48 Wysocki's Narrative of the Polish Insurrection. [[JAN. 



what later. A few days previously, a Polish pamphlet had accidentally 

 fallen into my hands, the title and first leaves of which had been torn 

 away ; it seemed to contain the means of rescuing Poland, at the time 

 of its third dismemberment. This pamphlet had great influence on the 

 members of our society, as well as the reflections of Kilinski, which we 

 had already perused, and which had been sent to us out of Posen as a 

 pledge of fraternal sympathy, and as a token of zeal in our mutual wel- 

 fare, not inferior to our own. 



Towards the end of September, and in the first days of October, bills 

 were stuck up at the corners of many of the streets in Warsaw, sum- 

 moning the Poles to revolution, and containing menaces against the 

 Grand Duke, with even a notice that, from the next new year, the Bel- 

 vedere Palace would be to be let. We had no knowledge of all this. 

 Reports were spread in every direction that a new revolution was about 

 to break out ; one even went so far as to fix the day it was to be the 

 10th, 15th, and 20th of October. These rumours induced the old govern- 

 ment to stand more on its guard. 



As I had no opportunity of seeing J. B. Ostrowski, I begged Louis 

 Nabielak to go to Lazienski,* and enjoined him to inform Ostrowski, 

 that after the 18th of October we were daily prepared to take up arms. 

 I recommended Ensign Fraszkowski to Nabielak, and begged he would 

 concert with him the measures to be taken, in order, from the very 

 beginning, to act in union with the inhabitants, either in the Saxon 

 Square or at the Belvedere; this plan, however, could not be executed, 

 as the officers had not yet been able to come to an understanding on 

 the point. At length Fraszkowski, seconded by Nabielak and other 

 officers, made the request that I would fix the 18th of October for the 

 commencement of our enterprise ; yet on condition that I was still to 

 hold a final consultation with Zaliwski and Urbanski. At this consulta- 

 tion it was, however, decided to delay the affair for some time longer, 

 which occasioned considerable dissatisfaction and enmity towards me. 

 The reproaches I had to undergo, and the calumnies with which I was 

 loaded, did not in the least slacken my zeal. The society divided itself 

 into parties ; and J. B. Ostrowski, dreading the vigilance of spies, 

 especially after the apprehension of several students of the university, 

 discontinued his support. Misunderstandings likewise arose in the 

 corps, which also withdrew their assistance. This wretched state of 

 discord lasted till the next consultation with Xaverius Bronikowski. I 

 redoubled my efforts to assemble all the officers ; having effected this, 

 they required to be convinced in what light the Chamber of Deputies 

 would consider our projects, in consequence of which, I and Zaliwski 

 undertook to ascertain the genuine feeling of the inhabitants, and to fix 

 the day when the struggle for the national cause was at last to begin. 

 The execution of our design was, however, again postponed, by the 

 imprisonment of several individuals, by order of the Grand Duke, as 

 well as by the general apprehension evinced in the capital. Urbanski 

 was seized; and I myself, by order of the Duke, was examined by 

 Olendzki. Precautionary measures were taken at the Belvedere, arid 

 all proceedings at the military academy were watched with tenfold sus- 

 picion. Geznez was also thrown into confinement, and underwent a 

 rigorous examination ; while all communication between us and the city 



* A small village near Warsaw. 



