French report - PLC army under John III Sobieski

Accidentally I found a French report from the times of Siege of Vienna about the readiness of the army of Poland-Lithuania written by François-Paulin Dalairac. It was translated into english probably not much later.
It is PLC army in the eyes of Frenchman for French readers. Its rather negative and critical but it also describes PLC army in times when it was falling and when the state was turning into anarchy.

THE Explanation of this Head is ab∣solutely necessary before we enter upon the Relation of the Campagne of Vienna, because the Polish Soldiery differs so much, in every thing, from that of other Countries, that we cannot make a Judgment of their Exploits, without knowing how they put them in Execution. Here we are to treat of a People different from those of this Part of the World, Men that have a distinct sort of Arms, a Discipline proper to themselves, and a Method of War peculiar to their own Nation, of which we have form'd an extraordinary Idea, meerly because of the Turks and Tartars, who are the Enemies they have to deal with. We must ex∣amin, If the good Opinion conceived of them, be well founded; and, Whether it ought to be ascrib'd to the Skilfulness of the Poles in Matters of War, or to the Unskilfulness of their Enemies.

It must be own'd, That there's Valour to be found amongst the Polish Troops: That their In∣fantry is resolute, and their Cavalry bold, and manage their Horses better with an ordinary Snaffle, than the French and Germans do theirs with their Bitts and Spurs, which are altogether unknown to the Poles. But, at the same time, we may truly say, That the Valor of the Poles is not so much a Noble and Generous Courage, as a Natural Insensibility of Temper, in relation to Danger, or a Vain glorious Humour, to which they are emboldened by their Numbers, and a brutal Fierceness, acquired by a Habit of enduring the Rigors of the Season, want of Provisions and othe• Conveniencies, which is plain enough to be seen in Duels, wherein the Poles seem to have no Sense of Honour, and likewise in Posts of danger, which they very willingly yield to those that think them the more honourable, because more dangerous. In Duels they always give over upon the first wound, and constantly fight in presence of Spectators, who are there, as they pretend, to prevent foul Play, but, in effect, to part the Combatants, without sometimes giving them leave so much as to draw Blood. They don't value themselves here upon those nice Points of Honour, as in other Nations. Those brave Fellows arm'd Capapee, and who seem to threaten the very Sky with their fierce Looks, dare not in cold Blood attack a vigorous French Man Hand to Hand, that offers to look them in the Face. They go always in Troops or keep their Blood warm with Bran∣dy on such Occasions. Yet I must confess, this is not without Exception. I know Lords and single Gentlemen among them, who are Persons of an undaunted Courage, of a Noble refined Valour of a great Capacity for Martial Affairs, and fully instructed in the Art of War, which is of no use nor esteem here, because they nei∣ther make Sieges nor Attacks, but do all in the Field. Besides, the best concerted Designs that can be, miscarry here for want of Necessaries to put them in Execution. They have neither Engi∣neers, Artillery-Men, Utensils nor Ammunition ready in time. The building of a Bridge, is with them a Work of three Months. When the Can∣non is in the Field, the Ammunition is in the Magazin. Their Infantry pinch'd with Hunger, starved with Cold, and overwhelmed with Mi∣sery, and their Cavalry lazy and void of Experi∣ence, are enough to frustrate the best laid designs of the greatest Generals. Among those who de∣serve this Character, we must reckon the Pa∣latin of Russia, Jablonouski a Lord of a fine Pre∣sence, of a Noble and warlike, and yet of a sweet Mien, he is a Person of undaunted Courage, accompanied with an admirable Temper, and great Penetration. He was first Grand Ensign of the Crown, afterwards Little General, and for his Valour advanced to the Supreme Dignity of Grand General, after the Death of Prince De∣metrius Wietsnievistski. One of the Actions where∣in this General signalized himself with part of the Foreign Troops was to stop the fury of Tartars, and give the King time to retire under Leopold with the rest of his Army. This parti∣cular will merit the Readers pardon for the Di∣gression I shall here make to acquaint him with one of the greatest Actions of the King of Po∣land, and the Palatin of Russia.

The City of Leopold is Capital of the Palati∣nat of Russia, the Seat of the Palatin, and is be∣come famous in the History of the present Age, by reason of the share it hath born in the War betwixt the Poles and the Turks: But this Action of the King, which we are now about to relate, will con∣secrate its Memory to all Posterity, and advance it to the highest Pinacle of Glory. In the last Year of the Reign of Michael his Predecessor, this City was in great danger. The Turks burnt its Suburbs in 1672. and were likely to have car∣ried this Important Place, which is but sorrily for∣tified, had not the Inhabitants come to a Treaty, promised a great Summ for their Redemption, and given up the principal Citizens as Hostages, who were retained a long time in Caminiec. But King John III. knew how to guard this City in the Sequel of the War, by the most glorious Me∣thods imaginable. In 1675. the Tartars advanced very near this City, which the Grand Visier had commanded them to besiege. The King of Poland encamped round the Place, and fortified the same with diligence, though he had scarcely 5000 Men left. Ibrahim Pacha and Sultan Nuradin com∣manded the Enemies Army, which consisted of 15000 Turks and 20000 Tartars. These two Gene∣rals having miscarried before several other Places, sat down before Sbaracz, in which there were but 40 Heidukes and 6000 Paysants, who were more inclined to surrender, than to fight, and in effect, as soon as the Enemy appear'd, the Rabble open∣ed the Gates.

After this Expedition Ibrahim retired to Cami∣niec, and Nuradin detatch'd 15000 Men to block up Leopold, posting himself with the rest of the Army, two Leagues higher to attend the Issue, which was to his dishonour, for the King of Po∣land marched with some Squadrons against the E∣nemy, charged them with vigor, and drove them back to Nuradin's Camp, whence that Tartar Prince retir'd with great Precipitation.

