Three years ago, during my stay at Richmond, in Yorkshire, I compiled a regular history of the Polish Cossacks, which I properly corrected in the British Museum; but having neither literary acquaintances, nor available means of publishing it, and being more thwarted than encouraged in my literary exertions, I was twice obliged to curtail it, and so leave unpublished, perhaps, the most interesting part of it. "Whoever is an author, must admit that there is nothing more unpleasant than to condense and completely re-model historical subjects, after they have been once prepared and matured for the press.
In my present work on the Cossacks, I describe their piratical expeditions into Turkey, and sketch their dangerous rebellion (fostered by Russia) in Poland, under Chmielnicki, Zelezniak, and Gonta; and not less formidable rebellions in Russia, under Stenko Razin, Mazeppa, and Pugatchef, which rebellions cost Russia nearly a million of human beings, and shook that empire to its very foundation, and even to this time has not only impaired its whole strength, but rendered its continued existence a mysterious problem. Having further described all the branches of the Polish Cossacks, with their most noted chiefs, from almost the beginning of their political existence till our time, I then unveil many interesting facts respecting Catherine II., as connected with Poland, and give a short account of her lovers and the victims of her hatred, as also the various diabolical intrigues for which she was so infamously celebrated. I conclude the work with a statistical, historical, and geographical description of the Ukraine, from time immemorial the land of unbridled passions, poetry, and romance, and the source from which the genius of Byron drew the material of his poem of Mazeppa.
Some of the notes are written in the form of memoirs, and will be found full of interest. The anecdotes on Prince Pashkievich and Countess Cordule Fredro, are peculiar and characteristic. Many curious customs of the dreariest parts of Poland are mentioned. The dark shade of the Ukrainian poetry, and the singular adventures of the principal Ukranian poets are faithfully described. The music to be found at the end of the book may be attractive to the fairer portion of my readers.
In the life of Pugatchef, following blindly a written document, I committed, unintentionally, an historical error, which I am anxious to correct. It was not the Russian general Tchernishef, but the Russian general Carr, who was first vanquished by Pugatchef.
The whole work, though very imperfectly written in English, may yet prove interesting alike to the historical student and the general reader, if they will but consider the importance of the subject rather than its style of composition.
A small part of this work I have already written in French, those who wish to translate it into Italian, Spanish, and German, will not, probably, take advantage of a Polish exile, and may readily make terms for publication. In any written communication with me, it is necessary to put distinctly my christian name, Henry, on the address, to prevent mistakes, which has on more than one occasion exposed me to great annoyances.