Near the palace stood the cathedral, where they paid a visit to the tombs of the kings of Poland from Sigismund I., of the line of Jagellon, down to Augustus II., King of Poland, Elector of Saxony, and father of more children than were ever claimed by Grand Turk or Persian Shah. Readers interested in this tour of ours have been introduced to him already, both at Berlin and Dresden. The bones of the noble John Sobieski were laid there, but no monument had been sculptured in his honour. In speaking on the subject of this brave prince to Polish noblemen during their stay in the country, they were surprised to find but little enthusiasm. They looked on what he had done for Austria in 1863 from a selfish point of view. "Had the Turk even taken Vienna, he would never have been able to retain it," said they. "His power was declining at the time. Sobieski merely precipitated his downfall, and strengthened the hands of the house of Hapsburg against us. Moreover he obtained the hand of the Emperor's sister for his son James, a proceeding which so displeased the nobles that on his death they would not select one of his line to succeed him." Besides all these objections, they reproached his memory with undue complaisance to a violent tempered and selfish wife, and with his avarice not exceeded by that of Vespasian. They overlooked the saving of his land by the terrible victory gained over the Turks at Choczim; they forgot his valour, his clemency, his piety, and his other great qualities, and left to the rest of Europe the task of forming a juster estimation of his noble nature. But for the many obstacles that intervened, Charles XII. would have prosecuted his plan of raising one of his sons to the throne of Poland. That man of iron nerves shed tears over the tomb of Sobieski at Cracow, exclaiming, "Such a king should never have died!"

In the gardens of another palace (now in ruins) on the north side of the city, they saw a mound raised four hundred years since to the memory of a Jewish Esther by her

admiring sovereign and lover, Casimir the Great. Like her namesake in history, she was the means of obtaining for her people privileges and exemptions, which they have ever since continued to enjoy.

Being invited to the seat of a country gentleman or noble--for all whom they met in their progress outside towns were either nobles or seris--they were struck with the untidiness of court-yards, of lawns, and approaches; but nothing could exceed the warmth of their welcome, and the agreeable manners and unaffected politeness of their hosts. French was the vehicle of thought and compliment, and the master of the Chateau discovering the extent of his guest's classic acquirements, varied the conversation with wellconstructed Latin. A true Pole, the tall fur bonnet covered his well shorn head; a hussar jacket with loose sleeves "clipped" him round; a sword, broad and long, depended from his side, and embroidered boots adorned and defended his limbs. Our guests observed that hospitable as were their noble entertainers, all the guests were not on an equal footing. Above the salt-cellar, as in the Waverley novels, rich wines flowed, and. choice meats were eaten, while food and drink of inferior quality were found below that useful ornament. The descendants of any person originally noble continued noble while they did not engage in commerce or follow a profession; and as the estates were in most cases subdivided among the children, some nobles were seated beside the Englishmen whose lands varied in extent from three to seven acres. These and their larger-estated relations and neighbours had, therefore, no choice in the social arrangement. One should sit at his fellow noble's table, the other should extend ungrudging hospitality; but unless there was a certain measure attending this display, the large estate would shortly find itself in the mortgage book of Levi or Moses, in his squalid back parlour in Cracow* or Warsaw. So the rich Hungarian wines, Tokay or other, waited on the stranger or the large-landed piast above the

salt-cellar, and the noble of the few acres made himself as comfortable as circumstances permitted lower down; and if he was a wise and reasonable min, le acquiesced in the ju tice of the arrangment.

Rarely Lad the strangers seen more natural politeness and agreeability of manier than with the ladies of the family, consisting et the mother an 1 three daughters, and two or time neighbouring chatelaines, Of that coldness perceptible at first an, ng the high and comparatively i. informed dames of Vienna there was not a vestige from the first bow and courtesy that took place; and the Engisliten form thems lves as if in a circle of long known friends or relatives. Being aware of the e vuplete establishment of seridem, şo familiar an institution al lig te Sumatian people, they expected to gee tred mesties doing third ty unle, the inthaer se of aw, or terror. Ty were no h, at. 1, indee 1, a ja by, d'sappointed. Without putting et fra mint the app cálice of atronats respect, they went ab int tor lainess wià a freed mad appa nt lidt heartedness that t'

land which he might call his own, and till on certain days of the week, giving his time and attention during the other days to the fields of his master. The lord of the roll pestos ing sht knowledge of agricultural chemistry, and the scrf none whatever, the eritivation was eer ducted in a careless and haphazard fashion. Rotation of crops, not having been heald of in those staple days, especially in Sarmatia, they proceeded as did our own farmers and persints some forty or fay yours since they plouded up a few fed, supplied it with whatever mapule they could provide, and sow, lap tato or some sitalar er p. Next year wheat was conmatted to the same soil, and the thadsc, on the land re nained fallow.

