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attended himself, with his family, and paid twenty-five guineas for five tickets.

At length the dreaded hour came when the high-minded little gentleman must exhibit himself for money. At first the sum was half a guinea, then five shillings. All would not do, and he went to Ireland in April 1783; stopping at Bristol and Chester on his way.

Boruwlaski had brought many letters of recommendation, one of which was to the Lord-lieutenant, who sent for him to court, and presented him with twenty guineas. This Lord-lieutenant was succeeded by the Duke of Rutland, and the Duchess became the patroness of Boruwlaski. She attended his concert, which took place in May 1784, danced at the ball that succeeded it, and sent him thirty guineas by her gentleman usher. On the same occasion, the Duke of Leinster brought him twenty guineas in person.

Boruwlaski remained two years in Dublin; and here he would have been perfectly happy, had he not been obliged to leave his wife in England, on account of her indisposition. She afterwards joined him, and made him the father of a third daughter. On leaving Ireland, they passed through Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and Oxford, and again arrived in London.

While Boruwlaski and his family were at Oxford on their way to London, a gentleman came to him, and requested him to pass the evening at a certain place about eight miles distant. The gentleman refused to tell the name of the place he was desired to go to, or that of the person he was to visit; but he said a carriage would be sent for him. Borulawski went accordingly, and found himself at Blenheim, and in the presence of the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough. He was graciously received; the Duchess going over the apartments of this magnificent palace with her little visitor, and pointing out to him all that was particularly curious. The little visitor played on his guitar, and when he took his leave, the Duke presented him with a ten-pound bank-note.

Some time afterwards, the Duke of Marlborough sent to Boruwlaski, requesting to have one of his shoes. He sent him a pair of boots made in Poland, and the only pair he had; and his Grace, thinking probably that his former present was too small, sent him in return a twenty-pound bank-note.

I have no doubt that these boots are still shown among the curiosities of Blenheim.

It was in the year 1784 that Boruwlaski and his family returned to London. Here he met with his old friend Count Oginski, who had given him instructions in music at Paris. The Count promised to patronise one of his concerts. The evening came; the hour approached; and Boruwlaski had been ordered to Carlton House, and a carriage sent to convey him thither. He went, and found the Prince of Mechlenburg with the Prince of Wales; the object of the visit of Boruwlaski was, therefore, to show himself to the stranger. He was detained an hour, and not quite at his ease; for he feared that the company assembled at his concert might be waiting for him. The Prince of Wales promised to be at the concert, but, as Boruwlaski says in his narrative," he forgot."

By this time the poor little man's affairs were becoming desper

ate, and his friends pressed him to write his Life, and publish it by subscription. With a heavy heart he undertook the task, and many difficulties he had to encounter in its progress. There was one difficulty, however, which would have proved insurmountable, had it not been for the beneficence of the Princess Lubomirska, who relieved him from the importunities of his creditors by paying his debts. They amounted to upwards of fifty guineas. The work was published, dedicated to the Duchess of Devonshire, who appears to have taken no personal notice of the author after his return from Ireland. A second sight of one of these extraordinary beings is like a twice-told tale. At the head of the subscription stood His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales; afterwards the Duke and Duchess of Cumberland, the Duke of Gloucester and Duchess, and the Duke of York; other dukes and duchesses, lords and ladies in abundance,_ some distinguished foreigners, and among others La Chevaliere D'Eon. The number of subscribers was four hundred and nineteen.

I knew Boruwlaski as a private gentleman. Towards the end of the year 1785, he and his family came to Birmingham, and took possession of a vacant house belonging to my father, and nearly adjoining the one in which we resided. We paid our shillings, for such was the sum demanded, and we saw Boruwlaski. I was so charmed with him, that, with the permission of my father and mother, I invited him and his family to share our roast beef and plum pudding on Christmas Day. They came; the little gentleman, his wife, and Monsieur de Trouville, the lady's uncle. From this time, I sent them a regular invitation to tea and supper once in every week during their stay in Birmingham.

I never saw a more graceful man or a more perfect gentleman than Boruwlaski. He spoke but little English. He uttered the few phrases he had learned with assumed vivacity, when in public; but, at our fireside, where he was no longer obliged to exert himself, he was frequently silent, and sometimes sad. Once, after supper (unasked of course,) he sent for his guitar, and danced one of the dances of his country to his own music, the guitar being suspended from a ribbon tied round his neck. I cannot imagine it possible to excel either his performance on the instrument, or the grace and agility of his dancing.

