knees before his majesty; and, imploring pardon for what he had done, swore, that from this hour he would defend his king against all the conspirators, and would trust confidently on his word, for future preservation. Stanislaus repeated his promise of forgiveness and protection; and directing him to seek refuge for them both, in the mill near which they were discoursing, Kosinski obeyed, and knocked, but no one gave answer. He then broke a pane of glass in the window, and through it, begged succour for a nobleman, who had been waylaid by robbers. The miller refused to come out, or let them in; telling them it was his belief, they were robbers themselves, and if they did not go away, he would fire upon them.

"This dispute had continued for near an hour, when the king contrived to crawl up close to the window, and said, "My good friend, if we were banditti, as you suppose, it would be as easy for us, without this parley, to break into your house, as to break this pane of glass; and therefore if you would not incur the shame of suffering a fellow-creature to perish for want of assistance, let us in." This argument had its weight with the man, and opening the door, he admitted them. After some trouble, his maj esty procured pen and ink, and immediately addressed a few lines to me at the palace, with more difficulty he prevailed on one of the miller's sons to carry it; so fearful were they of falling in with any of the troop, whom they understood had plundered their guests.

"The joy I experienced at the sight of this note, I can. - not describe. I well remember the contents; they were literally these.

"By the miraculous hand of providence, I am escaped from the hands of assassins. I am now at the mill of Ma rimont. Send as soon as possible, and take me away. I am wounded but not dangerously."

"Regardless of my condition, I instantly got into a carriage, and followed by a detachment of horse, arrived at the mill. I met Kosinski at the door,keeping guard with his sword drawn. As he knew my person,he admitted me directly. The king had fallen asleep, and lay in one corner of the hovel, on the ground, covered with the miller's cloak. To see the most virtuous monarch in the world,

thus abused by his ungratefu1 subjects pierced me to the heart; and kneeling down by his side, I took hold of his hand, and in a paroxysm of tears, which I am not ashamed to confess, I exclaimed, "I thank Almighty God, that I again see my sovereign alive!" It is not easy to say, how these words struck the simple family with amazement. They instantly dropped on their knees before the king, whom my voice had awakened, and beseeched his pardon for all their ill manners. The good Stanislaus soon quieted their fears; and graciously thanking them for their kindness, told the miller to come to the palace the next lay. When he would show him his gratitude in a better way than by promises.

"Five minutes afterwards, the officers of the detachmen assisted his majesty and myself into the carriage; and, accompanied by Kosinski, we reached Warsaw about six in the morning."

"Yes," interrupted Butzou, "I remember the joy I felt when the news was, brought to me, in my bed, that I had not in vain received the wounds intended for my sovereign and besides, his majesty visited his poor soldier in his chamber. Do you recollect, my lord, how he was brought into my room in a chair between two men? and how he thanked me, and shook hands with me It made me like a child."

"But," inquired Thaddeus, hardly recovering from the deep attention with which he had listened to this recital; "what became of Kosinski? I suppose the king kept his word,"

"He did indeed, replied Sobieski; "his word is at al times sacred. Yet I believe Kosinski had his fears that ne would not be so generous; for I perceived him look anxious, and change color very often, whilst he was in the coach. However he was soon tranquilized by his majes ty's manner, who when he alighted at the palace in the midst of the joyous cries of the people, shouting, "The king is alive!" leaned upon his arm, in preference to mine, and presented him to the populace as his preserver. The great gate was ordered to be left open: and never, whilst I live, shall I again behold such a scene! every soul m Warsaw, from the highest to the lowest, came running

o catch a glimpse of their rescued sovereign; seeing the doors free, they entered without ceremony, and thronged forward in crowds, to get near enough to kiss his hand, or to touch his clothes; then elated with joy, they turned to Kosinski, and loaded him with demonstrations of gratisude, calling him the Saviour of their good king.' Kosinski, bore all this with surprising firmness; but in a Jay or two, when the facts of the business became known, he felt that he might meet with different treatment from the people, and therefore petitioned his majesty for leave to depart. Stanislaus consented, and he retired to Semigallia in the papal territories, where he now lives, on a very handsome pension from the king."

