POLISH HISTORY AND LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1091, 28 December 1877, Page 3

POLISH HISTORY AND LITERATURE.

LECTUBE BY COUNT DE ZABA. The Count de Zaba delivered a lecture last evening in St. John's schoolroom, in aid of the funds of the Sunday School connected with that church. It is a matter for great regret that there should have been only a small attendance, as this gentleman has achieved a high reputation as a lecturer elsewhere, which he fully maintained last evening. The lecture was entitled " Poland : its History and Literature," and in the able hands of the Count it proved to be interesting and highly instructive. Owing to the absence of Sir J. C. Wilson, Mr H. S. Smith was voted to the chair. The Count, in opening his subject, said he was sorry to see so small an audience, not so much on account of his own personal feelings as on account of the object for which the lecture was to be given. He would do his best to do justice to the subject of that evening, which would be a sketch of the political and literary career of Poland. It was a vast subject, embracing more than eleven centuries. A careful survey and a circumstantial delineation of events, upon which the beauty and the usefulness ol regular history so much depends, would be here impossible. The narrow limits of a single lecture constrained him to abridge at much as possible. In touching on the political history of Poland, the Count divided it into four periods, dating from 842 to the presenl date, giving the salient features and principal events bearirg on the condition of thi country. He showed that the love of free dom had been strong in Poland from its earliest age, and ha gave a succinct aud deal

statement of the different constitutions and laws of each of its four historical periods. In illustration of the toleration of the Poles, .as compared with that of other European nations in the 14th and 15th centuries, he cited the case of the Jews, who, when persecuted in every Christian country, found a safe and honorable asylum in Poland. There they were allowed to regulate their affairs nccording to their own customs and laws. This was the reason of there being so many Jews in Poland. A traveller of to-day would be very much interested in visiting a certain suburb of Cracow, the ancient capital of Poland. This suburb was built by Casimir the Great for the Jews, and is now principally occupied by that nation. The lecturer went on to prove that the Poles had always endeavored to maintain a constitutional Government. With reference to the literature of the Poles, the Count stated that they pointed to the reign of the two Sigismunds as its golden age. The chief merit of this age was the emancipation of Polish literature from the Latin element. That revolution produced a great change in popular taste, and contributed largely to the advancement of knowledge. The honor'of this change belonged to a man of uncommon genius and versatile thought, who, as a translater of Homer, Cicero, and other classical writers had acquired a claim to the gratitude of his country, but his fame rested particularly on his original works. The lecturer then read several translations of the poems of this author, their beautiful thought, and pathetic nature calling forth the applause of the audience. The Count then referred to the advance of the Poles in mathematics and national philosophy, calling particular attention to the labors of Copernicus, who was a Pole. A minute description of the causes which led to the dismemberment of Poland was then given, the machinations of Russia being the principal feature. It was shown that Russia's conduct before the fall of Poland was only a counterpart of her present behaviour towards Turkey. The European powers, who were parties to the treaty of "Vienna, were blamed for supineness in allowing the Czar to openly break its stipulations. This indifference to the cause of justice had encouraged the Emperor Nicholas to carry out boldly his work of destruction. In concluding, the Count said he was sorry to have to refer to the cruelties the Russians had perpetrated on the Poles, but it was impossible for him in a true statement of history to pass them over. He trusted that justice would yet be meted out, and that the humiliation of Russia, which would sooner or later come, will be a lesson to mankind. He maintained that it was an absolute necessity in the interests of humanity that the power of Russia should be crippled, and showed that a durable peace in the East could be maintained by the re-establishment of Poland.

At the conclusion a vote of thanks was carried by applause to the Count, who stated that it was his intention to give another lecture on the 15th proximo, the particulars of which would be duly advertised.