Madame Boruwlaski, though born in Poland, was quite a Frenchwoman. She was of a middle size, very handsome, and very lively; her dark eyes were particularly fine. She spoke English well, and talked much, and laughed, and sang French songs. I should think she was about fifteen years younger than her husband, who was then forty-six years of age. She was a woman whom any man might love, but certainly not a woman whom it was prudent for Boruwlaski to marry. I admired her; but, considering how she was situated, I could not like her.

Their eldest child was still with the Margrave of Anspach, the two others were with their parents. The elder, a most lovely and charming little creature, was frequently with us; the younger was an infant in its mother's arms.

From the close of Boruwlaski's Memoirs in 1788, I heard nothing of him during four years. In 1792, he was again in Birmingham, and again he was exhibiting himself for a shilling.

We once more visited Boruwlaski, who was now fifty-three years of age. He was not changed in person or manner, and he spoke with his former assumed vivacity. He was alone, as indeed he always had been when, as he said, he "received company." But he was without wife, without children, and without Monsieur de Trouville. Report said that his wife had set him on a chimneypiece, and run away from him; but I do not believe report. It was added, that he had sold himself to a master. One word only can be said in mitigation of such conduct-Necessity.

In 1807, I was at a sea-bathing place on the northern coast of Yorkshire, where I met with a lady from the neighbourhood of Durham; and Boruwlaski being accidentally mentioned, I expressed a great desire to know what had become of him. "I can tell you," said the lady; "he lives at Durham, and is much respected. His savings, and a subscription among us, have enabled him to keep house, and have a woman-servant. He walks along the streets unnoticed and alone; and if I, or any other of his friends, chance to see him, we join him, and take his hand instead of his arm." I need not say that I had great satisfaction in learning that this extraordinary and deserving little man was allowed to pass his latter days in repose and independence, after a life of such exertion and anxiety. He was now sixty-eight years of age.

Time passed on. I sometimes thought of Boruwlaski, but I always concluded that he was dead; and great was my astonishment when, in 1821, I heard that he was not only living, but in London; and that, at the age of eighty two, this apparently fragile being had travelled 259 miles.

An amusing anecdote of the pride and consequence of Boruwlaski is related by Mr. Benson Hill, in his work entitled "Home Service." The Count, as he was styled, had urged his friend, the celebrated comedian, Mr. Mathews, to procure him an audience of his Majesty (George the Fourth) that he might present to the King a copy of his Memoirs. His Majesty's permission was soon granted, and a day appointed for their visit to Carlton House. When the day arrived, the Count appeared to have lost his usual serenity. In reply to Mr. Mathews's inquiry as to the cause of his agitation, he said,

"I have stood before several very crown heads; it is not dat. It is not because de troble of my unhappy contré make a me sheltaire here, that I can forget I am a gentleman born. Some time ago, it was true, I receive de visets, and peopul give my valet shilling for open de door; but now I go to lay at de foot of your King de histoire of my leetel life, I am in terrible frightfulness. If fine, large Angleish Majesté shall not belief dat there is room enough for great deal of pride, and man of honour, even in dis heart, if he offaire money, my Matoos, upon my vord, your friend will faint, expire, Idead as Wallstone. Oh! hope Majesté cannot tink to give money to Count Boruwlaski!"

These painful anticipations, however, were not to be realized, for, the moment the King saw Boruwlaski he caught him in his arms, kissed his two cheeks, and placing him on the chair next himself, said, "My dear little friend, it is just two-and-thirty years since you were in this room before."

His Majesty afterwards drew from his pocket a remarkably small, beautiful gold watch, with a delicate Trinchinopoly chain, and mi

nute seals, and presented them to the Count, as a token of his regard.

Little more remains to be said. I heard nothing of Boruwlaski until October 1833, when, to my great astonishment, I learnt that he was still living. I had then become a collector of autographs, and I requested his, which he sent to me in the following letter, written in a clear, bold, and steady hand :

"MADAME, I had the honor to receive your kind letter. I am entirely at a loss in what manner to act, as I cannot find words to express my humble and sincere thinks for the high honor Madame have conferred upon me, in permitting me to rank amongst thos great Mans hands writhings. I shall be most happy if Madame will condescend to accept the following lines.

"I am, Madame, with most respect, your most humble, most obedient servant,

"Durham, 23 October, 1833.

"Poland was my cradle,

England is my nest;

Durham is my quiet place,

"JOSEPH BORUWLASKI.

Where my weary bones shall rest.

JOSEPH BORUWLASKI."

At this time Boruwlaski was ninety-four years of age.

I look upon this autograph of Boruwlaski as the most extraordinary of the thousands I possess; for I am not aware that a man of his size, his talents, and accomplishments, and his age, is to be found in the annals of mankind.

He died in 1837, at the age of ninety-eight.

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