The Deluge: An Historical Novel of Poland, Sweden, and Russia. Vol. 1Sienkiewicz, Henryk
History
The Deluge: An Historical Novel of Poland, Sweden, and Russia. Vol. 1
Sienkiewicz, Henryk
Historical fiction; Poland -- History -- John II Casimir, 1648-1668 -- Fiction
"Your grace does not think that he will be ready to act as he writes?"
asked Wittemberg.
"He?" answered Radzeyovski. "It is true that he nourishes a love for
his country, but with ink; and that is not over-strong food. His love
is in fact more scant than that of his jester who helps him to put
rhymes together. I am certain that after that Roman answer will come
good wishes for health, success, offers of service, and at last a
request to spare his property and that of his relatives, for which
again he with all his relatives will be thankful."
"And what at last will be the result of our letters?"
"The courage of the other side will weaken to the last degree, senators
will begin to negotiate with us, and we shall occupy all Great Poland
after perhaps a few shots in the air."
"Would that your grace be a true prophet!"
"I am certain that it will be as I say, for I know these people. I have
friends and adherents in the whole country, and I know how to begin.
And that I shall neglect nothing is made sure by the wrong which I
endure from Yan Kazimir, and my love for Karl Gustav. People with us
are more tender at present about their own fortunes than the integrity
of the Commonwealth. All those lands upon which we shall now march are
the estates of the Opalinskis, the Charnkovskis, the Grudzinskis; and
because they are at Uistsie in person they will be milder in
negotiating. As to the nobles, if only their freedom of disputing at
the diets is guaranteed, they will follow the voevodas."
"By knowledge of the country and the people your grace renders the king
unexampled service, which cannot remain without an equally noteworthy
reward. Therefore from what you say I conclude that I may look on this
land as ours."
"You may, your grace, you may, you may," repeated Radzeyovski
hurriedly, a number of times.
"Therefore I occupy it in the name of his Royal Grace Karl Gustav,"
answered Wittemberg, solemnly.
While the Swedish troops were thus beginning beyond Heinrichsdorf to
walk on the land of Great Poland, and even earlier, for it was on July
18, a Swedish trumpeter arrived at the Polish camp with letters from
Radzeyovski and Wittemberg to the voevodas.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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