bon, and other Politicians male and female, finding that the best
move. A thing wonderful to the then Gazetteers, for nine days; but not
now worth much talk. The good young Lady, it is well known, a very pious
creature, and sore tried in her new station, did bring royal progeny
enough,--and might as well have held her hand, had she foreseen what
would become of them, poor souls! This was a great event for Stanislaus,
the sinecure Country-gentleman, in his French-German rustication. One
other thing I have read of him, infinitely smaller, out of those ten
years: in Zweibruck Country, or somewhere in that French-German region,
he 'built a pleasure-cottage,' conceivable to the mind, 'and called it
SCHUHFLICK (Shoe-Patch),' [Busching, _Erdbeschreibung,_ v. 1194.]--a
name that touches one's fancy on behalf of the innocent soul. Other
fact I will not remember of him. He is now to quit Shoe-Patch and his
pleasant Weissenburg Castle; to come on the public stage again, poor
man; and suffer a second season of mischances and disgraces still worse
than the first. As we shall see presently;--a new Polish Election Crisis
having come!

"What individual the Polish Grandees would have chosen for King if
entirely left alone to do it? is a question not important; and indeed
was never asked, in this or in late Elections. Not the individual who
could have BEEN a King among them were they, for a long time back, in
the habit of seeking after; not him, but another and indeed reverse kind
of individual,--the one in whom there lay most NOURISHMENT, nourishment
of any kind, even of the cash kind, for a practical Polish Grandee. So
that the question was no longer of the least importance, to Poland or
the Universe; and in point of fact, the frugal Destinies had ceased
to have it put, in that quarter. Not Grandees of Poland; but Intrusive
Neighbors, carrying Grandees of Poland 'in their breeches-pocket' (as
our phrase is), were the voting parties. To that pass it was come. Under
such stern penalty had Poland and its Grandees fallen, by dint of false
voting: the frugal Destinies had ceased to ask about their vote; and
they were become machines for voting with, or pistols for fighting
with, by bad Neighbors who cared to vote! Nor did the frugal Destinies
consider that the proper method, either; but had, as we shall see,
determined to abolish that too, in about forty years more."

OF THE CANDIDATES; OF THE CONDITIONS. HOW THE ELECTION WENT.

It