of her partners of 1772, changed sides, and by-and-by even went
the length of concluding a defensive and offensive alliance with
the Polish Republic. She, with England and other governments,
backed Poland against Russia and Austria. Russia, moreover, had
to turn her attention elsewhere. At the time of Nicholas Chopin's
arrival, Poland was dreaming of a renascence of her former
greatness, and everyone was looking forward with impatience to
the assembly of the Diet which was to meet the following year.
Predisposed by sympathy, he was soon drawn into the current of
excitement and enthusiasm that was surging around him. Indeed,
what young soul possessed of any nobleness could look with
indifference on a nation struggling for liberty and independence.
As he took a great interest in the debates and transactions of
the Diet, he became more and more acquainted with the history,
character, condition, and needs of the country, and this
stimulated him to apply himself assiduously to the study of the
national language, in order to increase, by means of this
faithful mirror and interpreter of a people's heart and mind, his
knowledge of these things. And now I must ask the reader to bear
patiently the infliction of a brief historical summary, which I
would most willingly spare him, were I not prevented by two
strong reasons. In the first place, the vicissitudes of Nicholas
Chopin's early life in Poland are so closely bound up with, or
rather so much influenced by, the political events, that an
intelligible account of the former cannot be given without
referring to the latter; and in the second place, those same
political events are such important factors in the moulding of
the national character, that, if we wish to understand it, they
ought not to be overlooked.