Porter_Thaddeus_of_Warsaw.txt topic ['13', '324', '378', '393']
.
rocks that rampart the keys of the .
along the river, as the bark proceeded down, it was met, when
within sight of any of the numerous merchant villas that adorned its
banks, by pretty pleasure-skiffs, bringing votive presents of fruits
and flowers to the brave voyagers on board. then, while the
wounded and fatigued veteran, as he lay on his pallet on the deck,
was only able to bow his head with a gracious accepting smile to the
respectful messengers, stood at the prow, his then bright
locks dallying with the sweet zephyrs from the gardened shores, and
spoke the general's and his own heartfelt thanks, in a language of
poetry that best accorded with his own glowing and his chiefs'
gallant feelings, and the generous _benedicite_ of the fair
donators.
the little vessel sped, until it reached the ship
afloat in 's , to convey its two noble passengers to the new
republic, just established in the western hemisphere. the well-
remembered aid-de-camp of its boasted hero, , was received
with warrior honors, need not be here described. rested that night
under the variegated flag streaming from the topmast head, which his
own volunteer arm had assisted to place there; and he thought of
and of till he glided into a gentle sleep, and dreamed
of both. the following letter it may be seen that his eyes were
visited next day by a sweet vision, in real personal existence, of
the same kind beings whose recollections alone had so blandly soothed
his pillow on the surge.
" from , to----, ., _&c., &c.,
&c._ the of , . 36 's ,
.
" sea," (but without further date; circumstances, however,
establishing it to have been written on or about the 21st or 22d
, 1797.)
" :
" is the subject for a drama only, where the actors can express
with the action and words what may approach nearest to what was
passed yesterday within us, that try to write. were highly
pleased, it is true, and with uncommon satisfaction, to see the
approach of your family in a boat to our ship. how short was the
duration of the pleasure! separation took place, our hearts were
melted in tears. we were frightened at their return, with fears
of what might happen to them upon a high sea in so small a boat.
rising wave gave the greatest pain to our anxiety, and the
extreme painfulness of our alarm even increased when we were so far
off that we could not see them more.
" must beg of you to give them a good reprimand. kind and
sensible hearts passed the limits of safety for themselves, and gave
us the most distressful emotions of soul. sea was so rough, am
sure they must all be very sick. , we send them the warmest
thanks, with everlasting friendship and remembrance. pleased,
also, to take for yourself our tender respects.
" shall forget so kind reception of me in your house, nor the
attentions of your friends. am sensible that gave to you and your
amiable family a great trouble; but your goodness will not
acknowledge it, and by so doing, it more impresses my mind with the
obligation, and with a true answering affection for your whole
family.
" am, dear sir, with friendship and esteem, your most thankful and
most obedient servant,
". ."
" can nothing add to the feelings of my worthy friend but that
wish to the respectable and beautiful family of all the
happiness that virtue and the most excellent qualities of the heart
can deserve.
". .
" fair deity-- mean --desires his best compliments to
you all."
tender yet playful postscript from the young soldier votary of
and the muse is evidently appended in the gayety of an
affectionate heart, speeding to the land of his own lady-love,
shortly to become his bride after his arrival, and which was so
consummated. never swerved from his soul's loyalty to the
bright of his cherished devotedness; and his subsequent
correspondence, one of pure, unselfish friendship, with the youngest
daughter of his venerable - friend, lovely as she was
pure, confided to her how faithful had been his heart's allegiance to
the woman of his first and last vows. had met during his track
of early military fame, and had exchanged these vows. blighting
circumstances interfered, and they lived, and loved, but never met
again.
narrator of these little reminiscences might well, perhaps most
agreeably, drop the curtain here; for strange and stirring incidents
awaited the two friends on their return to , after a rather
prolonged sojourn amongst the animated hospitalities of a grateful
people.
homeward side of that curtain was wrought in mingled fabric,
gold, silver, and various threaded yarns; and many were the different
hands that threw the shuttles--emperors, kings, princes, friends,
traitors; but above all, in the depth of mischief, the spirit of
suspicion had steeped the web.
was the lurid appearance of the great drama of when
and set foot again upon its shores. had
thrown his pall over some in high places and others in low. more
cheering suns soon arose, to scare away the darkening shadows, and
the patriot heroes' hopes ascended with them. some were honored,
some deceived in the observance, need not lengthen out our present
pages; suffice it to say that there were stars then rising on the
horizon which promised fairer elements.
may be recollected that at the signing of the partition of
by the benumbed , on the fatal day of its political decease the
young prince , the eldest son of the justly-renowned
and virtuous palatine of , who had been so signal a benefactor
to his country by the endowment and reformation of its chief schools,
was sent out a hostage to , in seal of the then final
resignation. education had been noble, like the principles of
those schools in the foundation of which the brave, illustrious and
also erudite family of had been eminent sharers.