The quantity of land as qued to the ef var from ten to forty or fly acres. If he worked for las lord on o'r bat duty days he was pad

jer to six pence per day - very god was at t at time in that a tay, and the post of a large fi pala in klad whatever zent was nimal up by the day cal may be supposed, there was no di tuning for gent, I a

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Before quitting their friendly entertainers they were taken to witness the marriage of a young couple of the serf class, and certainly it presented some novel features. The bride wore a gold-laced jacket, fitting tightly to her figure and completely covering breast and neck. On her parted hair she wore a cap of gold thread and a nosegay. Her hair fell down her back in profusion, and was ornamented with rose-coloured ribbons. Our visiters found the room well filled with company, all more or less tipsy, and the bride, sitting with her back to the wall, determined to maintain her sobriety; while the gallant bridegroom, sustaining his natural bashfulness by sundry cups, paid court to his partner very earnestly, and prevailed on her from time to time to "sip the rosy," as Dick Swiveller was wont to say. She accepted the beer; but when he insidiously attempted kiss or caress, she used her fists in a very effective way to teach him discretion before company. Six young peasants supported him in this trying hour; and the bride was kept in countenance by a like number of bridesmaids, in dresses similar to hers-flowers on their heads, coral beads round their necks. The bride's mother, in the maudlin stage of beery inspiration, surveyed her daughter with lazy satisfaction; and dancing was kept up in the next room by light-heeled damsels and young men with heavy iron-heeled boots. These, clashing against each other, produced agreeable sounds in the ears of the unsophisticated company.

Determined as Peregrine was, not to face the dangers of matrimony till his return to his native island, and cunningly and stoutly as he had resisted the fair assailants of the Low Countries, of Saxony, and Vienna, he had nearly succumbed to one of the beautiful and witching daughters of the chateau. Finding himself "beaten behind his shield," he drove Mentor out of the castle, and followed him with desperate resolution, having first taken an affecting farewell of old and young. Then tutor and pupil prepared for their northern journey, first making a descent into the salt mine of Vielicza, which is to be found a couple of leagues south of the Vistula.

Descending by means of the primitive rope and basket for about 200 feet, they were conducted through lofty and airy passages leading to two chapels. Statues, altars, candlesticks, pillars, and all the appurtenances of a house of worship, were carved out of the solid salt, which sparkled and glittered as if formed of finely-cut diamond, as the light fell on them from the lamps held by the guides. Descending lower by means of ladders, they entered a vast white hall, the sides and floor cut with surprising regularity, and extending, as well as the height, to some hundreds of feet. This mine seems inexhaustible; it has been worked upwards of 600 years. The lowest depth attained last century was about 1,200 feet. About 500 men were daily employed in two drafts, each working twelve hours. They never slept below, nor were women ever permitted to make a descent.

In their progress to Warsaw the varieties of scenery that occupied their attention were grassy plains, marshes, and forests. Occasionally in the depths of these forests they discovered a cultivated patch of land, which, with its leafy border, afforded pleasure to the eyes and the mind. Sometimes, instead of the circular piece of cultivation, a lake presented itself. The Carpathian mountains, left behind, and sinking to the horizon with every mile they advanced, were the only eminences that cheered their eyes from their entrance into Poland. Having received timely warning, they brought along with them a few of the conveniences needful to travellers, for in the wretched wooden posthouses shelter was all that could be obtained. The country seats of the nobles were unhappily very rare, or out of the line of route; otherwise the journey might have been a very agreeable one.

Their compassion was often moved by the spectacle of a poor serf suffering from the terrible plica polonica, every hair on his head injected with diseased blood, and all forming one inextricable mass. Cutting off the hair or shaving the head even in an early stage of the disease did not mend matters. These operations, on the contrary, brought on blindmess or some other grievous malady. It has to be borne in mind that the

The sovereign,

a forcible abduction. seated at his palace-window, for the benefit of the fresh air, would find his royal nostrils visited by odours from open sewers in the neighbourhood.

The approach to the capital presented no variety of scenery ; a wide plain, interspersed with clusters of birch and fir, extended to the gates, A bridge, resting on boats, connected the city itself, which lies on the west bank of the Vistula, to Praga, the eastern suburb, Warsaw could no more boast of paved streets than Cracow. After a heavy shower they were totally impassable by pdestrians, and those who ventured through them on horseback or in coaches were men of courage. Much later than the time of our frien is' visit, Prince Radzivil, proceeding in his coach to the palace, found ca'tle and coach boht to a complete stand-stil within a hun lred ya ds of the royal Emidang, the wheels being firmly imbedded in the tenacious mad.