Some time after, having assembled more Troops, he renewed his design of investing Leo∣pold and forcing the King's Camp, and under∣took it himself at the Head of 40000 chosen Men, being attended with abundance of Officers of the best repute among the Tartars. He began with the Attack of Slotzow, which is a Castle be∣longing to the King's Hereditary Demesnes, with∣in ten Leagues of Leopold on the side of Caminiec. This Castle is well enough for a Gentleman's House, and hath some Fortifications according to the Modern way, faced with Stone, but of very little Defence. The Enemy attacqued it vigo∣rously, by way of Scalade with Sword in Hand. The Palatin of Russia defended it with extreme bravery, and forced the Tartars to retire from before this sorry Place, after an obstinate Fight of five Hours duration.

Nuradin thinking it best to preserve his Troops that were designed for a more important Expedition, would not expose them to any more Assaults, but continued his march towards Leopold, and possessed himself of a vast Plain below the Hills, with which the Town is surrounded, and upon which the King had taken his Post. This Plain was co∣vered in an Instant with the Enemies Squadrons, who raised such a mighty Dust as quickly covered them from view. In the mean time, those of Page 6 the Castle of Leopold fired some Guns to give No∣tice to the People of the Country, to retire for their Security behind the King's Camp. His Ma∣jesty having viewed that of the Tartars, was nothing discouraged by their prodigious Number, but gave all necessary Orders for the safety of his Camp, and the City in which the Queen and the Princes her Sons were shut up. He posted Guards in two places, on the Right and Left, to prevent a Sur∣prize, placed his Infantry in Ambuscade, amongst the Bushes at the foot of the Hills, which sepa∣rated his Camp from the Plains possessed by the Tartars, and planted his Cannon on the Heights, to favour the descent of his Squadrons, his eager∣ness to fight, having quite over-ballanced his Ene∣mies Numbers.

They began to skirmish assoon as they could join, and the Polish Horse not finding a convenient ground at first, were put into disorder, but the King coming to their relief with the rest of his Troops, and enlarging hi Front insensibly, as his Squadrons gain'd gtound, he restored the Battle, where his presence seconded by his Example, inspired his own Men with as much Valour, as it did his Enemies with terror. The Sultan quickly perceived by the disorder of his Troops, that he was defeated by a Superior Power. The King of Poland's Hand became dreadful to them, by the weight of its blows, and every one striving to avoid them, that prodigious Army vanished in an instant like a Phantome.

Having finished this Digression, I return to my Subject.

The Palatin of Kiow, General of the Artillery, is owned by all Men, to be one of the bravest Officers and wisest Generals at this time in Poland, and hath acquired an universal Esteem by his Gallant and Prudent Actions. Those who have seen him in Battle could not but be charmed to behold his Magnanimity in exposing himself, and taking care to save his Men. Those who have heard him discourse of Martial Affairs are perswaded, that were he in a Country, where the Art Military is regularly cultivated, he would be accounted one of the greatest Captains in Europe.

There is moreover in Poland another Person of extrordinary Merit in that kind, namely Prince Lubomirski, who is no less expert in War than the Palatin, and exceeds him much in Temper and Presence of Mind, which contribute so much to the winning of Battles: so that the same paralel might be made betwixt those two Polish Generals, that was made betwixt the Prince of Condé and the Mareschal Turenne, the one was incomparable for managing a Campagne, and the other for fighting a Battle.

I would not that others, whose Names and singular Endowments I don't mention here, should suffer by my silence. I shall do them Justice elsewhere, but I thought fit to mention those Great Men here, whose Reputation is generally known, that I might give the Reader an Idea of the Polish Bravery, of which those Gentlemen are the Model, as well as the Honour of that Nation. I don't pretend to rank the King of Poland with his Generals, because he is beyond Comparison, and above all Encomiums and Titles, but we may without flattery adventure to call him the Hero of the North.

The Republic hath two separate Armies, under two different Generals, who are not subordinate nor dependant on one another. They encamp separately, and act in the same manner as Troops of different Countries. When they are obliged to join in Day of Battle, each General issues his Orders,according to the Measures agreed on in Council, the one receiving none from the other, neither as to Command, nor yet as to the Word given to the Troops.

The 1st of those Armies is that of the Crown, or more properly that of the Kingdom of Poland. The 2d is that of the Grand Dutchy of Lithuania, being an Auxilliary State and Allie to the other, and not a subjected Province, like those who compose the Kingdom. That of the Crown is to consist of 36000 Men, and that of Lithuania of 12000. Nor have they in our Days raised any greater Army on any Expedition whatever. But as that Number is never compleat, the Army is sometimes greater, sometimes lesser, according to the Efforts the Republick thinks fit to make, as the Case requires, without ever amounting to that Number of 48000, fixed by the State of the War, which the Poles call Kompout or Komport.

Each Army hath a Great and Little General, the former is call'd General by way of Eminence, or General of the Crown; the latter is called Little General, or General of the Campagne. They encamp the one on the Right and the other on the Left of the Line. They have both the same Badge of Command, viz. a Great Lance, adorned at the end either with Feathers, or Knots of Ribbons, or some other sort of Plume, under a great Ball of some rich Stuff: This the Poles call Bontchouk or Bunczuk. It is carried by a Man on Horseback before the two Generals, and by its height discovers their Posts at a great distance, either on a March or in Battle. The King hath one of the same sort, with a Plume either of Herons or Eagles Feathers or Knots of Ribbons. But when he is at the Head of the Army, his is only carried aloft, and those of the Generals along by the Horses Neck, in token of their Submission.

The Generals have likewise a Batoon of Command, which is given them by the King, together with their Office, as is done to the Mareschals of France; It is a Mace of Arms very short, having a great Ball at one end, either of Silver or Vermillion gilt, sometimes adorned with Jew∣els. This Batoon is called Boulaf or Bulawa, is seldom carried, but only represented in their Pictures to denote their Charge, as is done in the Pictures of the Mareschals of France.

