10] 
regard to their numbers and their 
circumstances. They were hardly 
more than the servile attendants of 
a broken faétion, unable to make a 
stand by any other means than that 
of enslaving their country to a fo- 
seign power. 
The difficulty, or rather, indeed, 
theimpratticability of withstanding 
the’ prodigious number of troops 
that were assembling from all paris 
of the Russian frontiers, did not de- 
ter the Poles from making every sort 
of resistance yet in their power. 
Notwithstanding the selfish opposi- 
tion of the Polish nobles, to the en- 
deavours and representation of the 
king, through his patriotic zeal and- 
efforts, the army, from less than 
twenty thousand men, had been 
augmented to near sixty thousand. 
One half consisted of gentlemen, 
excellently mounted and accouter. 
ed, and the other half of infantry, 
well armed andexercised ; but they 
wanted appurtenances for eucamp- 
ent. Nevertheless they took’ the 
field under these and many other 
disadvantages, withan alacrity and 
resolution, which no hardships 
could impair. The command of the 
Polish army was entrusted, by the 
king, tohis nephew, Prince Joseph 
Poniatowski, The prince, when 
the king invited him to take this 
command, addressed himself to his 
majesty as follows ; ‘¢ Whereare my 
magazines? Where all those neces. 
sary supplies, the replacing of 
which, a war, even the most fortu. 
nate, continually requires ? Where, 
through the Ukarine, am I to be 
in possession of ‘a place of security? 
Jn what place can my military hos. 
pital be estabiished with safety? 
Where are my surgeons and my 
medicines?From whence am I to 
be furnished with my artillery of re- 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1705. 
serve ? With horses, with harness, 
and spare mountings for the guns? 
Who has been appointed my com- 
missary for provisions? Or has there 
been any nomination of my quarter. 
master-general ? And without two 
persons of this description, it is well 
known thatno commander takes the 
chargeofanarmy.” Toall these ques- 
tions he was answered, ‘“‘Ajthough 
none of these requisitions can wt pre- 
sent be supplied, the equipment of 
every thingshall beimnmediately for- 
warded, and no time shall be’ lost in 
sending them to you as soon as they 
are ready. Be yourowncommissary 
and quarter-master.general ; exert 
yourself as indefatigably as we have 
done, who, in the space of two 
years, have augmented the army 
from eighteen to fifty-five thov- 
sand men, and almost half of these 
cavalry. It must be confessed, that 
much the greater part of this caval- 
ry are ignorant of one single ma- 
neeuvre ; that the saddles, bridles, 
and fire-arms, of this corps are all 
without uniformity, and the whole 
so totally without arrangement, that 
to form them in order of battle is 
impossible. ‘This is no time, how- 
ever, for these objections: march 
directly to the frontiers, assemble 
what troops you can, and defend 
yourself to the best of your abilities. 
Courage, military talents, and the 
love of your country, will supply 
every deficiency.’’ It was thus the 
king spoke to his nephew, in devot- 
ing him to the service of the na- 
tion. And thus the prince replied ; 
«Twill go, for Ilove mycountry ; 
but I go tomy death; and, what is 
infinitely more distressing,® to the 
probable sacrifice ofmy reputation.” 
The Polish army was widely scat- 
tered in different parts of the king- 
dom. The different corps that 
marched, 