[: , a distinguished son of this
house, has long been an honored guest in , and held in high
literary respect for his veritable and admirable works, written in
fine : " of ," and " of the
in ." writer of this note knows that
he has in his possession some beautiful manuscript tales, descriptive
of the manners of ; one called "," a most remarkable
story; another, entitled, " ," full of interesting
matter, written as a solace in occasional rests from severer literary
occupations. she laments that he has not yet allowed himself to
be prevailed on to give any of these touching and elegant
reminiscences to his readers.] young prince's manners
were equally noble with his principles, and not long in attracting
the most powerful eyes in the empire. the remainder of the
reign of the , she caused him to be treated with
protective kindness, and on her demise he was instantly removed by
the from whatever surveillance had been left over him,
into the imperial palace of . , where this justly-admired
princely student of was to be the constant inmate and companion
of the youthful , the eldest son and heir of the empire.
studies, their amusements, were shared together; and they soon
became friends like brothers. the same time, as has before been
related, had given freedom to and his
compatriot . still, after the death of that
mysteriously-destined sovereign, a halcyon sky seemed to hold its
bland aspects over 's sister people, ancient
. ere long the scene changed, and the "seething-pot" of a
universal ambition, the crucible of nations, grasped by the hand of
, began again to darken the world's atmosphere.
now looked on, sometimes with yet struggling hopes, then
with well-founded convictions that "the doom was not yet spent;" and
no more to be deluded one way or another, while such shifting grounds
and sudden earthquakes were erupting the earth under his feet, like
the prophet of old, boding worse things to come, he withdrew himself
far into the solitudes of nature, into the wide yet noiseless temple
of , where the prayer of an honest man's heart might be heard and
answered by that all-merciful and all-wise , who sometimes
leaves proud men to themselves, to the lawless, headlong driving of
their arrogant passions, to show them, in the due turn of events,
what a vicious self-aggrandizing, abhorrent and despicable monster in
human shape such a noble creature, when turned from the divine
purpose of his creation, may become. such contemplations, and to
the repose of a mind and conscience at peace with itself, did the
once, nay, ever-renowned hero of , retire into the most
sequestered mountains of . few friends, of the same
closed accounts with the world, congregated around him; and there he
dwelt several years, beloved and revered, as, indeed, he was wherever
he planted his pilgrim staff.
died at , in the house of a friend, . , in
consequence of a fall from his horse while taking a solitary ride.
was buried there with every demonstration of respect in the power of
the simple inhabitants to bestow. the , on
hearing of the event, would not allow remains so honorable to be
divided from the land of their birth; and such high and sincere
homage to the undaunted heroism and universally acknowledged
integrity of the lamented dead found no difficulty in obtaining the
distinguishing object sought, that of transferring his virtue-
consecrated relics to the shrine of ancient , the
city of , and there reinterring them in the great royal
cemetery of the most revered patriots of the kingdom.
rolled on over the head and heart of the patriot and the bard,
, the ever "faithful " of his friend and his
country, even after, to his bereaved heart, he had survived both.
had also become a widower. gentle and delicate wife went to
revisit her native climate in the , but died there.
his return thence to , the consolations of a fraternal
friendship, in the bosoms of his noble countrymen, who had become
adopted denizens of free and happy , vainly sought to retain
him with them. in a breast of his temperament cannot find rest
in any place. shining locks, once likened to those of ,
became frosted by an age of wandering as well as of sadness; and the
till then joyous and ever-tender heart of the sweetest poet of
birth breathed its last sigh in , in the summer of
1841. was on the first of ; and on the eighth of the month he
was buried with military honors and all the distinguishing rites of
the national church. funeral service was performed by the
of , with a large body of the clergy attending.
choir of fifty professors sung the mass, and more than a thousand
persons thronged the procession--persons of all nations, of all
creeds, religious or political, of every rank amongst men, of every
mind, from the prince to the peasant, that understood the true value
of genius when helmed by virtue, either on the land or on the wave;
whether in the field or in the cabinet; in the student's closet, or
in the duties of domestic home.
a man was . was he wept; so will he be remembered,
proving, indeed, most convincingly, that there is a standard set up
in men's hearts, if they would but look to it, which, whatever be
their minor clashing opinions, shows that the truly great and good in
this earth are all of one family in the estimation of pure intellect,
the spiritual organ of all just estimation, which is, in fact, that
of the kingdom of heaven--that kingdom which, if its laws to man were
properly preserved and obeyed, would spread the shepherds' promised
"peace and good-will to all mankind." men may listen, approve,
and admire, and yet withhold obedience. why will the heirs of
such a covenant, with sight and hearing, die from its inheritance?
and were real appreciators of so rich a
birthright in "the better country!" and now are gone to who
purchased it by most precious blood, to enter with forever
into its peaceful and glorious rest.
. .
, 1845.