rit, and he frequently requested him to accompany
him in his rides, and chatted familiarly with him.

"I hate this inactive life," he said one day, "and would, a
thousand times, rather be fighting the Russians than setting the
Poles by the ears; but I dare not move against them, for, were
Augustus of Saxony left alone, he would ere long set all Poland
against me. At present, the Poles refuse to allow him to bring in
reinforcements from his own country; but if he cannot get men he
can get gold, and with gold he can buy over his chief opponents,
and regain his power. If it costs me a year's delay, I must wait
until he is forced to fly the kingdom, and I can place on the
throne someone who will owe his election entirely to me, and in
whose good faith I can be secure.

"That done, I can turn my attention to Russia, which, by all
accounts, daily becomes more formidable. Narva is besieged by them,
and will ere long fall; but I can retake Narva when once I can
depend upon the neutrality of the Poles. Would I were king of
Poland as well as of Sweden. With eighty thousand Polish horse, and
my own Swedish infantry, I could conquer Europe if I wished to do
so.

"I know that you are as fond of adventure as I am, and I am
thinking of sending you with an envoy I am despatching to Warsaw.

"You know that the Poles are adverse to business of all kinds. The
poorest noble, who can scarcely pay for the cloak he wears, and who
is ready enough to sell his vote and his sword to the highest
bidder, will turn up his nose at honest trade; and the consequence
is, as there is no class between the noble and the peasant, the
trade of the country is wholly in the hands of Jews and foreigners,
among the latter being, I hear, many Scotchmen, who, while they
make excellent soldiers, are also keen traders. This class must
have considerable power, in fact, although it be exercised quietly.
The Jews are, of course, money lenders as well as traders. Large
numbers of these petty nobles must be in their debt, either for
money lent or goods supplied.

"My agent goes specially charged to deal with the archbishop, who
is quite open to sell his services to me, although he poses as one
of the strongest adherents of the Saxons. With him, it is not a
question so much of money, as of power. Being a wise man, he sees
that Augustus can never retain his position, in the face of the
enmity of the great body of the Poles, and of my hostility. But,
while my agent