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216 REGNARD’s JOURNEY TO LAPLAND.
The diets are held once in three years ; two are held in Warfaw,.and one at Grodno,
or Wilna, the two moft refpectable cities of Lithuania. This province has the fame
officers with Poland, and General Spas is commander-in-chief in Lithuania. _ It is faid
in the country that it might fo happen that the Lithuanians might chufe a King ; they
fee themfelves defpifed by the Poles, and even by the King, who has not the fame regard
for them as for his other fubjects: it is feared that they may put themfelves under the
protection of Mufcovy. They cry out for war in every diet; but they, as well as the
Poles, are in no condition to carry it on.
When war is declared, you fee all the little gentry on horfeback attending the army :
they remain as long as their provifions laft, which confiit of a great number of little
cheefes, hard as wood, a kitt of butter, and fomething elfe of that nature; and when
this is confumed, and they have eaten the price of then orfes, they return home, and
are thus ina very poor ftate for continuing the war.
The laft diet was held laft year, and was broken up by a little gentleman, who was
of a different opinion from the reft. It was at that time that the affair refpecting the
ambafladors took place, who returning from the caftle were infulted by fome Poles,
who had endeavoured to feize the {word of a page: he drew his fword; but fome gentle-
men having alighted from their chariots, among others the Marquis of Janfon, the whole
was appeafed. The Poles departed for afliftance, and returned with nearly three hun-
dred perfons, to fall once more upon the attendants of the ambafladors, with hazel-fticks
and cudgels, crying, Zabi, zabi, franfleute; tue, tue. ‘The attendants alighted from the
chariot, and went in to the refidence of the Palatine of Ruflia, where they defended
themfelves as well as they were able again{t this multitude, whom the prefence of the
ambafladors was unable to overawe, and which could not prevent feveral gentlemen
from being wounded, and fome remained apparently dead on the fpot.
The King came next morning incognito to the ambafladors, who lodged at the Holy
Crofs with the fathers of the miflion, to fettle matters: the Palatine of Ruflia came thi-
ther aifo, and offered to put all his people into the hands of the ambafladors, to treat
them as they thought proper. Envoys are fent from all parts to thefe diets: fome were
there from Perfia, Turkey, and Mufcovy. ‘The Mufcovite was conducted in the chariot
of the Grand Marfhal, drawn by the King’s horfes. The Turk was there on account
of the limits which he had eftablifhed with near thirty thoufand men feven league from
Leopold, according to his inclination, for they were in no condition to conteft with him.
‘This gave great vexation to many individuals who had property in that quarter, who
however received promifes of being otherwife recompenfed. This is a pretty good way
of eftablifhing boundaries at the head of an army.
The firft office belonging to the crown is that of General, which is poffeffed by Prince
Nitre, nephew of the King, although older.
‘The fecond is that of Grand Marthal, poffefled by Lubomirfky.
The Palatine of Ruffia is Under-General.
The Chevalier Lubomirfky is Grand Enfign, and M. de Morftain is Great Treafurer
of the kingdom, without being obliged to give any account: he is immenfely rich, al-
though it is not yet eight years fince his circumftances were very {traightened.
All thefe offices-are fold by the poffeffors of them; but if they happen to become
vacant by death, the King difpofes of them.
‘The archbifhop of Gnefne, who is at prefent ———, is Primate and firft Prince of
the kingdom, born a legate, and governs the whole country during the interregnum,
which continues a year. The money is marked with his image.
There is almoft no other kingdom in Europe, except Poland, which is elective. The
King
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