They are not Senators by their Office, their Prerogative reaching no further than the Command of the Armies; but as they are usually very Considerable by their Birth and Merit, the King makes them always Palatins or Castellans, by Vertue of which they take Place in the Senate, according to the Rank of their Province, without any particular Preheminence. In the Army their Power is without Restriction, their Authority Sovereign, and their Tribunal, or Council of War, Independent on the King. A Great General has power of Life and Death, puts in and puts out as he pleases, settles Winter Quarters, regulates Marches, assembles the Army, and appoints the Time and Place of Rendevouz as he thinks fit, without receiving Orders from, or being accountable to any other than the Republick, met in a General Diet. He appoints what Provinces shall pay the Troops, and changes them at pleasure. 'Tis true, that in the Council held by the King, with the Senators and Generals, before the opening of the Campagne, the Expeditions and Designs are concerted, but the executive Power is in the Hands of the Great General, who acts according to his own Mind and Interest, and as the Conjunctures require.

The Grand General hath an Allowance of 60000 Francs at 10 Sous per Franc, the Polish Money being less in value than that of France, by one half; and the Little General hath 40000 Francs. Those Salleries are raised upon the Starosties, the Royal Demesnes and the Lands of the Church, the Cash of which is carried to Leopold about Michaelmass, that being supposed to be the end of the Campagne. The Grand General presides at this Assembly, where he distributes Rewards and Gratifications to the Army, according to Merit, and the Necessity of the Officers and Gens d'Arms. The Marches and Quarters of Assemblies in Poland, do equally ruine the Country, and enrich the Officer, and are ordered by the Grand General, according to pleasure. And as there is neither Inn nor Road specified, the Commander of a Troop leads it where he pleases, and lives upon the Peasant at Discretion; so that he provides himself for the Campagn as he marches, and needs nothing but Carriages and a Purse. As for Exam∣ple, an Officer on his way from Warsaw to Leopold, that is to say, about 50 Leagues, (f he go on straight) will go on the Left, and the Right to all the Villages out of the Road, make the Tour of the whole Kingdom, if he pleases, and will spend two or three Months, squeezing and eating up the Peasants at discretion, by Vertue of a meer Order from the General to go to such a Place: And provided indeed he come at the time appointed, there's no enquiry made, what way he takes, or how much time he spends in his Journey. Thus the Officer enriches himself in his March, or more properly speaking, pillages at Discretion. I have known those who in a Journey have gathered together 5 or 6000 Francs, without reckoning Provisions. 'Tis true indeed, there's no quartering upon Gentlemens Lands, or if they do, they must be forced to pay for it, otherwise the Gentry would make a terrible Noise at the Diet; so that it's only thro' the King's Lands, and those of the Church, that the Troops can march, that is to say thro' the Villages of the Starosties, Abbies, Bishopricks and such like, which they force to contribute also to the other Charges of the War; on which I cannot but take Notice of the odness of the Humour of the Poles, who extend their Devotion even to Hypocrisie, and yet dont exempt the Lands of the Church from Military Exactions, but on the contrary, expose them the most of any to the fury of the Soldiers and the rigour of Taxes.

Formerly those Marches were more vexatious than at present, being more frequently allowed to Friends and Officers of the Grand General, by way of Gratification, but now they are never granted, except in case of necessity, and the Grand General does all he can to preserve good Order and Moderation in this Matter, yet he cannot totally prevent the Oppression of the Country, which suffers more by one march of the Polish Troops, than by an Irruption of the Enemies, (Burning, Slavery and Rapes excepted) especially in those Parts that fall to the share of the Lithuanian Army, which is more to be feared than the Tartars. This is the True Cause of the extreme Poverty of Poland, and of the inconceivable Desolation of the Kingdom, which is so much wasted since the beginning of the Campagne of Vienna, that it does not look like the same Country.

The Grand General settles the Winter Quarters in the same manner, also their Places of Settlement at the end of the Campagne, cantons the Regiments as he thinks fit, in the Starosties and Lands of the Church, and oppresses or eases whom he pleases. By this means a Grand General of the Crown called Konietspolski, purchased immense Riches for his Family. He obliged the Gentry to sell him such Starosties as lay convenient for him, and constrained those that were unwilling to part with them by oppressive Winter-Quarters.

At present this Tyrannical Power of the General is much lessened, not only because the King when he had that Charge, divested himself of that Prerogative in order to deliver the Nobility from the bad Designs of those that might succeed him, but also because the present Grand General makes use of his Power with all possible Moderation; and besides, the Lords, the King himself and the Queen demand their proper Regiments to be quartered on their own Lands, where they oblige them to live orderly without ruining the Peasants. This Priviledge the present Crown General denies to no Man, except he be obligd by Necessity to guard the Frontiers, in which case he distributes them indifferently, in the most Commodious Places, be they the Royal Demesnes, Hereditary Demesnes or otherwise.

Besides those two Generals, each Army hath an Officer, that commands a detached Body, called the Vant-guard, which encamps at the Head of the Whole, about half a League before the Army, and is composed of Dragoons, Infantry and Light-Horse to the Number of 11 or 1200. The first Officer is called the Stragenick of the Crown, and the second the Stragenick of the Army. Their Charges are different, the one being properly only for the Nobility on Horseback, when the Postpolita is called out; the other particularly for the regular Troops; and the latter refuses to yield to the other either in Command or Precedency, which Controversie still remains undecided, the Stragenik of the Crown maintaining his Post, even in the Page 13 Army at present, being a Man of Quality and Senator.

