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Page 29
We are to make some visits to-morrow, when the princess will introduce
me into some of the most distinguished houses; one must thus make one's
appearance, if one desires to be invited to balls and parties. I am
glad, and yet I am a little frightened at the idea of these visits: I
shall be so looked at, perhaps criticized; however, I shall see many new
things and will have much to observe, which thought affords me much
consolation in my new and trying position.
Sunday, _December 29th_.
At least, now I have some news to tell, and my journal will no longer be
so dry and uninteresting. The prince royal, accompanied by the prince
palatine, arrived yesterday about one o'clock. Indeed I am quite
confused by the palatine's overwhelming kindness; he received me as if I
had been his daughter, and there is no kind of friendship or interest
which he has not testified toward me.
We accomplished our visits and went to about fifteen different houses,
but were not everywhere admitted. At the French and Spanish ambassadors'
and the prince primate's, etc., the princess merely left cards.
Our first visit was to Madame Humiecka, wife of the swordbearer to the
crown; this lady is my aunt. We then went to see the Princess
Lubomirska, wife of the general of the advance guard of the royal
armies; she is a full cousin to the princess palatine. She was born a
Princess Czartoryska, is very young and very beautiful; she holds the
first rank among the younger ladies, and loves passionately everything
French. I am so glad I am a proficient in the French language; besides
being very useful, it will cause me to be much more sought after in
society.
French is here spoken in nearly all the more distinguished houses; only
the older men retain the tiresome custom of mingling Latin in their
conversation; the young people avoid this pedantry and speak French,
which is much better; at least, I can understand them, which I cannot
the others.
We also went to see the wife of the Grand-General Branicki. Her husband
is one of the most wealthy lords of Poland, but is not very favorably
regarded at court.
We then visited the Princess Czartoryska, Palatiness of Red-Russia. The
conversation there was held entirely in Polish; she is quite aged, and
consequently no admirer of new fashions. She introduced to us her only
son, a very handsome young man, with polished and elegant manners; he
overwhelmed me with the most graceful compliments. This visit was more
agreeable than any of the others. But no--I think I was quite as much
pleased at the palace of the Castellane of Cracow, Poniatowska. She is
a very superior person; she talks a great deal, it is true, but then she
speaks with enthusiasm and in a very interesting manner. We found her
quite elated with the pleasure of welcoming her son after a long
absence. Many think that this much-loved son may one day be king of
Poland; I do not believe that will ever be, but I did not the less
examine him with great attention. I frankly confess that I was not
pleased with him, and yet he is handsome and amiable; but he has a kind
of stiffness in his manners, a pretension to dignity and to airs of
grandeur, which injure his bearing.
I must not forget, in enumerating our visits, to mention that paid to
the Palatiness of Podolia, Rzewuska. This visit possessed a doubled
interest for me; I was anxious to see Rzewuski, the vice-grand-general
of the crown, because I had heard my father speak of him so often.
The vice-grand-general, although belonging to an illustrious family, was
brought up among the children of the common people; he went barefooted
as they did, and shared all their pleasures (very rustic indeed, it
seems to me). This strange education has given him great strength and a
wonderful constitution. He is now quite aged; he is more than fifty
years old, and yet he walks and rides like a young man. Following the
old Polish custom, he permits his beard to grow, and this gives him a
very grave appearance.
They say he has composed some very fine tragedies. We also called upon
Madame Br�hl, who received us most politely. Her husband, the king's
favorite minister, is not much esteemed, but they are visited for the
sake of etiquette, and likewise for that of Madame Br�hl, who is very
amiable.
We saw too Madame Soltyk, Castellane of Sandomir; she is a widow, but
still young and beautiful. Her son is nine years old; he is a charming
child, already possessing all the manners of the best society. As we
entered, he offered me a chair, and made me, at the same time, a very
graceful compliment; the castellane was kind enough to say that he was a
great admirer of pretty faces and black eyes. The Bishop of Cracow is
this child's uncle; he was anxious to have the charge of him, but his
mother was not willing to part with him.
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