Kosciuszko resolved to prevent him: and as a mean he proposed to give immediate battle to Ferfen, another commander, who was on his march to form a junction with the victorious Russian. To this effect, Kosciuszko divided his forces; half of them, under the command of prince Poniatowski, were to pursue Surworrow,and keep a watchful eye over his motions; whilst he with the remainder, to the amount of six thousand men, accompanied by the two Sobieskies, should proceed towards Brzesc.

It was on the tenth of October. The weather being fine, a cloudless sun diffused life and brilliancy through the air of a keen morning. The vast green plain before them, glittered with the troops of general Ferfen, who had already arranged them in order of battle.

pure

The word was given. Thaddeus, as he drew his sabre from its scabbard, raised his eyes to implore the justice of heaven on that day's events. The attack was made. The Poles kept their station on the heights. Twice the Russians rushed on them like wolves, and twice they repulsed them by their steadiness. Conquest declared for Poland. Thaddeus was seen in every part of the field. But reinforcements poured in to the support of Ferfen, and war raged in new horrors. Still the courage of the Poles was unabated. Sobieski, fighting at the head of the infantry, would not recede one foot; and Kosciuszko, exhorting his men to be resolute, appeared in the hottest parts of the battle.

At one of these portentous moments, Thaddeus saw the general struggling with his charger, which had been shot under him; he immediately galloped to his assistance, and giving him another, remained and fought by his side, til he beheld two more horses share the same fate; and on his next charge, Kosciuszko himself dropped back on his saddle. Thaddeus caught him in his arms, and finding that a Cossack had stabbed him in the back, he unconsciously uttered a groan of dismay. The surrounding soldiers took the alarm, and "Kosciuszko, our general is killed!" was echoed from rank to rank, with such pierc ing shrieks, that the wounded hero opened his eyes and was preparing to speak to his young friend, when two

·

Russian chasseurs, in the same moment, made a cut at them both. The sabre struck the exposed head of Kosciuszko, who fell almost lifeless to the ground; and Thaddeus received a gash in his shoulder, which knocked him off his horse.

The conflict thickened over the fallen general: the consternation now becoming universal, for groans of despair seemed to issue from the whole army. Thaddeus with difficulty extricated himself from the bodies of the slain; and fighting his way through the throng of the enemy which pressed around him, he joined his terror-stricken comrades, who, in the wildest confusion, were dispersing under a heavy fire, to the right and left, and flying like frightened deer. In vain he called to them, in vain he urged them to avenge the fall of Kosciuszko; the panic was complete, and they flea.

Almost alone, in the rear of his soldiers, he opposed with his single and desperate arm, party after party of the enemy, till parrow stream of Muchavez stopped his retreat. The waters were crimsoned with blood. He plunged in, and, beating the blushing wave with his left arm, in a few seconds gained the opposite bank; where, fainting from fatigue and the loss of blood, he sunk, almost deprived of sense, amidst a heap of the killed.

When the pursuing squadrons had galloped by him, he again summoned strength to look around. He raised himself from the ground, and by the help of his sword, on which he leaned, supported his steps a few paces further, but, good God! What was the shock he received, when the bleeding and lifeless body of his grandfather lay be fore him? He stood for a few moments motionless, and without sensation; then kneeling down by his side,whilst his heart felt as if it were palsied with death, he searched for the wounds of the palatine. They were numerous and deep. He would have torn away the handkerchief with which he had staunched his own blood, to have applied it to that of his grandfather, but by so doing, he must have disabled himself from giving him further assistance; he took his sash and neckcloth, and when they were insufficient, he rent the linen from his breast: then hastening to the river, brought a little water in his cap, and threw

some of its stained drops on the pale features of Sobi ki. The venerable hero opened his eyes; in a minute afterwards he recognized that it was his grandson who knelt by him. The palatine pressed his hand, which was cold as ice: the marble lips of Thaddeus could not

move.

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My son," said the veteran in a low voice," Heaven hath led you here, to receive the last sigh of your grandfather." Thaddeus trembled; the palatine continued, "carry my blessing to your mother; and bid her seek comfort in the consolations of her God. May that God preserve you; ever remember that you are his servant; be obedient to him: and as I have been, be faithful to your country.'

"May God so bless me!" cried Thaddeus, lifting his eyes to heaven.

