[52] Letter 329. “La victoire du Grand Maréchal est si grand qu’on ne doute point qu’il ne soit élu roi.” She does not however know much about Sobieski, for a little later (Letter 333) she represents him as of a different religion from the nation.
[53] Connor, who is evidently repeating the gossip of the king’s reign, says that he “worked underhand for himself.”
[54] Salvandy enumerates them (i. 430), but it can hardly be supposed that they all sent envoys. Among them were the Duke of York and his son-in-law, the Prince of Orange.
[55] Coyer says that Michael Paz, in the council of war after the battle of Kotzim, burst out with this as a condition of his supporting any candidate.
[56] Dr. South describes him as follows: “He is a tall, corpulent prince, large-faced, and full eyes, and goes always in the same dress with his subjects, with his hair cut round about his ears like a Monk, and wears a fur cap, extraordinarily rich with diamonds and jewels, large whiskers, and no neck-cloth.”—Letter to Dr. Pococke, p. 5.
[57] Czartoryski, Archbishop of Guesna, had died suddenly at a banquet given by Sobieski.
[58] Three contemporary authorities give this eloquent speech in extenso; and the language which is common to all of them, and which is here quoted, enables us to understand its electrical effect upon the audience.
[59] This generally occurred on Church lands, for nobles could make themselves heard against the general in the Diet. Daleyrac (chap. i. p. 12) says that he had heard of these officers making 6,000 francs by bribes.
[60] No queen of Poland was entitled to any allowance from the republic (or pension in case of widowhood) without having been crowned.
[61] Daleyrac (ch. i. p. 11) says that the Lithuanians are a worse scourge to the country than the Tartars. We shall find them as barbarous to the friendly people of Hungary.