' If we may credit their own historians, their first prince was a descendent from Japhet, the son of Noah. They give him the name of Lecht, and declare that he came from Dalmatia. This prince left his throne to his son Wissimir, who founded the city of Dantzig. We discover no traces in history of any actions that were performed by the posterity of these two first kings of Poland; and it is a void which fiction itself has never attempted to fill up. It only supposes that the nation, after the extinction of the royal family, assembled for the election of new masters. The nobility were on the point of proceeding to this choice, when the people, who had long been harassed with the tyranny of their last kings, demanded an abolition of the regal government, that they might no longer depend on the caprice of one man.
' The great lords, who were allured with the hopes of sharing all the honours of dominion, were easily induced to comply with the solicititations of the people; in consequence of which they established a republic, the administration whereof was intrusted to twelve palatines; but the unsteady people were soon dissatisfied with this new mode of government; an anarchy full of disorder and confusion inspired them with an aversion to their state of independence, and a set of enemies, who were always ready to derive advantages from the troubles of the State, and the conjunctures of those times, ravaged the provinces with impunity, and made this nation pay dear for the liberty they had acquired.
f The eyes of the people were at last opened to their real interest, and they judged it would be most advantageous to them to have but one master. This consideration induced them to turn their thoughts to the election of a king; but a choice of this kind was attended with great difficulties. The state of their affairs required some martial spirit to repel the invasions of the neighbouring people, as well as to re-conquer the territories which had been wrested from them by usurpations, and to re-establish the honour of the nation. It was likewise necessary for this hero to temper an intrepidity of mind, with the softness of a prudent charity, in order to gain upon those dispositions, which had been rendered intractable by a long state of independence; and it was also thought requisite, that the virtue of the future prince should afford them a sufficient security for the proper use of the supreme power with which they were disposed to entrust him.
' Such qualities are seldom united in one man; the Poles, however, found one of their countrymen who possessed them in an eminent degree. Grack was the name of this virtuous person who brought the calamities of Poland to a happy period. As he was always victorious in the wars he undertook, and as he likewise guided the reins of Government with a consummate prudence, he continuoustly rendered himself dear to his people, and formidable to his enemies. He built the city of Cracow on the Weissel; and Bohemia submitted to the laws of so accomplished a prince.*
' Lecht the Second became his successor, the consequence of a crime, for he secretly destroyed Grack, his elder brother, and ascended his father's throne, as well by the choice of the nobility, as by virtue of the right he claimed to the succession. All his subjects submitted to his authority while his crime was undiscovered; but as soon as it happened to be detected, the lords would no longer suffer the assassin of his own brother to sit upon the throne he had usurped, and to hold the reins of government with the hands which were defiled with the blood of their lawful prince. He was chased from the kingdom in a degrading manner, and, according to some authors, he died without leaving any children, detested by his subjects, and troubled by the remorse of his own conscience.
' After the death of the two sons of Grack the First, the Poles were desirous of submitting to the government of his daughter Vanda, a very amiable princess, who was graced with the accomplishments of eloquence, wisdom, and courage to a degree that was altogether uncommon in her sex. She reigned with glory, and in the tranquillity of a profound peace, when a neighbouring prince sent ambassadors to her to treat of a marriage between himself and her, and to denounce war against her dominions if she should happen to reject his offers. Vanda, according to some historians, had rendered herself incapable of the nuptial state by a vow of virginity which she had made to the gods of her country. She therefore prepared for war, assembled her troops, animated them by her presence and discourse, broke the measures of her enemy, opposed his incursions, and constrained him at last to come to a conference. What can be impracticable