"And ever remember," said the palatine, raising his head, which had dropped on the bosom of his grandson, "that you are a Sobieski! It is my dying command, you never take any other name."

"I promise."

Thaddeus could say no more, for the countenance of his grandfather became altered; his eyes closed, Thaddeus caught him on his breast. No heart beat against his; all was still and cold. The body dropped from his arms, and he sunk senseless by his side.

When sensation returned to him, he looked up. The sky was shrouded in clouds, which a driving wind was blowing from the orb of the moon, as a few of her white rays, here and there, gleamed on the weapons of the slaughtered soldiers.

The scattered senses of Thaddeus slowly recollected themselves. He was now lying the only living creature amidst thousands of the dead, who the preceding night, had been like himself alive to all the consciousness of existence. His right hand rested on the chilled face of his grandfather; it was wet with dew; he shuddered; and taking his own cloak from his shoulders, laid it over the body. He would have said,as he did it, "So my father, I would have sheltered thy life with the sacrifice of my own;" but the words choked in his throat; and he set watching

by the corpse till the day dawned, and the Poles returned to bury their slain.

The wretched Thaddeus was discovered by a party of his own hussars, seated on a little mound of earth with the cold hand of Sobieski grasped in his. At this sight the soldiers uttered a cry of horror. Thaddeus rose up; "my friends," said he, "I thank God that you are come? Assist me to bear my dear grandfather to the camp?""

Astonished at his composure,but distressed at the deathful hue of his countenance, they obeyed him in mournful silence, and laid the remains of the palatine upon a bier which they formed with their sheathed sabres, then gently raising it, they retrod their steps to the camp; having left a detachment to accomplish the duty for which they had quitted it. Thaddeus hardly able to support his weakened frame, mounted a horse, and followed the melancholy procession.

General Wawrzecki, on whom the command had devolved seeing the party return so soon, and in such an or der, sent an aid-de-camp to inquire the reason. He came back with a dejection in his face; and informed the com mander, that the brave palatine of Masovia, whom they supposed had been taken prisoner with his grandson and Kosciuszko, had been killed, and was approaching the lines on the arms of his soldiers. Wawrzecki, though glad to hear that Thaddeus was alive and at liberty, turned round to conceal his tears; then calling out a guard, he marched at their head, to meet the corpse of his illustrious friend.

The bier was carried into the general's tent. An aidde-camp with some gentlemen of the faculty were ordered to attend Thaddeus to his quarters; but the young count though scarcely able to stand, appeared to linger: and holding fast by the arm of an officer, he looked stedfastly on the body. Wawrzecki, understood his hestiation. He pressed his hand, "Fear not, my dear sir," said he, "every honor shall be paid to the remains of your noble grandfather." Thaddeus bowed his head, and was supported out of the tent to his own.

His wounds of which he had received several were not

deep; and might have been of little consequence, had not his thoughts continually hovered about his mother, and painted her afflictions, when she should be informed of the lamentable events of the last day's battle. These feflections, awake,or in a slumber, (for he never slept) possessFed his mind; and even while his wounds were healing, produced such an irritation in his blood, as hourly threatened a fever.

Things were in this situation when a surgeon, with a hesitaiing countenance, put a letter from the Countess into his hand. He opened it, and read with breathless anxiety, these lines:

To THADDEUS COUNT SOBIESKI.

"Console yourself, my most precious son,console yourself for my sake. I have seen colonel Lomza, and I have heard all the horrors which took place on the tenth of this month. I have heard them, and I am yet alive; I am resigned; but he tells me that you are wounded. Oh! do not let me be also bereft of my son! remember, that you were my dear sainted father's darling; remember, that as his representative, you are to be my consolation; in pity to me, if not to our suffering country, preserve yourself, to be at least the last comfort that heaven will spare to me. I find that all is lost to Poland as well as to myself; that when my glorious father fell, and his friend with him, the republic became extinct. The Russian army is now on its march to Masovia; and I am too weak to come to you. Let me see you soon, very soon, my beloved son; I beseech you, come to me! You will find me more feeble of body than of mind; for there is a holy comforter, that descends on the bruised heart which none other than the unhappy have conceived or felt. Farewell my dear, dear Thaddeus! Let the memory that you have a mother check your too ardent courage. God forever guard you, Live for your mother who has no stronger terms of expres sing her affection for you than that she is thy mother, thy "THERESE SOBIESKI. i

"Villanow, March 1792.”