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
In the middle of huge tables stood a lamb of candies
and marzipan, which were distributed "only to
ladies, dignitaries, and church men." Around it,
representing the seasons of the year, stood four
wild boars, each stuffed with hams, sausages, and
turkeys. The prince's chef showed wonderful skill in
roasting those boars whole. Then came twelve deer,
also roasted whole, and stuffed with a variety of
game: hares, woodcocks, partridges, hazel-hens,
etc.; these were for the twelve months of the year.
Around the table, numbering the weeks of the year,
were fifty-two mazourkas, that is, large square
cakes stuffed with all kinds of fruit, and three
hundred and sixty-five babas, for the days of the
year; each was one ell high and on their iced
surfaces were various inscriptions, mottoes,
proverbs, and witty verses, which the invited guests
took pleasure in deciphering.
In the way of beverages there were: first, four
antique silver tankards with wine from "King
Batory's time" (that is, one hundred years old);
then twelve silver pitchers of old Tokai; then
fifty-two silver barrels of Spanish, Italian, and
Cypress wines, and three hundred and sixty-five
bottles of Hungarian wine. For the household there
were 8,760 quarts, as many as there are hours in one
year, of home-made mead. The invited guests feasted
during one whole week. As soon as the morning
service was over they surrounded the tables, and the
entertainment lasted till midnight; the prince's
court band played lively airs, and the young people
were never tired of dancing, nor the elderly ones of
talking of "the good old times," sipping the
Hungarian Malmsey, and drinking to the health of the
prince.
He seemed to have grown thin; it is perhaps because of the long
fast. We also have not had any meat for forty days, and neither
butter nor milk during the holy week; everything was cooked with
oil, and on Friday we fasted the whole day. I did not mind it at
all, but for a man it must be different. Yesterday I was looking
anxiously at him: I thought he would not notice it, as he was
talking with the Prince Woivode, but he thanked me afterwards
for my solicitude. I felt quite ashamed; how careful a young
girl ought to be, not only of her words, but even of her eyes!
_Wednesday_, April 15.
We leave Warsaw to-morrow. The Prince Woivode and his wife are
going to their estate "Opole," and they take me with them. My
honored Father wrote a letter to the princess saying that she
may keep me as long as she is not tired of me. I hope that will
never be; I endeavor to please her as well as I can, and I feel
the greatest awe of her. If I ever live to be old I wish to have
her dignity of demeanor; even the duke is afraid of her.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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