Read Pan Michael: An Historical Novel of Poland, the Ukraine, and Turkey Page 6


  CHAPTER V.

  Some days later came the opening of the Diet, over which, as Ketlinghad foreseen. Pan Hrapovitski was chosen to preside; he was at thattime chamberlain of Smolensk, and afterward voevoda of Vityebsk. Sincethe only question was to fix the time of election and appoint thesupreme Chapter, and as intrigues of various parties could not find afield in such questions, the Diet was carried on calmly enough. Thequestion of verification roused it merely a little in the verybeginning. When the deputy Ketling challenged the election of thesecretary of Belsk and his colleague. Prince Boguslav Radzivill, somepowerful voice in the audience shouted "Traitor! foreign official!"After that voice followed others; some deputies joined them; and all atonce the Diet was divided into two parties,--one striving to excludethe deputies of Belsk, the other to confirm their election. Finally acourt was appointed to settle the question, and recognized theelection. Still, the blow was a painful one to Prince Boguslav. Thisalone, that the Diet was considering whether the prince was qualifiedto sit in the chamber; this alone, that all his treasons andtreacheries in time of the Swedish invasion were mentioned inpublic,--covered him with fresh disgrace in the eyes of theCommonwealth, and undermined fundamentally all his ambitious designs.For it was his calculation that when the partisans of Conde, Neuburgh,and Lorraine, not counting inferior candidates, had injured one anothermutually, the choice might fall easily on a man of the country. Hence,pride and his sycophants told him that if that were to happen, the manof the country could be no other than a man endowed with the highestgenius, and of the most powerful and famous family,--in other words, hehimself.

  Keeping matters in secret till the hour came, the prince spread hisnets in advance over Lithuania, and just then he was spreading them inWarsaw, when suddenly he saw that in the very beginning they were torn,and such a broad rent made that all the fish might escape through iteasily. He gritted his teeth during the whole time of the court; andsince he could not wreak his vengeance on Ketling, as he was a deputy,he announced among his attendants a reward to him who would indicatethat spectator who had cried out just after Ketling's proposal,"Traitor! foreign official!"

  Zagloba's name was too famous to remain hidden long; moreover, he didnot conceal himself in any way. The prince indeed raised a stillgreater uproar, but was disconcerted not a little when he heard that hewas met by so popular a man and one whom it was dangerous to attack.

  Zagloba too knew his own power; for when threats had begun to flyabout, he said once at a great meeting of nobles, "I do not know ifthere would be danger to any one should a hair of my head fall. Theelection is not distant; and when a hundred thousand sabres of brothersare collected, there may easily be some making of mince-meat."

  These words reached the prince, who only bit his lips and smiledsneeringly; but in his soul he thought that the old man was right. Onthe following day he changed his plans evidently with regard to the oldknight, for when some one spoke of Zagloba at a feast given by theprince chamberlain, Boguslav said,--

  "That noble is greatly opposed to me, as I hear; but I have such lovefor knightly people that even if he does not cease to injure me infuture, I shall always love him."

  And a week later the prince repeated the same directly to Pan Zagloba,when they met at the house of the Grand Hetman Sobieski. Though Zaglobapreserved a calm face, full of courage, the heart fluttered a little inhis breast at sight of the prince; for Boguslav had far-reaching hands,and was a man-eater of whom all were in dread. The prince called out,however, across the whole table,--

  "Gracious Pan Zagloba, the report has come to me that you, though not adeputy, wished to drive me, innocent man, from the Diet; but I forgiveyou in Christian fashion, and should you ever need advancement, I shallnot be slow to serve you."

  "I merely stood by the Constitution," answered Zagloba, "as a noble isbound to do; as to assistance, at my age it is likely that theassistance of God is needed most, for I am near ninety."

  "A beautiful age if its virtue is as great as its length, and this Ihave not the least wish to doubt."

  "I served my country and my king without seeking strange gods."

  The prince frowned a little. "You served against me too; I know that.But let there be harmony between us. All is forgotten, and this too,that you aided the private hatred of another against me. With thatenemy I have still some accounts; but I extend my hand to your grace,and offer my friendship."

  "I am only a poor man; the friendship is too high for me. I should haveto stand on tiptoe, or spring to it; and that in old age is annoying.If your princely grace is speaking of accounts with Pan Kmita, myfriend, then I should be glad from my heart to leave that arithmetic."

  "But why so, I pray?" asked the prince.

  "For there are four fundamental rules in arithmetic. Though Pan Kmitahas a respectable fortune, it is a fly if compared with your princelywealth; therefore Pan Kmita will not consent to division. He isoccupied with multiplication himself, and will let no man take aughtfrom him, though he might give something to others, I do not think thatyour princely grace would be eager to take what he'd give you."

