Sak in the original. ↩
These three lines are not translated by me, but by Mr. Naganowski. —M. A. B. ↩
Two legendary twin princes, whose story forms part of the powerful, though fantastical drama of Lilla Weneda, by Julius Slowacki. ↩
I.e., Poland. ↩
Corona Borealis. ↩
Ursa Major. ↩
I should not like to say positively, but I am almost certain that the appellation Smok does not exist even in Polish manuals of astronomy. It may be, however, that such is the name in Lithuania for scorpion, or that the poet, not being able to introduce the idea of a scorpion, used dragon. None of the twelve zodiacal signs seem to answer the description, except Scorpio. It may be Serpens in Ophiuchus. —E. S. N. ↩
It was customary to hang up in churches fragments of fossil bones, which the people supposed to be those of giants. ↩
The famous comet of 1811, which, having been scarcely visible during April and May, reappeared with great splendour, after passing its perihelion, in August, the date of this story, and remained visible all the autumn. The tail on October 14 was estimated at 100,000,000 miles long, and 15,000,000 broad; the head measuring 1,270,000 millions of miles. Its period is supposed to be 3,000 years. ↩
The comet of 1811 is described as having its tail divided into two streams, parting from the head, and again united into a curve at their base; so the image used is both characteristic and descriptive. ↩
The common people of Lithuania figure the Pestilence under the form of a maiden of gigantic stature, and waving in her hand a bloodstained cloth, from which she scatters the pestilence. The appearance of this spectre is commonly supposed to precede the ravages of the plague, or other epidemic. (See notes to “Konrad Wallenrod.”)
The comet of 1811, besides being regarded as an evil omen in Poland and Russia, received in Spain the name of “El Cometa de Hambre,” as preceding a great famine, that immediately followed on the Peninsular war. ↩
The priest Poczobut, an ex-Jesuit, published a work on the Zodiac of Dendera, and by his observations assisted Lalande in calculating lunar motions. ↩
John Sniadecki (1756–1830), a famous astronomer, and writer on scientific subjects. From 1807 to 1825 he was professor of astronomy and rector of the University of Wilna. Among other places he studied some time at Oxford. ↩
Xavier Branicki was the chief promoter of the Targowica and other conspiracies. ↩
The family of Sapieha furnished several distinguished men during the seventeenth century, and especially during the reign of John Sobieski. ↩
A tiger in Africa!!! ↩
Stanąc na kobiercu, an idiomatic expression for the ceremony of marriage. ↩
The Wilias, Switeziankas, Rusalkas, are the water-maidens of popular Lithuanian legend. ↩
These snakes were formerly objects of worship, in the old paganism of the country. ↩
The medieval fable and excuse for persecution. ↩
The Polish mile is equivalent to between two and three of English. ↩
The original is a species of legal macaronic Latin; an imitation of the same effect has been attempted by means of English words, similarly Latinised. ↩
In this representation of a Russian officer as an honourable and just man, and one of his own countrymen as most unjust and tyrannical, our author has shown how little of a narrow or exclusive character was his patriotism. ↩
About £166. ↩
The Yellow Book, so named from its cover, is the code of the martial laws of Russia. Sometimes in time of peace the government proclaims whole provinces in a state of war, and by authority of the Yellow Book gives to the military commander full authority over the lives and property of the inhabitants. It is known that from the year 1812 till the revolution the whole of Lithuania was subjected to the Yellow Book, the executor whereof was the Grand Duke Constantine. ↩
Equivalent to “at a discount.” ↩
Baka, a jovial ecclesiastic in Poland of the last century; a poetaster chiefly known by his humorous veridicisms, written in most ludicrous forms. His verses are immortal only on account of their technical absurdities and intrinsic satire. One of them begins:
“Babula,
Cebula,”
and goes on thus in single trisyllabic words or three monosyllabic ones. It requires uncommon lucidity of mind to understand it. —E. S. N. ↩
See note 19 to Book II. ↩
A corruption of the German elf zuolf (eleven-twelve), a game at cards. —E. S. N. ↩
Germ. Gefreiter, a lance-corporal. ↩
The Lithuanian clubs were made in this manner; a young oak was selected, and an incision made in it with an axe, so as to cut through the bark and marrow. In these notches were inserted sharp flints, which in time grew into the wood, and formed hard knobs. Clubs constituted in pagan times the chief weapon of the Lithuanian infantry; they are still occasionally used, and called nasieki. ↩
After Jasinski’s insurrection, when the Lithuanian army had retired towards Warsaw, the Muscovites approached Wilna, left open to
