Then like a gleaming diamond; lastly fiery,
Like to a great moon, like a twinkling star;
Thus through the heavens measureless did pass
The lonely sun. To-day the Litvin people
From all the neighbourhood are gathered round
The chapel ere the sunrise, as to hear
The announcement of some novel miracle.
This gathering from the people’s piety
In part proceeded, part from curiousness;
For this day will the generals be present
At mass in Soplicowo, those renowned
As leaders of our legions, they of whom
The people knew the names, and honoured them
Like patron saints, and all whose wanderings,
Campaigns, and battles were a national
Gospel to Litva. Now some officers
Had come already, and a crowd of soldiers.
The people flocked around them, on them gazed,
And scarcely might believe their eyes, beholding
Their fellow-countrymen in uniform,
Armed, free, and speaking in the Polish tongue.
Mass was performed. The tiny sanctuary
Might not contain the whole assembly there;
The people kneel upon the grass, and gaze
Inside the chapel doors, uncovering
Their heads. The hair of the Litvanian folk,
Fair-hued or yellow, golden shone like field
Of ripened rye; and blooming here and there
The fair hair of a maiden, with fresh flowers
Adorned, or peacock’s eyes, with ribbons braided,
Adornment of the tresses, gleamed among
The men’s heads, as ’mid wheat cornflowers and tares.
The many-coloured, kneeling crowd o’erspread
The field, and at the bell’s voice, as it were
At blowing of the wind, the heads all bowed,
As corn-ears in a field. The village maids
To-day unto our Lady’s altar bear
Spring’s earliest gifts, fresh branches of green herbs;
All round in garlands and in nosegays dressed,
Altar and picture, and the belfry even,
And galleries. At times the morning breeze,
When blowing from the east, the garlands strips,
And throws on brows of kneeling worshippers,
And scatters them like fragrance from the censers.
But when the Mass and sermon both were done,
Presiding o’er the whole assembly now
The Chamberlain came forth, elected Marshal,248
With one accord, by all the District’s States,
Wearing the Palatinal uniform,
A zupan gold-embroidered, the kontusz
Of Tours brocade with fringes, massy girdle,
Where hung a sabre with a shagreen hilt,
And a great diamond pin gleamed at his neck.
White his Confederate cap, and thereupon
A bunch of precious feathers; crests were these
Of herons white; on festivals alone
Is worn so rich a plume, whose every feather
A ducat costs. Thus clad, upon a hill
Before the church he mounted. Round him pressed
The villagers and soldiers. Thus he spoke:
“Brothers, the priest has late to you proclaimed
The freedom which the Emperor-king restored
Unto the crown, and now to Litva’s Duchy;
Restored unto all Poland; ye have heard
The government decrees, and convocation
Summoning the Diet. I have but to speak
A few words to the people, on a matter
Concerning the Soplica family,
Lords of this place. “The region all remembers
The crime committed by the late Pan Jacek
Soplica here; but since you all do know
His crimes, ’tis time we likewise should proclaim
His merits to the world. The leaders of
Our armies here are present, from whom I
Have learned all that which now I tell to you.
This Jacek did not die, as rumour said,
In Rome, but only changed his former life,
And state, and name, and all his crimes against
God and the Fatherland he has effaced
By holy life, and by great deeds. “ ’Twas he,
At Hohenlinden, who, when General Richepanse,
Half-beaten, did bethink him of retreat,
Unknowing Kniaziewicz with help drew near;—
He, Jacek, Robak called, through swords and spears,
Bore letters from Kniaziewicz to Richepanse,
Announcing our men took the foe in rear.249
He later on in Spain, when that our lancers
Did capture Somosierra’s trenched crest,250
At Kozieltulski’s side was wounded twice.
Then, as an envoy, charged with secret orders,
To different regions travelled he, to sound
The spirit of the people, to unite
Secret societies, and form them. Lastly,
In Soplicowo, his paternal nest,
When he an insurrection did prepare,
He perished in a foray. Just upon
His death intelligence to Warsaw came,
His Majesty the Emperor had deigned
To give him for his late heroic deeds
The ensigns chivalrous of Honour’s Legion.251
“Wherefore all these things having in regard,
I, representing here the Wojewode’s rule,
With my Confederation staff, proclaim
To you, that Jacek by his faithful service,
And by the Emperor’s favour, has effaced
The stain of infamy, and now returns
To honour, and again he finds a place
In ranks of truest patriots. Therefore who
Shall dare remind the family of Jacek
Of his long-expiated fault, shall fall
Beneath the punishment of such reproach,
As gravis notoe macula declare,
The statute’s words; such penalty affects
Both militem and scartabel,252 who shall
Put infamy upon a citizen;
And since equality does now prevail,
Burghers and peasants this third article
Likewise obliges.253 Let this Marshal’s order
The district Writer in the general Acts
Inscribe, and let the Wozny set it forth.
“As touches now the cross of Honour’s Legion,
That it arrived too late shall not detract
From glory. If it might not Jacek serve
As ornament, be it a memory of him.
Let us suspend it on his grave. Three days
Let it hang here; then in the chapel lay
The cross, a votive offering to the Virgin.”
This saying, the order from its covering
He drew, and hung upon the humble cross
That marked the grave a crimson ribbon, tied
In form of a cockade, and that white cross,
Glittering with stars and with its golden crown.
And in the sunbeams brightly shone the stars,
Like the last gleam of Jacek’s earthly glory.
Meanwhile the people said upon their knees
The Angelus, for peace eternal praying
Unto the sinner’s soul. The Judge addressed
The guests and village crowd, inviting all
To Soplicowo for the banquet. But
Upon the grassy bank before the house
Two old men sat, two measures full of mead
Upon their knees; they towards the orchard gaze,
Where like a sunflower, ’mid the poppy-buds
Of various hue, there stood a lancer, wearing
A shining kolpak, decked with golden metal
And a cock’s feather; near to him a girl
In dress as green as lowly rue, upraised
Eyes blue as heart’s-ease flowers towards the lad’s.
Young maidens in the garden further off,
Were gathering flowers; purposely they