The Obogenick is the same with the Quarter-master of the Armies, and their Pissar answers to the Commissary General, who reviews the Troops at the beginning and end of the Cam∣pagne, and it's according to his Account that the Regiments are paid at the Tribunal, established by the General Diet for this end in the City of Radom in Great Poland. As to the Korongy or Standard-bearer of the Crown, he has no Function in the Army, but only in the Arrear-ban called the Postpolita Russenia, or the Nobility on their March.

The Army of the Crown, and that of Lithuania is subdivided into two Bodies, the one all Horse and Natives, distributed into free Companies, like those of the French Gens d'Arms; this they call the Polish Army. It comprehends two thirds, that is to say 24000 Horse: The other Body consists of Infantry, Dragoons and Light Horse. This they call the Foreign Army, because in effect it is according to the Foreign Model, cloathed and armed after the German fashion, commanded by General Majors, which are like our Mareschals de Camp, divided into Regiments, and not into Companies. This makes the other third of the Kompout, that is to say, twelve thousand Men.

Those two Bodies march and encamp a-part, or more properly speaking, they compose the two Lines of the Army. The first is all Foot and Dragoons with the Artillery in the Center. The second is composed of Polish Horse, or Independant Companies: And 'tis at the Head of this second Line, that the two Generals take their Post, the one on the Right, and the other on the Left, as I have said already. The King himself encamps in this quarter, when he is in the Army, together with the Senators that accompany him thither, the first Line being under the Command of General Majors, and the General of the Artillery, amongst whom there is a Subordination of Antiquity and Office.

The Polish Army then, consists all of Horse, divided into Troops, commanded by the greatest Lords, beginning with the King and the Princes his Sons. Those Troops are of different Sorts and Qualities, some of them real Gens d'Arms, others Light-Horse. The Gens d'Arms are again divided into Hussars and Pancernes, and some add Peteores, of whom there are more in the Lithuanian Army than in that of the Crown. These Gens d'Arms are all Gentlemen, especially the Hussars, and are honoured by the King and Generals, with the Name of Touariches, that is to say, Comrades or Companions: They admit them to their Table, are respected in their particular Provinces, and most of them Pensioners of the Generals and great Lords, whom they accompany to the Diets to do them honour. Nay, I have seen the Referendary of the Crown, a Man of a 100000 Livres Rent in Starosty's, account it his honour to have the Title and Pay of a Hussar. The Light-Horse are Troops of Poles, Cossacks, Vallachians or German Troopers. The Army of Lithuania is composed in the same manner.

The Hussars are the first Gens d'Arms of the Kingdom, as the Corps du Guard are in France, and without Contradiction the finest Cavalry in Europe▪ in respect of the Mein of the Men, the Goodness of the Horses, and their Magnificent and Noble Apparel. Their Name is Hungarian, and common to all the Cavalry of that Country, but in its proper Signification it signifies Brave, for 'tis supposed, that the Touariches ought to be so by way of Eminence. In France we suppose, that the Hungarian Cavalry was called Hussars from their Cry of War in time of Battle, where 'tis alledged they cry, Houssa! Houssa! as we say, Tue! Tue! kill, kill; and the Turks cry, Alla! alla! But this Etymology is unknown in Poland, where they animate one another by crying Bi-zabi: i.e. Strike, strike him to death. The Hussars never keep Guard, don't go out on any Parties, Con-voys, &c. and much less in the Strageniks Detachments. They are reserved only for Battles and other distinguishing Actions. But the present Grand General being discontented with this sort of Gens d'Arms, who are become more effeminate and less valiant than formerly he began in the Campagne of 1689. to take away their Lances to arm them with Musquetoons, and to make them serve like ordinary Troopers on Convoys, Vantguards and other Fatigues of the Camp without distinction, a certain evidence that those Troops are much degenerated from their Ancient Splendor, ••se they would never have endured it.

They are composed of handsom Men, mounted on the finest Horses of the Kingdom, with divers other Led-Horses, richly capparisoned, their Bridles adorn'd with Plates and Nails of Silver or Vermillion gilt, embroidered Saddles with gilt Boys, great hanging Houzes, according to the Turkish Manner, with Fringes of Gold and Silver: A Falchon or very rich Sword fixed to the left-side of the Saddle under the Horseman's Thigh. Formerly the Polish Cavalry had no Pistols, but now they are used amongst those fixed Troops. But the Vallachians, Cossacks, and even abundance of Poles, have none at the Saddle Boys, no more than the Turks, but carry one or sometimes two at their Girdle behind.

