithuania.
Formerly Lithuania was entirely unconnected with Poland,
and was governed by its own fovereigns under the
E e 2 title