DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.29195#0095
and was performed with panache and attention to detail; therefore it certainly merits a
mention in the context of the national heritage and recollections of great personalities
in Poland’s history and outstanding contributors to her culture.
But first we shall start with the story of a challenge to a duel which opened up the
opportunity for the Czartoryski to vastly increase their assets and build up their status
as the renowned, extremely influential and well-nigh Iegendary Familia. Its doings in
the political sphere at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries have earned it a variety of
diverse assessments, the best example ofwhich is the opinion of Ludwik Jablonowski,
one of the best Polish 19tl’-cencury diarists (Jablonowski 1963, pp. 74-75). Nonethe-
less, as patrons, collectors and connoisseurs of the arts, sponsors of education, and
proprietors of the Palace on the Krakowskie Przedmiescie in Warsaw, they have cer-
tainly entered their names in golden letters in the annals of Polish culture.
Tableaux vivants
In his memoirs Ludwik Cieszkowski, whom we have already met in this book,
writes about an incident that happened around 1730 involving a beautiful young
woman by the name of Maria Zofia (Fig. 90); Having returnedhomefrom abroad, Au-
gust [Czartoryski], a Knight ofMalta, met a wealthy widow, the last heiress ofthe House
ofSieniawski, afamily of considerable rank in Poland, who had been married to Denhoff,
also the last in his line. He left her a very substantial estate although without issue, making
her the richest widow in Poland. The lady had many suitors, ofwhom the two attending
her most keenly were August, Prince Czartoryski, andPac, a wealthy lordfrom Lithuania.
When they both arrivedin Warsawfor the lady's name-day, Pac, wanting to humiliate the
Prince, discovered on the slyfrom his manservant in what colours andfashion the Prince
would be dressed on the day ofthe celebration. He waited until the Prince arrived at the
lady’s residence, whereupon he turned up with his servants liveried in the same colours.
The Prince could not but take this as an insult and was sore ojfended. Straight away leav-
ing the company, he changed into his Maltese uniform and challenged Pac to a duel. Pac,
who had had the audacity to affront the Prince, did notshew sufficient boldness to take up
the challenge when summoned to a duel with honour at stake. It was an age when bravado
was taken for valour and courage, and when Denhoffowa heard of Pac’s cowardice and
the Prince’s daring in his readiness to fight for her, she held the latter in greater respect,
disclosing her affection for him, and disdain ofthe former. Fearful of the challenge and its
likely outcome, Pac sent the Prince a letter with his apology and declaring the withdrawal
ofhis suit for the hand of Denhoffowa. He left Warsaw in disgrace. Thereby the widow’s
troth was won, and prior to the day appointedfior the wedding the Prince sent a petition
to Rome, asking to be releasedfrom his vow of celibacy. Having been granted his request,
he then wrote to the Grand Master ofthe Knights of Malta relinquishing all his duties and
honours in the Order and wedded the wealthy heiress of a vast fortune. Her estates were
in a disorderly condition with sundry debts and liabilities, but the Prince set to such keen
husbandry and business that soon he cleared up the debts on his wife s properties, putting
them in good order and by excellent management throughout his long life increased his
assets, accruing large sums ofcapital (Cieszkowski 1867, pp. 31-47).
But what do we know about Prince August Czartoryski s wife, Princess Maria Zo-
fia? She had a long life, almost as long as his life; she died in 1771. Two children were
born of the marriage: a son Adam Kazimierz, General of Podolia and Head of the
Szkola Rycerska military college; and a daughter Izabela, someone we already know
A duei that
never was,
a six-horse
carriage,
and a magic
lantern
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