reigns in Poland. This leaves them, not only a prey to one another, but to whatever enemy shall please to attack them; and yet they call it their Palladium, and the Pupilla Libertatis. I shall now at once begin my History, by telling you, that as in the accounts of most countries, their origin is very dark, so that of Poland, though taken up at a later period, is the darkest. The conjectures of their own miserable historians differ about it; but they seem all to agree that Lechus was the first who collected the Poles into a body, and was himself their leader; and this happened in the latter end of the sixth century after the birth of our Lord Christ. But all that is told of him and his successors, is so ill-grounded and so dark, so full of incredible wonders, and impossible miracles, that it is plainly all fable and fiction. His family continued to govern Poland till the year 840,* when their writers * The names of the Princes that are said to have governed Poland after the death of Lechus down to the year 840, seem to think they tread upon surer grounds. To convince their readers of it, they tell the most ridiculous and improbable stories of the Election of Piast, who from the Plough was chosen their Sovereign; and from whom all the native subjects of Poland that are advanced to the Throne continue to this day to be called Piast. The last of the race of Lechus was Popiel the second, of whom I shall only say after the author that I borrow from, that he was cruel in his nature, and put many of his own relations to death at once, out of whose bodies there came a large number of mice who devoured both Popiel and his wife. are Crachus, who built Cracow; Venda, his daughter; Lescus 1st; Lescus 2nd; Lescus 3rd; Popiel 1st; Popiel 2nd. Some Polish writers say that the race of Lechus being extinguished (though they never pretend to say who his descendants were, and what names they bore) Poland was for some time governed by twelve Waiwodes, who not being able to agree among themselves, chose Cracus for their king in the year 700: but this I take to be a fiction, and only introduced to prove the antiquity of the Waiwodes, which in Polish is a synonymous word for Palatin. But the famous legend of the Election of Piast must not be omitted, for in such parts of this History as won't afford you instruction, I intend to try to give you some diversion. What I am now going to tell you is faithfully taken from Dlugossius, their famous and best historian. Popiel's life and death having disgusted the Poles from the rest of his line, they summoned an assembly at Cruisvic for the choice of a new Sovereign; but in vain; for the heats and animosities among the several great ones of the country, prevented their being able to fix upon any person for their chief, and the assembly dissolved itself. But though the assembly was dissolved, the heats and animosities continued, and broke out into all the shapes of vengeance throughout all Poland: these calamities soon cured themselves. Every body grew tired of these petty civil wars; and the next year they all agreed to convoke another assembly at the same place, and then it was that Piast was elected. This Piast is described as a poor farmer extremely industrious and charitable, strictly just and honest. He was blest with a wife, who was endowed with the same virtues, and who was called Rzepica, and one son, to whom at that time they had not given any name. This family applied themselves diligently to husbandry, and lived upon the product of their own little farm but what they were most famed for was, an universal charity (to the utmost of their power) to all the sick, the unfortunate, and the stranger. Though (says my author, who is a Priest) they were themselves Pagans; and it was reckoned that there were more poor relieved at Piast's Cottage than at the Sovereign's Palace. : It happened not long before the death of Popiel, that two strangers who had never been seen in those parts before, venerable in their looks and garb, arrived at the Sovereign's Palace to partake of the rights of Charitable Hospitality; but, finding the gates shut, and entrance being denied them, they were directed to the Cottage of the benevolent and charitable Piast, where they were received with the greatest cheerfulness and good-will, by Piast and Rzepica. And just at that time the good farmer had prepared a large vessel of Mead (which is a liquor that is still drank all over Poland, and which they manage so as to keep good for several years, for I have drank it at ten years old extremely agreeable), and had fatted a hog in order to entertain their neighbours, and celebrate the day when, according to the Pagan custom, their son was to have his head shaved, and to have a name given him; but Piast was so pleased with his two strangers, that, forgetting the festival, he killed the fatted hog, and dressed them a dinner in the best manner he could, and produced his Mead in great plenty; and while he and Rzepica waited on the guests, Piast desired them to accept of what he set before them, assuring them of the heartiest welcome, which they ought to prefer |