CRITICAL NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. 277 



household, who held uplifted his ebony staff ornamented with a silver head. 

 Queen Barbara advanced with the King on her right hand, and on her left Kmita, 

 on whose arm she was slightly leaning. Immediately after her came the Queen- 

 mother, between the Duke of Prussia and the Court Marshal Firley ; the Princess 

 of Mazovia was conducted by the Duke of Pomerania, and her daughter by the 

 Prince of Brandenburg and by her betrothed the Starost of Samborz. The rest of 

 the company proceeded according to their respective ranks. The Bishop of Cracow, 

 in whose diocese the castle of Wisnietz was situated, said grace, and the guests 

 sat down in the order of precedence in which they had entered. When the first 

 course was over, the curtains which concealed the ornamental dishes were with- 

 drawn at a signal from the master of the house, and displayed a great number of 

 sugar ornaments and sweetmeats, arranged in the form of different animals, 

 towers, trees, &c., every one having either the initials of Sigismund Augustus and 

 Barbara, or the arms of Poland and Lithuania. Before each of the royal and 

 princely personages was placed a basket wrought in gold, and filled with little 

 slices of bread, and a similar one of silver for every four of the other guests. The 

 most distinguished of the company had napkins of gold and silver brocade, and the 

 others of silk, all which became, after the repast, the property of the attendants, 

 according to the custom of the time. At the commencement of the dinner, when 

 the first dish was presented to the King, the Grand Marshal, who stood behind the 

 chair of his royal master, took the goldtn dish from the hands of his seneschal, 

 and dipped in it a bit of bread ; which having tasted, he cast it into a large silver 

 basket, held by a servant, and with a deep obeisance presented the dish to the King. 

 Some noblemen belonging to his household performed the same service for the 

 Queens. When Sigismund Augustus had finished eating, the Grand Marshal took 

 a richly wrought cup, poured a little of its contents into the hollow of his hand, 

 tasted it, and after having wiped his hand, presented the cup to the monarch. 

 Whilst the King was drinking, all the company arose from their places, but re- 

 seated themselves immediately after, except Kmita, who continued standing. The 

 Queens and the other ladies declined the cups, conformably to the custom, which at 

 that time permitted them to drink only pure water and a decoction of orange- 

 flowers or chicory, except at the toasts, when it was allowed them to sip a little 

 malmsey. The King then begged the master of the house to give himself no more 

 trouble, but to partake of the meals he had prepared for his guests. This was a 

 sign that etiquette should be no longer observed, and an invitation to convivial 

 mirth and hilarity. 



" When Kmita, following the monarch's command, took a place opposite to him, 

 the restraint which till now had pervaded the assembly began to disappear, and 

 many a jest was heard between the clattering of bowls and dishes." 



It is very mortifying to be compelled to abridge an account which we 

 had selected as the most likely to prove interesting, and to give an insight 

 into the history and merits of the work — but such is the pressure of 

 literary matter for this month's publication, that our wishes and our duty 

 are completely at variance, and we must defer until another period a 

 catastrophe which comprises more of romance and horror mingled than 

 we have for some time been accustomed to contemplate. We trust that 



we shall be enabled to allude to this publication in our next number in 



the meanwhile we can safely recommend the perusal of ** The Court of 

 Sigismund Augustus" to such readers as delight in the romance of 

 history. There is nothing dry or tedious in the three volumes which 

 comprise this interesting work — and the only fault, as critics we can 

 point out, is that the events are so multiplied and the parties brought on 

 the stage so numerous, that unless much carefulness be used in the 

 perusal, the attention may be distracted by the variety of objects and 

 scenes which are developed. Altogether, however, we must in justice 

 assert that the translator has performed his task with much commendable 

 faithfulness, and more than ordinary ability — and there can be little 

 doubt, we think, of the work getting into considerable request. 



The Poetical Works of the Rev. George Crabbe, with 7iis Letters and 

 Journals, and his Life, by his Son. Murray. 1834. 

 The entire poetical works of Crabbe, including a volume of " Tales" 

 never before published, have recently been issued from the press, and 



