LIVES OF THE POLISH HEROES. 509 



poraries. Another association was formed, called the " Anti-Radiant 

 Brothers/* which finding no readier arms, made use of those of calumny 

 against Zan and his adepts. They were accused by their adversaries 

 of having outraged religion, in their songs and their writings. The 

 affair was first carried before the Bishop Kundzicz, and reached the 

 ears of the Russian governor-general, Runski Korsakoff, who referred 

 it to the Rector Malewski, the latter forthwith ordered the dissolution 

 of the society. 



Being unable to realize his favourite plans openly, Zan pursued 

 them in secret From the kernel of the society of the Radiant Brothers, 

 he formed the secret association of Philaretes (friends of virtue) it 

 was sub-divided into seven sections, taken from the seven colours of 

 the rain-bow. A committee of twenty members, who exercised over 

 the rest of the society an occult influence and supremacy, took the 

 name of " Committee of Philomates." And organized the society 

 received an immense developement. The study of the Polish language, 

 and of the arts and sciences, formed the basis of the organization of the 

 Philaretes. By means of an assessment, a library was formed for the 

 common use of all the members ; and thanks to this assistance, Francis 

 Malewski and Marjan Peasecki were enabled to be sent at the expence 

 of the university into foreign countries, in order to improve themselves, 

 the first in natural law and the second in political economy. Joseph 

 Jezowski opened a course of public lectures on geology ; Joseph 

 Kowalewski, gave private lessons in Latin ; Fortunatus Zurewecz lec- 

 tured- on zoology. All those who were farthest advanced in the 

 physical, chymical, and mathematical, courses, repeated gratuitously 

 what they had heard. Thus the youth who repaired to Wilna, found 

 in this association moral resources and family ties. A typographical 

 committee was created, in order to reprint the Polish classical authors, 

 and to dispose of them at such a moderate price as should render them 

 popular ; it was even, in fact, intended to publish a scientific journal, 

 in which each of the members should have consigned the fruit of his 

 labours and investigations. 



But after two years of an active and brilliant existence, the secret 

 society was on the point of being undermined by dilation and calumny. 

 Anthony Wyzivicz, professor of mathematics, denounced its existence 

 to Prince Adam Czartoryski, curator of the university, and passing at 

 that time through Wilna. The prince, partial as he was to the studious 

 and scientific, could not, however, dispense from appointing a committee 

 to ascertain the fact, but he took care to entrust the inquiry to the 

 excellent professor Brianus, who after a short interrogation, declared 

 that there were no grounds for further proceedings. The Philaretes 

 and the Philomates, however, to avoid implicating any one, resolved 

 spontaneously, to dissolve their associations. An extraordinary sitting 

 was held, at which Zan presided, in which all the writings were 

 consigned to the flames, and in which all the members, after having 

 taken leave of each other in the most touching manner, swore never to 

 betray the secret of the society. It was dissolved in the spring of 1822. 

 Thus ceased the cause and pretext for all prosecution. However, an 

 accident, trifling in itself, led to the most fearful consequences. In the 

 month of May, 1832, Michael Plater, a student of the fifth class, of one 

 of the schools of the Gymnasium of Wilna, amused himself with writing on 

 the walls of the school-room, " The Constitution of the 3d May, 17 



