ugh with a somewhat smaller population, but in this respect
exceeding Sweden. With the Poles themselves he had no quarrel, for
they had taken no part in the struggle, which had been carried on
solely by their king, with his Saxon troops.

The authority of the kings of Poland was much smaller than that of
other European monarchs. The office was not a hereditary one; the
king being elected at a diet, composed of the whole of the nobles
of the country, the nobility embracing practically every free man;
and, as it was necessary, according to the constitution of the
country, that the vote should be unanimous, the difficulties in the
way of election were very great, and civil wars of constant
occurrence.

Charles was determined that he would drive Augustus, who was the
author of the league against him, from the throne; but he desired
to do this by means of the Poles themselves, rather than to unite
the whole nation against him by invading the country. Poland was
divided into two parts, the larger of which was Poland proper,
which could at once place thirty thousand men in the field. The
other was Lithuania, with an army of twelve thousand. These forces
were entirely independent of each other. The troops were for the
most part cavalry, and the small force, permanently kept up, was
composed almost entirely of horsemen. They rarely drew pay, and
subsisted entirely on plunder, being as formidable to their own
people as to an enemy.

Lithuania, on whose borders the king had taken post with his army,
was, as usual, harassed by two factions, that of the Prince Sapieha
and the Prince of Oginski, between whom a civil war was going on.

The King of Sweden took the part of the former, and, furnishing him
with assistance, speedily enabled him to overcome the Oginski
party, who received but slight aid from the Saxons. Oginski's
forces were speedily dispersed, and roamed about the country in
scattered parties, subsisting on pillage, thereby exciting among
the people a lively feeling of hatred against the King of Poland,
who was regarded as the author of the misfortunes that had befallen
the country.

From the day when Charlie's suggestion, of burning damp straw to
conceal the passage of the river, had been attended with such
success, the king had held him in high favour. There was but a few
years' difference between their ages, and the suggestion, so
promptly made, seemed to show the king that the young Englishman
was a kindred spi