The Equipage of the Hussars is as much distinguished as their personal Habit. They have two or three Waggons, a great number of Servants, and fine Tents, so that a Troop of them takes up a great deal of Ground in the Camp, because the Streets must be large for their Equipage, which is placed in the Intervals, and not in the Rear, as in France and Elsewhere. The Hussars are armed with Back and Breast, a scaled Head-Piece adorn'd on the sides, and be hind with Pendants of Iron Plates quilted, which come down to their Shoulders, where they have another separate Piece of Armour, with Braces reaching over their Neck to which there is fixed a sort of a Gantlet of Mail, which covers the back of the hand only, the Poles not knowing the Use of Gloves, nay, not so much as on Horseback. Over all this they wear a great Leopard or Tigre's Skin, in form of a loose Coat made in a Warlike Fashion, which is a very fine Ornament to the Gens d'Arms. The Lances they carry are no less Ornamental to the Body of the Troops in general: they are longer than the French great Pikes, round, pointed with Iron, made of a light Wood; the upper part adorn'd with a Streamer of Taffata, in form of a Standard, and three or four Ells in length, painted and gilt from one end to the other. They carry 'em in a Boot fixed in the Saddle, which supports 'em also when they make use of them in Battle, otherwise there were no making use of this Machine, because of its Weight. Nor is the effect of it, so terrible as was imagined. I have seen those Hussars in Action, and likewise at muster in the Camp, and always found they had a great deal of Trouble in making use of their Lance, and that their Impetuosity is not so considerable when particularly enquired into. 'Tis true indeed, that they never retire, they ride at full speed, as if they were running at the Ring, so that they break through all that oppose them. In the Battle of Prag•, on the Wefil, near Warsaw, where King Casimir attack'd Charles Gustavus, King of Sweden, who was shut up between two Rivers with a handful of Men: There was a Squadron of Hussars that broke through the first and se∣cond Line, as far as the Body of Reserve, but they could not return, and so were encompassed. That's the danger this sort of Cavalry is liable to by the weight of their Arms, and the difficulty they have to manage their Horses by Snaffles, without Bitts, when their Mouths are heated. If they had to do with the French, who are expert in their Motions and Countermarches, they would not kill one Man, nor could one of themselves escape: There were no more to do, but to open the Ranks, as the King of Sweden did, and to mix Platoons of Foot in the Intervals of the Squadrons, to fire upon them as they pass; for if you kill the Horse, you put the Gens d' Arms out of a capacity to fight; it being impossible for them to raise themselves again, because of the weight of Iron upon them: So that this sort of Gens d' Arms is meerly in terrorem, as Lowis le Grand judg'd at first sight of them. The Marquis de Bethune had Orders, upon his first Journey into Poland, to bring home a Hussar with all his Accoutrements, to see if the Effect answered the Reputation: The King being minded to have of that sort of Foreign Troops, the thing pleased at first, because of its Novelty and their Equipage; but the Experiment made of them in the Court of the Castle at St. Germans, at a Course of the Lance, convinc'd His Majesty that they were of small use, and could do but little damage; and besides they must have a ground on purpose for them, i.e. Open Plains, like those of Champagn, to be drawn up in. If after breaking their Lance, as they do at the first shock, they took their Scimiter in hand, their Charge would be more dangerous, for then they would break thro' all that stood in their Way. The King of Poland hath remedied this Inconvenience in the last Wars, by flanking a Squadron of Hussars, with two others of Pancerns, armed with Falchons and Musquetoons, who join close after the other are put in disorder, and possess themselves of their ground to compleat the defeat of the Enemy, whose Order is already broke by the Charge of the Lances.

The Hussars have each two Servants arm'd, and in pay, who are called Pacolets; they are mounted much like their Masters, armed with Head-Pieces and Lances, but without Back and Breast, and Leopards Skin; instead of which they have the Skin of a White Wolf made like a Coat; and behind their back a very great Wing made of Ea∣gles Feathers, which gives them a fierce and savage Mein: Formerly they had two Wings; and we see them painted so in Pictures of old Wars. I am of opinion that they are very useless, but the Poles pretend that the whistling they make in the Air terrifies the Enemy's Horses, and helps to break their Ranks. They left off one of them by degrees, and it's hoped that the Great General, who hath lately eased 'em of their Lances, will likewise take away this Accoutrement, which is good for nothing but to frighten little Children.

Those Troops form themselves into Squadrons, like ours, three Men deep, and seventy in Front, more or less, according to the number of the Gens d' Arms and Pacolets; for every Hussar may have three but no more. The first Rank consists all of Masters, the other two of Pacolets: And when a Hussar has the Guard of the Standard, he fixes his Lance by it, and hangs the Wings of his Ser∣vants round it, according to their number, for Page 19 some have three, and others but one, and they are paid in proportion.

As those Companies are very expensive, the Republick entertains but few of them, and give them little enough Pay; but the Lords who have them, make this up by an augmentation of Pay, as a sort of Pension; and thus they make themselves Creatures of the Touarizes, and of the Lieutenants that command them, who are always Men of Note, and fit for Service, to whom they give at least a Pension of 6000 Francs to bear their charge, because those Officers are oblig'd to keep a Table in the Army. The Captain Lieutenant of the King's Hussars, called Polanoski, was one of the Candidates for the Crown when Casimir abdicated; by which the Reader may understand that those Places are fill'd with Persons of Merit and Quality.

The King hath a Company of those Gens d' Arms; Prince James and Prince Alexander have likewise each of them one; the Chief Senators, the Bishops and Ministers of State, who will be at the expence of it, have the same: They cost the Captain above 25000 Francs, besides the Pay of the Commonwealth. The King makes them a compensation for this Expence, by giving them Regiments of Foot or Dragoons in the Foreign Army, which cost them little, and bring in a great deal, as I shall shew afterwards. The Standard of those Companies is very high, and almost as large as that of a Company of Foot. The Lance has a gilt wooden Ball upon the upper end, like that on the Stern of a Ship. The Drums and Trumpets are plac'd round the Standard, in March as well as in Battle: For other things the Order is much the same as ours, only their Trumpets never found any Charge, or point of War, but always a Fanfare even when on a March. They have this peculiar in their way of Encampment, that the Officers are always at the Head of the Company, not far from the Standard, and all the Baggage in the Streets or Intervals, which is the same in all the other Troops of the Kingdom.

The second sort of Gens d' Arms is the Pancernes, who are somewhat inferior to the Hussars, but much higher than all the rest of the Cavalry. They are called so from their Armour, which is a Coat of Mail, in the Polish Tongue Pancernick, with an Iron Cap, encompassed with a Net-work of the same, which covers all to their Shoulders, and shewing only half the Visage, makes them look like Satyrs, because of the great Mustaches ordinarily worn by the Poles. Those Pancernes are arm'd with Falchons and Musquetoons, like Light Horse, as well mounted as the Hussars, but not so richly equipped: They are upon all Guards that require fatigue, are form'd into Squadrons as the others, with a Standard of the same form, their Drums are also the same; but in lieu of a Trumpet they have a certain little Instrument of Copper, not much bigger than a Flagelet, crooked and hollow like a Cornet, which makes the shrillest and most Savage Noise imaginable. It is supposed to be the Ltuus of the Ancients. Those Companies have less Pay than the Hussars, but are on the same footing as to their Servants, who make up the two last Ranks, and are also called Pacolets. They pass however for Light Horse, that is to say, Lightly Armed, for in other respects they are true Gens d' Arms by their dig∣nity, and commanded by Lords; the King himself and the Princes having each of 'em a Company in the two Armies.