His trusty flowers came to the rescue. They carefully catia ted ha from the inside of the vollcë, and bore him on their shou, lers safe, but rather ashamed of the mode of conveyre, til he was sate.y deposted on the pizze steps,

As in Cracow, the bundings were either places, pritely reiden es of t's nibúty, or hovels, with many be a his m tie lire of stort, and baby an unsightly mess to pan an eda ved c P. A zealous C' shin'sBoger of Wide Streets of our div, Out ig a'rtly on such amplit ns aw sited our visiters on their enty into the Poish capital on a ray day, wo ili probably nie on the spot, "or at least be exocedingy sik“ for a time. The ligating its absencs ratter - corresponded to the custom in Cacow; so that even as late as the year 1771, folk interested in the matter succeeded in seizing on the then sovereign Starisas, seated in his carriage, and surrounded by his guards and attendants, and effecting

But much of all these disagreeables, including the wretched appearance of the poor, and others of which we shall have occasion tospeak, were for the moment forgotten by the English gentlemen, when sharing the hospitality of the British Ambas

mansions of the Czartonskis or the Zamoyskis. These reunions posse sed all the charms which wait on the noble bearing and courtesy of educated high-born men, and the loveliness and vivacity and grace of their wives, and sisters, and daughters. If a lax tone of morals underlay this glowing and delightful phase, it was not perceptible at first. There was no ineenvenience nor awkwardnes rising from translating their thoughts from one language to another before expresing them. There were present individuals proficient in the French tongue, from England, France, and Germany; and the interchange of sertiments and sallies of wit went on without effort or pause. The freedom of -peech on European ones trons and on the State concerns of the country wis remarkalte. Proud and indepident as were the native nobles, there was no disloya'ty to the Crown expressed or implied in their conversation. Every one was an absolute prince on his own wide plans and in his exten ive forests; aid Au n»tus HI, lately elected e mid not effect the slitest po tical or governmental change without the furiest concurrerce of the tomates then in piescue, and the others of their order scattered over the wide Kingdom. Each feeling that in h mself and his funds was vested tae decison of all ma ures på psed by the king, and that Augustus was the mere excutor of what has compeers and he to ght at any time det raine, experienced a lady interest in the well-being and comfort of the sovereign, and exh: ited an unte med loyalty and good-will. So it any drcussic fatome, the elements of loyalty atud die 'oyer y to the soverein were not bought into collision. Of allextern powers the only one that was treated with hard words was the House of Hyung,

It must not be inferred that grave political questions absorbed the attention of the gay, and chivalrous, and beautiful, and graceful personages in these social gatherings. The presence of witty and fascinating women brought round the discourse to those topics in which they felt au interest. Poetry, the drama, the national meetings for the election of kings, music, dancing, dress-all were discussed. In one respect men and women stoutly resisted foreign influence. However these or those might prefer a king from one German house or another, or royal scion of Sweden or Denmark (they scarcely ever selected a king from among themselves), they would adopt no foreign fashion in dress. The gentlemen would continue to use the cut and style of garments already mentioned, the ladies would persist in the close-fitting gown, the fur-trimmed outer robe, worn by their greatgrandmother, the boots and the square-crowned cap of ancient days. What the strangers felt as the bitter something that always is sure to spring up in the sweetest combination of human enjoyments, was the evident eagerness that inspired the features of every gentleman, when the card tables became the order of the evening. They found in their further experience, that of all causes cards and dice were the most effective in reducing the size of estates from some thousands of acres to the little field containing only seven or eight.

During a quiet evening spent with the English ambassador and two or three really patriotic nobles, they learned the particulars attending the late election, which would not have occurred so soon had Augustus II., that Saxon imitator of the great Hebrew pluralist, led the chaste life becoming a Christian man.

HOW POLAND WAS GOVERNED.

Our visiters were naturally inquisitive as to the national housekeeping

of the country, and a brisk succession of questions and answers ensued. These, if given in detail, would prevent the subject of Poland being concluded in this paper; so the precis only of the answers will be quoted.

"One institution distinguishes the Slavonian people from the Celts and Teutons, namely, the necessity of perfect unanimity among the constituents for the passing of a public measure. A single dissentient voice will prevent the passing of the best measure ever devised. From the time that Jagellon married King Louis's daughter, and added his Duchy of Lithuania to our then small kingdom (about A.D. 1370), to the extinction of the Jagellon dynasty in 1572, the accession to kingly power was nominally by election; and from that to the present time this election has been neither pretence nor sham. It is the result of a genuine struggle; and if one person only choose to withhold his vote from the man of general choice, the labour is in vain. On the plain of Szopa, half a mile north of the city, 100,000 persons have been seen engaged with the important question of a successor to the throne; the agents of the neighbouring countries busily employed in promoting the interests of their respective sovereigns; the rich nobles superbly dressed and attended by their numerous followers, the poorer with their estates on their persons. For, while the poor man can trace his descent from one who was at any time noble, and can show that he has never exercised trade or profession, he enjoys the Stolnik's vote. You may imagine what anxiety, what manoeuvres, and sometimes what bribery is requisite to bring the kingly electors or the members attending a mere diet to a unanimous decision. There is one memorable instance of a restive individual who set more value on his own wisdom than on that of all his brother senators.

"In 1652, the diet being in solemn