b o o k tinel, into Cafimir, we pafled the above-mentioned dry chan*
>— J— i nel, termed the Old Vifiula, by a fecond bridge, and entered
Cracow.
Cracow is a curious old town: it was formerly the capital
of Poland, where the kings were elected and crowned,
and was once almoft the center of the Poliih dominions, but
is now a frontier town; a proof how much the power o f this
republic has been contracted !
Cracow ftands in an extenfive plain, watered by the Viftula,
which is broad but ihallow : the city and its fuburbs
occupy a vafi track of ground, but are fo badly peopled, that
they fcarcely contain 1 6,000 * inhabitants. The great fquare
in the middle of the town is very fpadous, and has feveral
well-built houfes, once richly furnilhed and well inhabited,
but moll: of them now either untenanted, or in a ilate of
melancholy decay. Many of the ftreets are broad and hand-
fome; but almoft every building bears the moft ftriking
marks of ruined grandeur : the churches alone feem to
have preferved their original fplendour. The devaluation of
this unfortunate town was begun by the Swedes at the commencement
of the prefent century, when it was belieged. and
taken by Charles XII.; but the mifchiefs it fuffered from
that ravager of the North were far lefs deftructive than thofe
it experienced during the late dreadful commotions, when it
underwent repeated lieges, and was alternately in pofleffion
of the Ruffians and Confederates. The effects of cannon,
grape, and mulket-lhot are ftill difcernible on the walls and
houfes. In a word, Cracow exhibits the remains of antient
magnificence, and looks like a great capital in ruins : from
the number of fallen and falling houfes one would imagine
* The city, exclufive of the fuburbs, contained in 1778 only ■8694 fouls*
it
it had lately been facked, and that the enemy had left it c«ap.
only yeflerday. 1— •— *
The town is furrounded with high walls o f brick, firength-
ened by round and fquare towers of whimfical lhapes in the
antient ftyle of fortification : thefe walls were built by
Venceilaus * king of Bohemia during the ffiort period in
which he reigned over Poland.
In Cracow there was a Ruffian garrifon of 600 men, who
were Rationed at the guard-houfe in the center of the town :
at all the gates a Ruffian centinel Rood on one fide, and a
Poliih centinel on the other. The citadel was entirely occupied
by Ruffian troops.
Ldid not omit viliting the univerfity founded and endowed
by Cafimic the Great, and improved and completed by La-
diflaus Jaghellon.. The librarian told me that the number
of fiudents amounted to 600. 1 went over the library,
which was neither remarkable for the number or rarity of
its books. Among the: principal obje£ts of attention, the
librarian pointed out aTurkilh book, of no intrinfic value,
but efieemed a curiofity. becaufe found among the fpoils at
the battle of Chotzim, and prefented by John Sobielki to the
univerfity, as the memorial of a victory which faved his
country from defolation, and raifecf him to the throne of
Poland. The univerfity of Cracow was formerly, and not
unjuftly, called the mother of Poliih literature, as it principally
fupplied the other feminaries with profeflors and
men of learning ; but its lufire has been greatly obfcured
by the removal of the royal refidence to Warfaw, and Rill,
more by the late intefline convulfions.
* Cracovifim muro circurodedit. Lengnich, Hift. Pol. p. 20..
In.