"For me," said the general," you see how he has rewarded me for that which had I left undone, I should deserve to be shot. He put it at my option, to become what I pleased about his person, or hold what rank I liked in the army. Attached as I have ever been to your family, under which all my ancestors have lived and fought, I vowed in my own mind never to quit it; and accordingly only begged permission of my sovereign to remain with the count Sobieski. I did remain "out see," cried he with his voice faltering," what they have made of me! I command those troops, among whom it was once my greatest glory to be only a private soldier."

Thaddeus pressed the hand of the veteran between both his, and regarded him with respect and affection, whilst the grateful old man wiped off a tear that was trickling down his face.

"How happy ought it to make you my son," observed Sobieski, "that you are called out to support such a sove reign! He is not merely a king whom you follow to battle, because he will lead you to honor; the hearts of his people feel him in a different light: they look on him as their friend; as a being delegated by God, to study what is their greatest good, then to bestow it, and, when it is attacked to defend it. To preserve the life of such a sove reign, who is there that would not sacrifice his own?"

"Yes," cried Butzou; and how ought we to abhor those who threaten his life! how ought we to estimate those crowned heads, włɔ under the mask of amity, have

from the year sixty-four when he ascended the throne, till now, been plotting his death! That calamity, Oh Heaven, avert! Happen when it may, it will, I fear, be a prelude to the certain ruin of our country!"

"Not so,"interrupted Thaddeus, with earnestness: "not whilst a Polander has power to lift an arm shall it be quite lost."

Butzou applauded his spirit; and warmly seconded the palatine (who never weary of infusing into every emotion of his grandson an interest for his country) pursued the discourse, and dwelt minutely on the happy tendency of the glorious constitution of ninety-one, in defence of which they were now going to hazard their lives. As Sobieski pointed out its several excellencies, and described the pure spirit of freedom which animated its laws, the feelings of Thaddeus followed his eloquence; with the restraintless fervor of youth he branded the names of Catherine and the faithless Frederick, with some of those epithets, which posterity will not fail to ratify. During these conversations, Thaddeus forgot his regrets; and the third day, they put themselves at the head of their men, and commenced a regular march,

CHAPTER III

FRE little army of the palatine, passed by the battlements f Chelm, crossed the Bug into Volhinia, and impatiently ounted the leagues over those vast plains, till it reached he borders of Kiovia.

When the column, at the head of which Thaddeus was tationed, descended the heights of Lininy and the broad camp of his countryman burst on his sight, he felt his heart swell with an emotion quite new to him. He beheld with admiration, the regular disposition of the entrenchments the long intersected streets, and the warlike appearance of the soldiers, whom he could decry, even at that distance by the beams if a bright evening sun which shone on their

arms.

In half an hour, his troops descended into the plain, where, meeting those of the palatine and the general, the three columns again united, and Thaddeus joined his grandfather in the van.

"My lord," cried he, as they met, "can I behold such a sight, and despair of the freedom of Poland!"

Sobieski made no reply; but giving him one of those expressive looks, which immediately make its way to the soul, he commanded the troops to advance with great speed. In a few moments they reached the outworks of the camp, and entered the lines. The eager eye of Thad deus wandered from object to object. Thrilling with tha delight with which youth beholds wonders, and anticipates more, he stopped with the rest of the party before a tent which general Butzou informed him, belonged to the commander in chief. They were met in the vestibule, by an hussar officer of a most commanding appearance. Sobieski and he having accosted each other with mutual congratulations, the palatine turned round to Thaddeus, took him by the hand, presented him to his friend, and said with a smile,

"Here, my dear Kosciuszko, this young man is my grandson; he is called Thaddeus; and I trust he will nei ther disgrace your name nor mine."

Kosciuszko embraced the young Count, and with a hearty pressure of the hand replied; "if you resemble your grandfather, Thaddeus, you will remember, that the only king of Poland who equalled Stanislaus, was a Sobieski; and as becomes his descendant, you will not spare your best blood in the service of your country."

As Kosciuszko finished speaking, the aid-de-camp came forward to lead the party into the room of audience. Prince Poniatowski welcomed the palatine and his suite, with the most lively expressions of pleasure. He gave Thaddeus, whose figure and manner instantly charmed him, many flattering assurances of friendship; and promised that he would appoint him to the first post of honor which should offer. After detaining him half an hour, on the object of their march, his highness withdrew, and they rejoined Kosciuszko, who canducted them to quarter where the Masovi an soldiers had already pitched their tents.