And ponies to the birch-trees tied; around
The house they gather, curious of the issue.
The room was full already; in the hall
They gather; others in the windows thrust
Their heads, and list attentive the discourse.
Book VII
Council
The sound and salutary counsels of Bartek, called the Prussian—The soldierly appeal of Matthew the Baptist—The politic opinion of Buchman—Jankiel counsels a reconciliation, which is severed by the Penknife—The speech of Gervasy, wherein are exhibited the great effects of Diet eloquence—Protestation of old Matthew—The sudden arrival of warlike reinforcements breaks off Council—“Down with Soplica!”
In order due their Envoy Bartek now
Commenced his speech. He, as he often went
On rafts unto the kingdom, had been named
The Prussian by his fellow-countrymen;
In jest, for greatly did he hate the Prussians,
Although he loved to talk of them. A man
Advanced in years, in his far journeys he
Had seen much of the world, a constant reader
Of the gazettes, well-versed in politics;
In Matthew’s absence he was usually
The president of council. “This is not—
Sir Matthias, my brother, and good father
Of all of us—this is no empty promise;
I’d count upon the French in time of war
As on four aces. ’Tis a warlike people,
And since the days of Thaddeus Kosciuszko,
The world has ne’er seen such a martial genius
As the great emperor Bonaparte. I well
Remember when the Frenchmen crossed the Warta.
That time beyond the frontier I was staying,
During the year of eighteen hundred six.
I was with Dantzig trading, but I have
In Posen many relatives; I went
To visit them; and therefore with Pan Joseph
Grabowski, now commanding officer,
But who at that time in a village lived
Near Objezierz, I hunted some small game.
Peace then was in Great Poland, as is now
In Lithuania, but a sudden rumour
Spread all at once of a terrific battle.
An envoy sent by Todwen came to us.
Grabowski read the letter through, and cried
Out, ‘Jena, Jena! The Prussians have been beaten
Upon the head, the neck! A victory!’
I, lighting from my horse, fell on my knees,
To thank the Lord. We rode into the town,
As though on business, as we knew of nought.
And there we saw the Landrath, Hofraths, all,
Commissioners, and all such sons of dogs.
They all bow low to us, each trembling, pale,
Like Prussian insects184 deluged with hot water.
Rubbing our hands, and laughing, we entreat
Humbly for news; we ask, ‘What news of Jena?’185
They marvelled that already we should know
Of their defeat; the Germans cry: ‘Ach Gott!
O weh!’ They went back home, and from their houses
They ran as fast as feet could carry them.
Oh! what a scramble! all the roads were full
Of fugitives. The German folk like ants
Crawled fast away, the carriages ran on,
Which there the folk call Wagen and Fornalken,
Men, women, carrying pipes and coffee-pots,
And dragging pillows, feather beds; they hurried
As best they might. But we in silence went
To council; hey! on horseback, to confound
Retreating of the Germans! Now to smite
The Landraths on the necks, and flog the Hofraths,
And catch the Herren Offiziere by
Their pigtails! But our General Dombrowski
Did enter Posen, and he brought the Emperor’s
Command to insurrection! In one week
Our men so soundly had the Prussians thrashed,
And driven them away, thou couldst not get
A German, ev’n for medicine. Suppose
We also should thus nimbly turn about,
And with such speed, and here in Litva make
Just such another bath for Muscovy.186
Ha! what dost thou think, Matthew? If the Russians
Contend with Bonaparte, it were no jest
To fight with him. He is the greatest warrior
In all the world, and he has countless armies.
Ha! what does Matthew think, our Father Rabbit?”
He ended. All await old Matthew’s sentence.
Matthew nor moved his head, nor raised his eye,
But only many times he struck his hand
Upon his side, as though he sought his sabre.
Though since the land’s partition he had worn
No sabre, yet from ancient habit, when
He heard the mention of the Muscovites,
He moved his hand towards his left side aye,
As though to wield his Rod, and thence was he
Called Zabok.187 Now he lifted up his head,
They listen in deep silence. But Matthias
Deceived the general expectation, for
A cloud hung o’er his brow, and once again
His head sank down upon his breast. At length
He spoke, pronouncing slowly every word
With emphasis, and nodded to ’t in time.
“Silence!” he said; “whence cometh all this news?
How far off are the French? Who is their leader?
Have they begun already war with Russia?
Where, and for what? And whence are they to march?
What is their strength? What foot, and what of horse?
Who knoweth, let him speak!” Then silent all
The assembly, gazing each on each. “I gladly,”
The Prussian said, “would wait the Bernardine,
For the news comes from him. Meantime we must
Send to the frontier trusty spies, and arm
The district all in secret; and meanwhile
Conduct the whole thing prudently, so as
Not to betray our plans unto the Russians.”
“Ha! wait? and bark? put off?” a second Matthew
Broke in, the Baptist christened, from a great
Club, which he called the Sprinkler. ’Twas with him
To-day; he on its body leaned both hands,
And on the handle did support his chin,
Exclaiming, “Wait! delay! hold sejmiks! Hem!
Trem! brem! and then to fly! I have not been
In Prussia; kingdom reason’s good for Prussia;
But for me noble’s reason. This I know,
That whoso wants to fight, has but to grasp
A Sprinkler; who will die, call in the priest,
And thus be quits! I want to live, to be!
What is the Bernardine? Are we then schoolboys?
What’s Robak188 unto me? Let us be worms,
And on to gnaw at Muscovy! Trem! brem!
Spies, scouts! Do you know, you there, what this means?
It means you’re old men, and incapable!
Brothers! ’tis weasel’s work to ferret out,
A Bernardine’s to beg, but mine, to sprinkle!
To sprinkle, and be quits!” And here he stroked
His club, and after him the crowd of nobles
Shouted full loudly, “Sprinkle, sprinkle, sprinkle!”
The Baptist’s side supported was by Bartek,189
Surnamed the Razor, from his thin-edged sword,
Likewise by Matthew, who was named the Bucket,
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