Besides these two sorts, there's a third in the Great Dutchy of Lithuania, armed like the Pan∣cernes, and having Lances as the Hussars, but not quite so long; nor are their Streamers so large; and from this difference they have different Names: Those of the Hussars are called Kopies, from the Latine word Copia, Forces; and those of the other are call'd Gides, which is a Word in use in that Country, and also amongst the Turks, as is likewise that sort of Lance. I saw only four Companies of them in the Lithuanian Army, that of the Crown having almost none of 'em; but there's nothing finer than those I saw in that Dutchy, the Hussars not being more magnificent in either of the Armies. At present they have left off their Gides, and are upon the same footing with the Pancernes; they are call'd Peteores, and are likewise honoured with the Quality of Touariches.

The rest of the Polish Army consists of Companies of Valachians, Cossacks and Poles, armed like our Light Horse, with Musquetoons and Falchons, but not so uniform either in Horse or Habit. Their Standards, March, Drums, and way of drawing up, agree with the ordinary Custom of the Country. It is this sort that go out on Parties, guard the Camp, and are made use of for Guards and Convoys. I have seen Companies of Tartars amongst these, and formerly the Republic had abundance of that Nation in Pay in their Wars against the Muscovites. The King of Poland, before he went to the Relief of Vienna, had a mind to try the Pulse of the Officers of those who continued still in his Service, and all of them promised him an in violable Fidelity, not only in fighting against the Turks, but also against the Tartars, offering to leave in Poland one half of their Number as Hostages for the Loyalty of the other, who should follow his Majesty; for he had offer'd to give all of them their discharge, which they would not accept of, but served in that Expedition with extraordinary fidelity.

That which they call the Foreign Army, hath quite another sort of Discipline, they are Regiments of Foot and Dragoons, Cloth'd and Arm'd as those of France and Germany, with this difference, that the Dragoons are mounted on sorry Jades, miserably equipped, almost naked, and all of them in different Colours. The Infantry is of all things the most pitiful, and more tatter'd than any Spaniards or Italians that ever we heard of; some of them have Caps, others Hats; some have Cloaks, others none: They are all without Swords, but carry long Battle-Axes fashioned like those that were carried before the Roman Consuls. Those I always took to be of admirable use. The Poles carry them fastened to their shoulders by a Leathern Thong, they serve them instead of Rests for their Musquets; and there's nothing in the World comparable to them for covering a Battalion, and defending them against Horse. Those miserable Fellows, all in Rags, as I have said, and more like Scullions than Soldiers, some of them with Cloaks, and others of them with a sort of Gowns of a scandalous diversity, are nevertheless incredibly stout, which in reasonable Men I should call Bravery. They resist all sorts of Inconveniencies, Nakedness, Hunger and Blows with an Heroic constancy; bear all the burden of the War, and undergo all the dangers of it, insomuch that I have seen this Infantry form the Arreir-guard in a Plain, in dangerous Retreats, when the Tartars pursued the Camp close, to cover the Polish Gens d' Arms, who retir'd before them without any scruple; I have seen those Soldiers, dying with Hunger, and quite tir'd out, lie upon the ground charging their Musquets, which they were scarce able to carry, and yet would keep firing continually. This Infantry don't indeed pride themselves in their Misery, which is so disproportionable to the splendor of the Gens d' Arms, but it's they that do the service, and are the safety of the Army, whereof the others are meerly the Ornament.

Tho' this Army be called Foreign, it is nevertheless compos'd of native Poles, with Officers of a Foreign Name and Model, Colonels, Lieutenant Colonels, General Majors and others. People of all Nations may be employed in this Army, whereas the Poles only are admitted into the Free Companies. There are Germans, Curlanders, French and others in the Foreign Army. The King, Queen, Princes, Generals and other Lords, have Regiments therein of both sorts. The Foot and Horse Guards, that attend the King's Person, are comprehended in this Body of the Army, as are abundance of other Free Companies of Horse, Dragoons and Heidukes, which the Generals have rais'd for their particular service, and make the Republic pay for them. Upon which I shall observe by the way, that there are Royal Lands in Poland, which we call Fiefs in France, given to Lords, and their Descendants as Hereditary Estates, on condition of maintaining a certain number of Troops; whereof there are some that are obliged to furnish an hundred Dragoons: but the Court does not keep those Lords to an exact performance; tho' if they would oblige the Possessors of those Lands to it, the Republic should have in case of need near twenty thousand Men that cost them nothing.

