b o o k partifans inveighed with fuch bitternefs againft the preterv-
v - - fions of the diffidents and againftthe interference of foreign
powers ; that he, together with the biihop of Kiof and a
few others, the moft violent of their party, were arrefted in
the night by a corps of Ruffian troops, and fent, without
further trial, to Ruffia, where they experienced a rigorous
iinprifonment £
The
T he biihop o f Cracow and "his affoci-
ates were arrefted on the 15th o f October,
1 7 6 7 ; they were detained in prifon above
■five years, not being releafed before the beginning
o f 1.773. .They were firft confined
at Sraoleniko, and afterwards at Kaluga.
T h e following extraéis from fome manufcript
letters in my poffeffion give fome account o f
their imprifonment, and o f the biihop’s re«
turn :
“ A t firft their confinement was very ri-
* l gorous, and particularly in their journey
44 to Smoleniko^ fo-r although they were
44 conduced together, and then imprifoned
■i;i at the fame place, yet they were never
“ permitted to fee each other during the
<4 firft fix months. Afterwards they were
44 lefs rigorouily treated. They were re-
44 moved from Smolenlko on fufpicion o f a
“ correfpondence between the biihop o f
44 Cracow and his partifans in Lithuania;
44 and although this fufpicion was not
“ founded, yet it occafioned the refolution
“ adopted by the court o f Peteriburg to
44 tranfport them to Kaluga.” Warfaw,
23 February, 1773. 44 The-bifliop o f Cracow
“ is already arrived; he had difpatched an
44 exprefs from Minik to the Great Chan-
44 cellor o f the crown to announce his re-
44 turn on the 14th. The exprefs came on
u Thurfday afternoon, and was followed by
44 another the next day with the news, that
the biihop himfelf was on his route; and
“ in effedt he arrived at five in the after-
44 noon. In the fuburbs o f Praga, being
**• met by the pope’s nuntio, together with
■“ the hifliops o f Cujavia and Pofnania, he
S
1 quitted his own carriage, and got into
4 that o f the biihop of.Pofnania, into whofe
4 palace he alighted at Warfaw. He was
| accompanied 'by perfons o f the firft dif-
* tindlion, and followed by a crowd o f peo-
4 pie, huzzaing as he paffed the ftreets ;
4 fome out -of aftedtion, others from imita-
4 tion, or excited by fecret emiflaries. T h e
4 doors o f the palace being open to all who
4 chofe to enter, the apartments were im-
4 mediately filled with perfons o f all.ranks,
4 biihops, fenatOFSyTïriniftërs and officers o f
4 ftate, nobles, priefts, citizens, together
4 with the loweft o f the populace, and even
1 beggars, all huddled together pell-mell,
4 eager to behold, liften to, and applaud the
4 bifliop, who had fo unexpedtedly made
4 his appearance. He fpoke fo r a confi-
4 derable time, and related the hiftory o f
4 his imprifonment, which he afliired them
4 had not made any alteration in his fenti-
4 ments o f religion and liberty. 4 I have
14 been twice,’ added he, 4 arrefted by the
14 Ruffians, the firft time with the primate
44 Potoiki, the fécond at my late confine-
14 ment, and perhaps 1 may yet be caft into
4 prifon a third time/
44 He propofes to retire in a fliort time
4 to his diocefe, and it is reported that he
4 intends to forbid the priefts from wearing
4 wigs and ruffles : he himfelf wears neither.
4 His hair is grown grey fince his confine-
4 ment, and he looks eonfiderably older :
4 he covers his head with a red cap which
4 he made himfelf.
44 Yefterday he had an audience o f the
4 king, with whom he remained a full hour,
44 namely.
'The diet, intimidated by the fate of their leading mem- C^AI’-
bers, and being no longer inflamed by their eloquence, ap- >— <
pointed, though not without fome altercation and tumult, a
grand committee to adjuft the aflairs of the diffidents incon-
j undlion with the mediating powers, and then broke up. This
grand committee exprefled the moft favourable difpolition
towards the diffidents, and propofed that all the laws enacted
againft them ihould be repealed, and their antient privileges
reftored. Thefe refolutions being laid before the extraordinary
diet, which was convened the beginning o f the following year,
1,768, were ratified almaft without eppofition,. This ready
.and unanimous acquiefcence of .the .diet in regulations, totally
repugnant to the.fentiments of the majority, can only
be accounted for by the dread of.the Ruffian troops quartered
jn Warfaw, and the influence of bribes judicioufly diftributed
-by the Ruffian minifter. The operation of the fame caufes
.rendered the diet equally compliant in other particulars.;
and.induced them to eftablifli feveral* civil regulations,
- “ ■namely,-from ele-ven to . twelve. H e a d - ■“ their journey- T.he palatine, willing to
“ drefled his majeily with great .decency “ repay with gratitude and humanity the
and-refpefl; and, among other things, “ attention which he received from the
“ begged pardon, if, before Ms rureft, be “ .colonel during his confinement, could
had exprefled himfelf either in a manner “ not be. prevailed upon to quit him in
or in terms which were difpleafiug, af- “ his illnefsg. and a sh e -h a s fome know-
furing him at the fame time o f his attach- ■ “ ledge of.phyfic, he is in hopes o f com-
meet, fidelity, and zeal for the fervice o f “ pftting his cure.”
“ bit king, and die good of. his country, * Thefe regulations, which refpeft chiefly
After the audience he attended -mafs, and the eiiabliihing in perpetuity o f the eiec-
prefented ‘his majeily with the New Tef- tive monarchy, o f the Liberum Veto, and
; “ tament, acquitting: h imieif o f that cere- o f unanimity in - ail matters o f ilate, .are
mony with propriety and decorum. all detailed in the. articles of.-the diet o f
The bifliop o f Kiof having feparated 1768, publiilied at Warfaw : the principal
“ from the bifliop o f Cracow on the other claufes are the fame as are mentioned in
“ fide o f Minlk, will not.be here for fome the.fourth chapter o f this book relative to
“ time. The palatine o f Craqdw and his .the changes made , in the conilitution in
“ ion continue beewjen Smolenike and IC9- 1775 ; the reader will find them amply men-
4Muga, the place o f ,their confinement, in tioned and accompanied with fome judicious
■“ order to attend upon Colocel Bachinatou, remarks, in lan d ’ s Prefent State o f Poland
“ their conduaor, who was taken ill upon Letter III.
_ • !• ;E tending