  Though Boguslav was trained in word-fencing, still, whether it wasZagloba's argument or his insolence that astonished him so much, heforgot the tongue in his own mouth. The breasts of those present beganto shake from laughter. Pan Sobieski laughed with his whole soul, andsaid,--

  "He is an old warrior of Zbaraj. He knows how to wield a sabre, but isno common player with the tongue. Better let him alone."

  In fact, Boguslav, seeing that he had hit upon an irreconcilable, didnot try further to capture Zagloba; but beginning conversation withanother man, he cast from time to time malign glances across the tableat the old knight.

  But Sobieski was delighted, and continued, "You are a master, lordbrother,--a genuine master. Have you ever found your equal in thisCommonwealth?"

  "At the sabre," answered Zagloba, satisfied with the praise,"Volodyovski has come up to me; and Kmita too I have trained notbadly."

  Saying this, he looked at Boguslav; but the prince feigned not to hearhim, and spoke diligently with his neighbor.

  "Why!" said the hetman, "I have seen Pan Michael at work more thanonce, and would guarantee him even if the fate of all Christendom wereat stake. It is a pity that a thunderbolt, as it were, has struck sucha soldier."

  "But what has happened to him?" asked Sarbyevski, the sword-bearer ofTsehanov.

  "The maiden he loved died in Chenstohova," answered Zagloba; "and theworst is that I cannot learn from any source where he is."

  "But I saw him," cried Pan Varshytski, the castellan of Cracow. "Whilecoming to Warsaw, I saw him on the road coming hither also; and he toldme that being disgusted with the world and its vanities, he was goingto Mons Regius to end his suffering life in prayer and meditation."

  Zagloba caught at the remnant of his hair. "He has become a monk ofCamaldoli, as God is dear to me!" exclaimed he, in the greatestdespair.

  Indeed, the statement of the castellan had made no small impression onall. Pan Sobieski, who loved soldiers, and knew himself best how thecountry needed them, was pained deeply, and said after a pause,--

  "It is not proper to oppose the free-will of men and the glory of God,but it is a pity to lose him; and it is hard for me to hide from you,gentlemen, that I am grieved. From the school of Prince Yeremi that wasan excellent soldier against every enemy, but against the horde andruffiandom incomparable. There are only a few such partisans in thesteppes, such as Pan Pivo among the Cossacks, and Pan Rushchyts in thecavalry; but even these are not equal to Pan Michael."

  "It is fortunate that the times are somewhat calmer," said thesword-bearer of Tsehanov, "and that Paganism observes faithfully thetreaty of Podhaytse extorted by the invincible sword of my benefactor."

  Here the sword-bearer inclined before Sobieski, who rejoiced in hisheart at the public praise, and answered, "That was due, in the firstinstance, to the goodness of God, who permitted me to stand at thethreshold of
the Commonwealth, and cut the enemy somewhat; and in thesecond, to the courage of good soldiers who are ready for everything.That the Khan would be glad to keep the treaties, I know; but in theCrimea itself there are tumults against the Khan, and the Belgrod hordedoes not obey him at all. I have just received tidings that on theMoldavian boundary clouds are collecting, and that raids may come in; Ihave given orders to watch the roads carefully, but I have not soldierssufficient. If I send some to one place, an opening is left in another.I need men trained specially and knowing the ways of the horde; this iswhy I am so sorry for Volodyovski."

  In answer to this, Zagloba took from his temples the hands with whichhe was pressing his head, and cried, "But he will not remain a monk,even if I have to make an assault on Mons Regius and take him by force.For God's sake! I will go to him straightway to-morrow, and perhaps hewill obey my persuasion; if not, I will go to the primate, to theprior. Even if I have to go to Rome, I will go. I have no wish todetract from the glory of God; but what sort of a monk would he bewithout a beard? He has as much hair on his face as I on my fist! AsGod is dear to me, he will never be able to sing Mass; or if he singsit, the rats will run out of the cloister, for they will think atom-cat is wailing. Forgive me, gentlemen, for speaking what sorrowbrings to my tongue. If I had a son, I could not love him as I do thatman. God be with him! God be with him! Even if he were to become aBernardine, but a monk of Camaldoli! As I sit here, a living man,nothing can come of this! I will go straightway to the primateto-morrow, for a letter to the prior."

  "He cannot have made vows yet," put in the marshal, "but let not yourgrace be too urgent, lest he grow stubborn; and it is needful to reckonwith this too,--has not the will of God appeared in his intention?"

  "The will of God? The will of God does not come on a sudden; as the oldproverb says, 'What is sudden is of the Devil.' If it were the will ofGod, I should have noted the wish long ago in him; and he was not apriest, but a dragoon. If he had made such a resolve while in fullreason, in meditation and calmness, I should say nothing; but the willof God does not strike a despairing man as a falcon does a duck. I willnot press him. Before I go I will meditate well with myself what tosay, so that he may not play the fox to begin with; but in God is myhope. This little soldier has confided always more to my wit than hisown, and will do the like this time, I trust, unless he has changedaltogether."