This is the disposition of the Polish Armies, with which that Nation hath formerly made their Neighbours to tremble, ev'n those who now keep them under the Yoke; of which one essential Reason is, not so much the want of Courage, tho' the Poles be in that very respect much degenerated from their Ancestors, as the want of Mony and Discipline, which hinders the compleating of their Troops, prevents their arrival at the place of their Rendesvouz against the time appointed, and overwhelms them with misery. As to their Discipline, that is still more irregular than their Pay, there being nothing of any exact service performed here. I never saw in the Army neither main nor ordinary Guard, nor Convoy for their Forragers; their Troops going to sleep upon the moral security they conceive themselves to be in from the stupidity of their Enemies. Had they to do with French or Germans, not one Forrager should return to the Camp; nor could there pass a Night without beating up one quarter or other. There's nothing but the Body commanded by the Stragenik, compos'd of all sorts of Troops, and amongst them Pancernes and Polish Cavalry, which makes a sort of advanc'd Guard for all the Army in general, encamping at their Head, about half a League from the first Line, and the same is reinforc'd proportionable to the danger. Besides this Detachment, each Regiment of Infantry makes one of twenty or twenty five Men, posted about thirty paces before the Line, for the Guard of the Colours, which are planted all together at the Head of the Colonel's Company. They do moreover, besides this, when they are in the open Field, and in presence of the Enemy, inclose their Camp with an Entrenchment of Waggons, which they call the Tabor, and is certainly an Extraordinary Rampart against the Tartars. This Tabor marches in order of Battle with the Army, without breaking: Every Officer makes such an Entrenchment round his Tents. The number of Carriages is twice as great as the number of the Men; and a Camp so entrench'd hath something that is great, singular and formidable in it. In cover'd or uneven ground, they make use of Chevaux de Frize, each Regiment hath a certain number of them, they are fixed to four Wheels like a Waggon, and on a March are drawn by Horses. This is none of the worst Inventions, and is owing to a Frenchman, call'd Hoccart, who is Ingineer to the King of Poland, and hath serv'd him for fifteen years with applause.

The Poles have a particular way of Encamping, viz. in a very large Square, inclos'd on all sides; the first Line consists of all the Infantry, with the Artillery in the Center, the Dragoons on the Wings, disposed according to the German manner, the Officers encamping in the Rere, and the Soldiers making Baracks for themselves. The second Line is form'd of the Gens d' Arms, Hussars, Pancernes, Peteores, all call'd Touariches. The two Flanks are clos'd by the Light Horse, Cossacs, Vallachians and Poles, to whom there is added Pancernes and Dragoons, as the Number of the Troops will allow, and the Ground requires; so that the Camp fronts every way, and the middle or space betwixt the two Lines serves for a Market to the Victuallers, Merchants and Purveyors.

As to the Artillery, which is at the Head, sometimes without the Line, sometimes in the Center. It hath its particular Guard, viz. a Regiment design'd for that purpose, called the Regiment of Artillery. The Strageniks advanc'd Guard, is beyond the Square, separated from all the rest, as I have already said.

The King's Quarters, those of the Senators, Grand General and Volunteers is in this Inclosure, adjoining to the Hussars, at the Head of the Line, which is begun by the King's Company, the Lieu∣tenant of which commands all the rest, and his Drum gives the signal of March; there being no such thing amongst the Poles as beating to the Watch in the Evening, nor for a General March in the Morning, during their Encampment.

This leads me to speak of their Tents, which in Poland are extraordinary magnificent both for Number and Beauty. They are the same with those of the Turks, that is to say, of a certain coarse Cloth, much like our Tent Cloth, painted without, and lin'd with a Cotton Stuff, cut out in Figures, Flower-Baskets, Squares, Compartments. Their form differs according to the occasion, some have Pavillions with Porches in form of a Wall and double Roofs; Some of them resemble long Halls, others are like square Chambers, call'd Cotars, made of coarse Cloth, and lin'd with ano∣ther Stuff, resembling Tapestry, with Glass-win∣dows and Deal-floors, and encompassed without by a great Wall that forms an Ally or Gallery round it, which composes a Wardrobe, and a Lodging-place for Servants. These Cotars are of admirable use in the advanced season, and resemble true Stoves.

As the Poles surpass all other European Nations in this sort of Magnificence, so the Turks do much exceed the Poles; both of 'em affect to shew their Pomp and Grandeur in the richness of those Moveable Houses, as thinking them most convenient for them. The Quarters of the Polish Generals, and Turkish Pachas, are encompassed with Walls that have Battlements, flanqu'd with little Pavillions, or Turrets like Towns; they have likewise Halls for Council, Closets, Porches to eat in, great Kitchins and prodigious Stables. The Parc or Quarter of the Grand Visier before Vienna was as large as St. Denis in France; that of the Pacha of Egypt resembled a Magnificent Pallace, adorn'd in the inside with Rich Tapistry, Alcoves and Cushions. The Polish Senators make a faint Resemblance of this Martial Pomp. It is a very fine fight to see their Quarter, because of the Variety of Colours, the Gilded Balls on their Pavillions, the diverse Apartments, and the vast extent of their Lodgings. The King hath so often defeated the Turks, who always leave considerable spoils behind them, that his whole Quarter or Park is made up of those of the Bassas he has defeated; and amongst others, of them that commanded the Ottoman Army at Kotchim, called Soliman and Ussein, whose Tents demonstrate the magnificence of their Serasquiers, or Commanders in Chief, and of the Grand Senior's Favourites. Soliman had a Hall for his Council or Divan, the Largeness and Beau∣ty of which charms me every time I think on it. The Tapestry was of Silk and Gold, the Workmanship and Figures of which were as agreeable as the Matter was rich. The Columns that sup∣ported it were all gilt, and the Architecture of them, resembling those of the Columns of a Palace; the Cords of it were of Silk and Cotton, of a wonderful Largeness and Beauty; and indeed there are few People of Note, either in Poland or Turky, but the Cordage of their Pavillions is of Cotton.

I should here speak of the Pay of the Polish Armies, but have reason to fear that the Reader will be weary of such a particular account, therefore shall only say in general, that it would be good enough if the Republic took care to give it regularly; but they don't much trouble themselves to pay the same quarterly, according to the order of the Diet. The Colonels, who are absolute Masters of their Regiments, take less care to distribute to their Soldiers the little Mony which they receive from the Treasury, or from the Pro∣vinces upon which their Pay is assigned; they never clear Accounts with their Officers, but give them only a Sum in part of what is due, which here they call ad rationem, or on account; so that the Captain is obliged to keep back the Pay of the Subaltern, and the Soldiers who starve for hunger, whilst the Captain makes up his loss by pillaging on his march. Indeed when they are in the Field, he takes care for the subsistance of his Company; for having neither Ammunition-bread, nor Sutlers, at least in no great number, the Soldiers would starve, and the Campagn by consequence come to nothing, if the Captain did not take care to have Meat and Bacon carried on Waggons for his Men; and this is the reason why they are obliged to have so much Equipage.

