useless, were now sought after, and 
furbished a-new with the utmost 
care and dexterity ; and no means 
“were omitted to supply the multi- 
tudes that daily offered their ser- 
vices, witharcadiness and zeal that 
shewed they would want very little 
tutoring to become excellent sol- 
diers. Notime, in truth, was to 
be Jost in training them, Though 
the armies of Prussia and Austria 
were at this time in preparation, 
for the execution of those designs 
that had been formed by the empe- 
ror Leopold, and the king of Prus- 
sia, yet the power alone of Russia 
was sufficient, at this junéture, to 
carry on the designs concerted by 
those three potentates against the 
Polish nation. 
If the difficulties to be surmounted 
in the providing ofarms, were great, 
those that were encountered in the 
raising of money ,were not less,ifnot 
greater. Notwithstanding the since- 
rityof the peopleat large,in their at- 
tachment to the new systcm, itwas 
incumbent on the government to 
add as little as possible to the exist- 
ing taxes, the weight of which was 
severely felt, in a country hot pos- 
sessed of many pecuniary resources, 
The method which appeared the 
most judicious, and least burden- 
some, for the procuring of the large 
supplies that were wanted, was the 
saleof thestarosties, thenamegiven 
to those lands and estates bestowed 
by the.crown upon individuals, for 
their public services or expences. 
These were held for life, with the 
privilege of disposing of them to 
others, who remained possessors 
during the life of theseller. These 
starosties were very numerous and 
considerable: aloan was according- 
ty proposed, with security for the 
sums advanced on the sale of those 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1795. 
benefices. The secret emissaries of 
the three partitioning powers, were 
exteedingly active in obstruting 
this measure, and the lenders were 
few, in proportion to the many that 
had been expected, consid ring the 
reasonableness and value of the pur- 
chases. But the terror propagated 
through the kingdom, by the agents 
of Russia, deterred the monied 
people. The securities, however 
good in themselves, appeared insuf. 
ficient, when they were weighed 
against the dangers threatened from 
Russia. Thus, that resource from 
which, at any other season, the 
expectations formed would have 
been abundantly answered, did not, 
at this perilous time, serve the 
purposes for which it had been so 
confidently held out, 
It wasnow daily becoming mani- 
fest, thata desperate struggle would 
very, soon ensue with Russia, and 
that the independence of Poland 
must be maintained at a heavy 
charge of blood and treasure. In 
order to meet this formidableenemy, 
the king had early laid plans of de- 
fence before his council, every 
member of which concurred in its 
approbation, It included all per- 
sons proper tobe trusted with arms. 
The burghers in all the cities and 
towns in the kingdom were in- 
cluded in the list; by which means it 
afforded a prosp°€t of a numerous 
and respectable militia, which would 
jna short time, through the patri- 
otic zea] of every man for the com- 
mon cause, be rendered able, by 
constant and assiduous discipline, to 
face a hostile invasion, with well. 
founded hopes of resisting it. This 
plan was digested in such a manner, 
as to put arms in the hands.of every 
citizen in his turn, and, by a con. 
tinual rotation, tegularly train all 
people 
* 
