b o o k “ c r e a f e d their apprehenfions for his life. T h e whole city
. “ was in an uproar.
The aflfaffins profited of the univerfal
i, and confternati'on, to bear away their
« confufion, terror,
“ prize. Finding, however, that he was incapable-of foliow-
H ing them on foot, and that he had already almoft loft his
refpiration from the violence with which they had dragged
him, they fet him on horfeback; and then redoubled
“ their fpeed for fear of being overtaken., When they came
u to the ditch which furrounds Warfaw, they obliged him
« to leap his horfe over. In the attempt the horfe fell twice,
« and at the fecond fall broke its leg. They then mounted
■“ his majefty upon another, all covered as he was with dirt.
“ The confpirators had no fooner crofted the ditch, than
they began to rifle the king, tearing off the order# of the
“ Black Eagle of Pruflia which he wore round his neck, and
■“ the diamond crofs hanging to it. He requefted them to
u leave him his handkerchief, which they confented to : his
“ pocket-book efcaped their rapacity.
“ A great number of the aflfaflins retired after having
11 thus plundered him, probably with intent to notify to their
-te refpedlive leaders the fuccefs of their enterprife ; and the
‘ t king’s arrival as a prifoner. Only feven remained with
o him, of whom Kofiniki was the chief. The night was
*l exceedingly dark; they were abfoluteiy ignorant of the
“ wa y; and, as the horfes could not keep their legs, they
“ obliged his majefty to follow them on foot, with only one
“ ihoe, the cither being loft in the dirt.
* M I t was Lukawiki, one o f the three
“ chiefs o f the band, who tore off the rib-
“ bon o f the Black Eagle, which his Pruffian
“ majefty had conferred on the king when
“ he was Count Poniatowiki. One o f his
'■**. motives for doing this, was by lhewing
“ the order o f the Black Eagle to Pulaibi
“ and the confederates, to prove to them
■“ inconteftibly that the king was in their
“ hands, and on his way, Luka wiki was
“ .afterwards executed^”
u They
“ They continued to wander through the open meadows,
« without following any.certain path, and without gettings
“ to any diftance from Warfaw. They again mounted the
§j king on horfeback, two of them holding him on each fide
“ by the hand, and a third leading his horfe by the bridle.
“ In this manner they were proceeding, when his majefty,
“ finding they had taken the road which led to a village called
■“ Burakow, warned them not to enter it, becaufe there were
“ fome Ruffians ftationed in that place who might probably
“ attempt to refcue him §§ Finding himfelf, however, in-
I capable of accompanying the aflaffins in the painful pof-
“ ture in which they held him kept down on the faddle, he
I requefted them, fince they were determined to oblige him.
II to proceed, at leaft to give him another horfe and a boot t:
“ This requeft they complied with ; - and continuing their
“ progrefs through almoft impaffable lands, without any
“ road, and ignorant of their way, they at length found
“ themfelves in the wood of Bielany, only a league diftant
from Warfaw. From the time they had palled the ditch.
* “ This intimation, which the king gave debted for thefe favours in the following
“ to his aflaffins, may at firft fight appear words :
“ extraordinary and unaccountable, but was “ A s I was in the hands o f the aiTaffins.
“ really dictated by the greateft addrefs and “ I heard them repeatedly aik John Kutfma,
“ judgment. He apprehended with reafon,. “ i f they ihould not aflaffinate me, but he
“ that, on the fight of. a Ruffian guard, they “ always prevented them. He was the firft
“ would inftantlÿ put him to' death with “ who perfùadéd them to behave to me with
“ their fabres, and fly j whereas by inform - “ greater gentlenefs ; and obliged them to
“ ing them o f the danger they incurred, he “ confer upon me fome fervices which I then
“ in fome meafure gained their confidence : “ greatly wanted j namely, one to give me
“ in effeft, this behaviour o f the kingfeemed “ a cap, and a fecond a boot, which at that
“ to foften them a little, and made them “ time were no trifling prefents : for the
“ believe he did not mean to efcape -from “ cold air greatlyaffe&ed the wound in my-
“ them.” , “ head j and my fôot, which was covered
t T h e king, in his fpeech to the .diet on' “ with blood, gave me inexpreffible torture,
the trial o f the confpirators,/interceded “ which; continué! every moment increaf-
ftrongly for Kofiniki, or John Kutfma, to i i l l t
whom he gratefully exprefies himfelf. in-
V ol. I. F they