tried to believe (though, I think, never rightly able) what his
omnipotent Napoleon had promised him, that extinct Poland should be
resuscitated; and he fought and strove very fiercely, his Poles and
he, in that faith or half-faith. And perished, fiercely fighting for
Napoleon, fiercely covering Napoleon's retreat when his game was lost:
horse and man plunged into the Elster River (Leipzig Country, October
19th, 1813, evening of the 'Battle of the Nations' there), and sank
forever;--and the last gleam of Poland along with him. [_Biographie
Universelle_ (Poniatowski, Joseph), xxxv. 349-359.] Not even a
momentary gleam of hope for her, in the sane or half-sane kind, since
that,--though she now and then still tries it in the insane: the more to
my regret, for her and others!

"Besides these three Brothers, King Stanislaus had two Sisters still
living: one of them Wife of a very high Zamoiski; the other of a
ditto Branicki (pronounce BraniTZki)--him whom our German Books call
KRON-GROSSFELDHERR; (Grand Crown-General,' if the Crown have any
soldiers at all; the sublime, debauched old Branicki, of whom Rulhiere
is continually talking, and never reports anything but futilities in
a futile manner. So much is futile, and not worth reporting, in this
Polish element!--King Stanislaus himself was born 17th January, 1732;
played King of shreds and patches till 1790,--or even farther (not till
1795 did Catharine pluck the paper tabard quite off him); he died in
Petersburg, February 11th or 12th) 1798." After such a life!--

Stanislaus was crowned 25th November, 1764. He needs, as preliminary,
to be anointed, on the bare scalp of him, with holy oil before crowning;
ought to have his head close-shaved with that view. Stanislaus, having
an uncommonly fine head of hair, shuddered at the barbarous idea;
absolutely would not: whereupon delay, consultation; and at length some
artificial scalp, or second skull, of pasteboard or dyed leather, was
contrived for the poor man, which comfortably took the oiling in a
vicarious way, with the ambrosial locks well packed out of sight
under it, and capable of flowing out again next day, as if nothing had
happened. [Rulhiere.] Not a sublime specimen of Ornamental Human Nature,
this poor Stanislaus! Ornamental wholly: the body of him, and the mind
of him, got up for representation; and terribly plucked to pieces on the
stage of the world. You may try to drop a tear over him, but will find
mostly that y