ntry will point to him as its sovereign. Having finished
his academical career at the University of Edinburgh, he early
acquired a strong taste for English institutions and for
Englishmen, and of this he gave substantial proof by devoting
250 l. a-year to the exclusive purchase of English books. His
revenues are enormous; but his liberality is unbounded; and, as
it is a rule in his munificent establishment to provide
liberally for the families of all his dependants, his means are
comparatively restricted, but his personal wants are few; and
that he is ready to accommodate himself to circumstances, was
well shown by his only observation on hearing of the
confiscation of his large property in Podolia by Nicholas.
"Instead of riding, I must walk, and instead of sumptuous fare,
I must dine on buck-wheat."[3] Such is a faint outline of this
illustrious man's character. Were it only for the admirable
example of such an individual guiding the reigns of the
government of a devoted people, it is most ardently to be hoped
that Poland may triumph over her enemies, and be raised to that
rank from which she was degraded only by the basest of
treasons.--_Fletcher's History of Poland._
[3] The common food of the poor.
As the pronunciation of the Polish language is attended with some
difficulty, the author of this work has, in his advertisement, subjoined
the following hints, taken principally from the "Letters Literary and
Political on Poland, Edinburgh, 1823."
All vowels are sounded as in French and Italian; and there are no
diphthongs, every vowel being pronounced distinctly. The consonants are
the same as in English, except
_w_, which is sounded like _v_, at the beginning of a word; thus,
Warsawa--_Varsafa_; in the middle or at the end of a word it has the
sound of _f_, as in the instance already cited; and Narew--_Nareff_.
_c_, like _tz_, and never like _k_; thus, Pac is sounded _Patz_.
_g_, like _g_ in Gibbon; thus, _Oginski_.
_ch_, like the Greek [Greek: ch] or _k_; thus, Lech--_Lek_.
_cz_, like the English _tch_ in pitch;--thus, Czartoryski pronounce
_Tchartoryski_.
_sz_, like _sh_ in _shape_; thus, Staszyc like _Stashytz_.
_szcz_, like _shtch_; thus, Szczerbiec like _Shtcherbietz_.
_rz_, like _j_ in _je_, with a slight sound of _r_; thus,
Rzewuski--_Rjevuski_.
* * * * *
WHITE'S BAMPTO
|