Frederic Chopin as a Man and Musician, vol 1 | Page 9

find it difficult to specify them; indeed,
did not know even the number of their musicians, cooks, Heyducs,
Cossacks, and serving maids and men. She knew, however, that every
day five tables were served, and that from morning to night two
persons were occupied in distributing the things necessary for the
kitchen. More impressive even than a circumstantial account like this
are briefly-stated facts such as the following: that the Palatine Stanislas
Jablonowski kept a retinue of 2,300 soldiers and 4,000 courtiers, valets,
armed attendants, huntsmen, falconers, fishers, musicians, and actors;
and that Janusz, Prince of Ostrog, left at his death a majorat of eighty
towns and boroughs, and 2,760 villages, without counting the towns

and villages of his starosties. The magnates who distinguished
themselves during the reign of Stanislas Augustus (1764--1795) by the
brilliance and magnificence of their courts were the Princes Czartoryski
and Radziwill, Count Potocki, and Bishop Soltyk of Cracovia. Our
often-quoted English traveller informs us that the revenue of Prince
Czartoryski amounted to nearly 100,000 pounds per annum, and that
his style of living corresponded with this income. The Prince kept an
open table at which there rarely sat down less than from twenty to
thirty persons. [FOOTNOTE: Another authority informs us that on
great occasions the Czartoryskis received at their table more than
twenty thousand persons.] The same informant has much to say about
the elegance and luxury of the Polish nobility in their houses and villas,
in the decoration and furniture of which he found the French and
English styles happily blended. He gives a glowing account of the fetes
at which he was present, and says that they were exquisitely refined and
got up regardless of expense.
Whatever changes the national character of the Poles has undergone in
the course of time, certain traits of it have remained unaltered, and
among these stands forth predominantly their chivalry. Polish bravery
is so universally recognised and admired that it is unnecessary to
enlarge upon it. For who has not heard at least of the victorious battle
of Czotzim, of the delivery of Vienna, of the no less glorious defeats of
Maciejowice and Ostrolenka, and of the brilliant deeds of Napoleon's
Polish Legion? And are not the names of Poland's most popular heroes,
Sobieski and Kosciuszko, household words all the world over?
Moreover, the Poles have proved their chivalry not only by their valour
on the battle-field, but also by their devotion to the fair sex. At
banquets in the good olden time it was no uncommon occurrence to see
a Pole kneel down before his lady, take off one of her shoes, and drink
out of it. But the women of Poland seem to be endowed with a peculiar
power. Their beauty, grace, and bewitching manner inflame the heart
and imagination of all that set their eyes on them. How often have they
not conquered the conquerors of their country? [FOOTNOTE: The
Emperor Nicholas is credited with the saying: "Je pourrais en finir des
Polonais si je venais a bout des Polonaises."] They remind Heine of the
tenderest and loveliest flowers that grow on the banks of the Ganges,
and he calls for the brush of Raphael, the melodies of Mozart, the

language of Calderon, so that he may conjure up before his readers an
Aphrodite of the Vistula. Liszt, bolder than Heine, makes the attempt to
portray them, and writes like an inspired poet. No Pole can speak on
this subject without being transported into a transcendental rapture that
illumines his countenance with a blissful radiance, and inspires him
with a glowing eloquence which, he thinks, is nevertheless beggared by
the matchless reality.
The French of the North--for thus the Poles have been called--are of a
very excitable nature; easily moved to anger, and easily appeased; soon
warmed into boundless enthusiasm, and soon also manifesting lack of
perseverance. They feel happiest in the turmoil of life and in the bustle
of society. Retirement and the study of books are little to their taste.
Yet, knowing how to make the most of their limited stock of
knowledge, they acquit themselves well in conversation. Indeed, they
have a natural aptitude for the social arts which insures their success in
society, where they move with ease and elegance. Their oriental
mellifluousness, hyperbolism, and obsequious politeness of speech
have, as well as the Asiatic appearance of their features and dress, been
noticed by all travellers in Poland. Love of show is another very
striking trait in the character of the Poles. It struggles to manifest itself
among the poor, causes the curious mixture of splendour and
shabbiness among the better-situated people, and gives rise to the
greatest extravagances among the wealthy. If we may believe the
chroniclers and poets, the entertainments of the Polish magnates must
have often vied with