Notes

Some time since, a Polish gentleman with his wife and daughter left Warsaw in a carriage and four; and, contrary to the advice of his friends, was returning, in the night, to his home in the country. Scarcely had he proceeded a few English miles from Warsaw, when he was stopped by a Circassian cavalry patrol. He was robbed, his servants beaten, his wife and daughter ill-used, and one of the ruffians cut off his lady's finger on which was a large diamond. As the use of every kind of weapon is forbidden in Poland, the gentleman, in the struggle, repelled several of the assailants with his fist, and gave one of the Russians such a happy blow with his pipe on the hind part of his head, that it stunned the ruffian, who fell senseless to the ground; and soon afterwards another travelling carriage liberated the Polish family from further molestation. As the outrage occurred almost within sight of Warsaw, the gentlemen, indignant at such a robbery on the public highway, returned immediately thither; and alighting directly at Paszkiewich 's residence, demanded an interview with the latter; the prince soon came out, and felt eager to know what he wanted. Scarcely had the Russian field-marshal made his appearance, when the Polish lady, excited by the loss of her finger and by the infamous treatment to which they had been subjected, opened so skilful an attack on the latter in her first burst of indignation, (and with her cutting eloquence interspersed with sobbing and screammg), that the conqueror of Poland, unprepared to parry her reproaches and forcible arguments, could not at first say a word in justification; but, after a while answered, *' Madam, remember with whom you are speaking; if you address me thus in public, I shall be obliged to punish you: but, enter my house with your husband, and I give you my word of honour, as a soldier, that no harm shall be done to you: and there you may say to me what you think proper" She then entered his house, where she was patiently listened to; — and when a Polish lady unbridles her tongue it is no joke. Paszkiewich, in all probability, heard such verba veritatis, as he will never hear again. At all events, he promised her to take all necessary measures for punishing the guilty parties. He called his aide-de-camp and gave him peremptory orders that all the Circassians who were engaged in patroling the previous night, should attend, without the exception of a single man, (whether sick or dead,) in the Saxon square, the next morning; and after taking leave of the injured ladies, he requested the Polish gentleman to attend him there at the proper time. The next day he inspected, personally, all the Circassians, made the most minute inquiries, but could not discover the guilty parties; and asked the gentleman, alluded to, whether he could recognise any one among these soldiers who had robbed him on the preceding night; the latter answered, that it was a dark and starless night, and his conscience would not allow him to criminate any particular man unjustly; that he thought however, that they belonged to the field-marshal's guard; and, that the one who received a blow on the head from him, must have a mark. The field-marshal immediately ordered that all the men belonging to the Circassian detachments, should come, one after the other, take off their caps, and show him their heads. One soldier actually had a fresh and bloody mark on his head; and after a careful examination it was soon found that it must have proceeded from a blow. Paszkiewich gave him a box on the ear, accused him of robbery, and peremptorily ordered him to name his accomplices: he mentioned seven persons, among them an oflBLcer; they were all immediately arrested, tried, and convicted. Paszkiewich ordered three physicians to be called without delay, and seven coflObas to be con- structed in two hours, if they were not to be found ready-made at the undertakers. When everything was ready, the seven men alluded to, including the officers, were undressed, tied to their coffins, and, without any further ceremony flogged to death, in the presence of the Polish gentleman. When the physicians had pronounced them to be dead, they were all buried close to the place where they committed the offence. From that time the spot is called " the grave of the seven robbers " (rob sied miu rozboynikow). This terrible example struck terror into the hearts of the soldiers; and stopped the further commission of robbery. The soldiers alluded to, were certainly deserving of exemplary punishment, but the manner of its infliction was not in accordance with the customs of civilized Europe. I mention this -anecdote, the details of which I give on the authority of an eye witness to the circumstance, as it bears the peculiar stamp of the Russian rule. Field-marshal Paszkiewich, Prince of Warsaw, seems to be superior in military capacity to Prince Worontzof, but the latter, it is said, is more liked at the Russian court. I noticed at Warsaw, to my fellow-officers in the Polish guard, in 1828, the military talents of the former.