POLISH HISTORY. 85 



tor could be brought to a termination in less than four 

 years. In so short a time, however, was almost no case 

 decided. Vautrin mentions that he knew cases which had 

 been pending for sixty years, and which, so far as he could 

 foresee, might continue undetermined "till the last 

 generation." The nobles, disgusted with this fatiguing 

 tediousness, not unfrequently withdrew their pleas from 

 the decision of the courts of law, and settled them by 

 force of arms, of which some instances occurred even so 

 recently as the middle of the last century. 1 



Such seems to have been the history of Poland. In 

 the fabulous period of Polish history the land appears to 

 have been colonised or conquered, and ruled by the 

 followers and descendants of a Scandinavian or a Caucasian 

 hero called Lekh, led thither by a white eagle, which 

 became the national symbol, and from whom the old 

 English name for the people Polack, and the Russian 

 name Polekh, or Polach, was given to them. 



The nobles were always peers, and equals in political 

 rank, and by some it is alleged that the whole population 

 were such for a long time, but the yeomen became serfs, 

 if they were not so originally. The monarchy was limited 

 in power, and became elective. At first successive con- 

 cessions were made by each one ascending the throne, and 

 ultimately absolute freedom of election was proclaimed, an 

 annuity alone been required to render it valid, and a charter 

 was prepared, by which all privileges granted by previous 

 sovereigns were renewed and confirmed. It was established 

 that the king was to be chosen by the whole body of the 

 nobility and freeholders of the nation, and that in case of 

 the king infringing the laws and privileges, his subjects 

 should be absolved from their oaths of allegiance. 



By union with Lithuania, and consequent on the various 

 changes, civil and ecclesiastical, which followed, curtailing 

 both civil and religious liberty, and ultimately in 1772 

 the first partition of the kingdom occurred. 



There are in the list of the kings of Poland names which 

 have been held in high honour by the loveis of freedom. 



