The Journal of Countess Françoise Krasinska, Great Grandmother of Victor EmmanuelTańska-Hoffmanowa, Klementyna
History
The Journal of Countess Françoise Krasinska, Great Grandmother of Victor Emmanuel
Tańska-Hoffmanowa, Klementyna
Diary fiction; Franciszka Krasińska, Countess, consort of Charles, Duke of Courland, 1743-1796 -- Fiction
We had a long drive far beyond the Church of the Holy Cross, to
Ujazdow. There, coming down the hill on which is built the city
of Warsaw, is a large field usually planted with wheat.[12] This
field was enclosed by a fence with a gate, ornamented with
escutcheons, devices, and inscriptions. In the middle stood an
iron kiosk into which the king and the duke entered. Near the
kiosk was a space covered with bear-skins for the most notable
men, and further on, an amphitheatre with an iron railing for
the ladies. The whole place looked like a forest, for except a
space left around the kiosk, the ground was covered with big
pine-trees planted for the occasion. In the background, one saw
the hills covered with a throng of spectators.
[12]That place is now Lazienki, with a park and a
charming little palace built by the last Polish
king, Stanislaus Poniatowski, for his summer
residence.
As soon as we arrived and took our seats the trumpets and the
horns gave the signal, and the hunters of the Prince Radzivill
let the wild beasts loose from the enclosure. There were bears,
deer, wild boars and wolves; the trained dogs chased them toward
the kiosk, and one cannot describe the howling and the roaring
of the wild animals, the barking of the dogs, the shrieking of
the ladies, and all the noise which ensued. The king himself
shot three wild boars; the duke killed much game, and fought a
bear with the spear, a proof of great strength and skill. The
skin of that bear was presented to me for a rug.
The hunt lasted until four o'clock in the afternoon; we had a
lunch served to us during that time. There were perhaps a
hundred hunters and game-keepers of the Prince Radzivill, all
dressed in red livery and armed with guns and pikes.
This entertainment was given in honor of the anniversary of the
coronation of the king; for the same purpose there will be a
ball to-night given by the Marshal of the Crown, Bielinski.
_Saturday_, January 18.
The ball was splendid. The duke was very gay and happy, as on
that day he received a diamond-star order from the king. I
danced a great deal and my feet are aching; but I am sorry that
I spoke of it, for now I shall have to stay at home and rest for
ten days. The princess fears that the incessant dancing and late
hours will injure my health; really, my cheeks have become
rather pale.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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