Let the Reader judge then, if any Man of Honour, or Officer of Merit can be fond of the Polish Service, since he cannot live there without pillaging, nor have any satisfaction to see himself at the Head of a Troop of Beggars in Rags, who have neither Mein nor Discipline, all their Exercise consisting in forming of a Battalion, and discharging their Pieces. If they were to make a general Attaque, the Major Generals themselves would find it hard enough to manage a Trench; and yet they are for the most part chosen out of the ablest Officers, and the eldest Colonels of the Foreign Army. Their Office looks somewhat like a French Mareschal de Camp, but in Poland it is a meer vain Title without Profit, and Authority without Sallary.

The next thing to be discoursed of, with relation to their Pay, is the advantages of the Great Treasurer of Poland, because of the dependance the Army has upon him, and the Compositions which the Officers are obliged to make with him, who quit part of what is their due, to have the rest in ready Mony. Thus they say Count Morstin enriched himself when he was Great Treasurer of the Crown. But when this Officer is too rigorous, he may occasion great Disorders, if not Revolts, which endanger himself. There was an Instance of this in the Reign of King Casimir, upon Gonchefski, the Grand General and Treasurer of Lithuania, which may well make his Successors tremble. The Lithuanian Army being dissatisfied with some Article or Command of the Treasury, they entred into a Confederacy against this Lord; twenty five Towariches, or sworn Officers, went to his House, pulled him out of his Bed from his Lady, carried him to the Field, with a Confessor at his Heels, oblig'd him to confess himself speedily, and afterwards kill'd him. This unparallel'd Crime was only punished on a small number of those Madmen that were found, whose Heads were cut off; one of them being condemned to have his Hand burnt off, holding certain Papers in it; and being daub'd over with Pitch, suffer'd that punishment with as much Constancy as Scevola, without ever opening his Hand, or turning away his Head.

Since I am come to speak of the Army of Lithuania, I shall only say, that it is an Auxiliary Body, independant on the Army of the Crown, submitting only to their own Generals, who acknowledge no Supream. They assemble the Army, assign them Quarters, and act with them according to their own Pleasure and Interest; tho' in general they regulate themselves by the Councils held at the end of the Diets, or the beginning of the Campagns; but those Resolves, and their Actions never keep pace: Their best concerted Expeditions do frequently miscarry for want of Union and Agreement. For Example during the Siege of Vienna, which I am going to relate. The King was returning back to Poland, when the Lithuani∣ans join'd him in Hungary. At the Battle of Kotchim, their Grand General Pats refus'd a long time to fight, so that the Crown General, then call'd the Great Mareschal Sobieski, took it upon himself in point of Honour, and resolv'd to answer for the Event; notwithstanding all which, Pats would not Charge till after Sobieski had forced the Turkish Camp, but retir'd from the Council the night before, refusing to consent to the Expedition. During the famous Campagn, which General Sobieski, then King, continued so long in the Winter, the Lithuanian Army refus'd to follow him after some days march, which did so much provoke that Great Prince, that he published Circular Letters to send them back as useless, which might be called a Casheiring them, if the King had that despotical Authority in Poland. He compleated that Expedition only with the Army of the Crown, and subdued all Ukrania to the Republick, whose Standards he advanced within ten days Journey of the Black Sea.

Let us speak at present of the Arms of the Poles in general. Of old they made use only of Scimiters, Lances, Gides, Javelins, Bows and Arrows; at present they have added Fire-Arms, and most of them have Pistols, with which they don't hit very exactly, tho' they be great Skirmishers. By degrees they lay aside their Lances and Gides; their Javelins are almost wholly disused, so that they have nothing of the Old Sarmatian Armour left but the Bow and Arrow. The first Journy I made into Poland, all Horsemen, of any distincti∣on, and the Gentlemen belonging to the King, Queen and Senators, still carry'd them, ev'n as they travell'd thro' the Country, and made a Noble Ornament of those Arms in time of Peace. I have seen the King and Princes carry them; they are not unbecoming, nor unseemly in a Chamber, where the Poles expose them upon a piece of Tapestry by their Beds side, as a very considerable part of Housholdstuff. Tho' indeed this Armor is of no other use to them but for Ornament, for they are not very dextrous at throwing the Javelin, nor at shooting with the Bow as are the Turks and Tartars, who use them in Skirmishes instead of Fire-Arms. Yet there are still some Poles who are very dextrous at this Exercise. The King especially hath a particular grace in managing the same, and a strength accompanied with a dexteri∣ty that comes nothing short of the Nations, that have most experience in those sort of Weapons. From this use of Arms formerly so common amongst the Poles, they form'd a Proverb answerable to our French Proverb, of knowing the Sole by the motion of the Foot, to denote the penetration and discerning faculty of any one, who discovers in another the Marks and Signs of secret Conduct. I heard a pretty application of it by the King in a Senate, who speaking to a certain 〈◊〉 of a contrary Party, that pretended to give advice for the good of the Republick, but pointed indirectly at some part of the King's Conduct, which he had a mind to blame; that discerning Prince signified to him, that he had discover'd the Secret, and knew his Design, by telling him, that when he saw an Arrow in the Air, he could tell from what Quiver it came.

The Poles had formerly Bucklers of Ozier, cover'd with Skins, of a round Figure a little rais'd, pointed in the middle, where there was a piece of Iron, the use of which is now almost abolished. I have seen some Lords carry them in a day of Review or Battle, not so much for Defence as for Ornament; for on such Occasions they fix them to the Saddles of their Led-Horses. When the King march'd to the Relief of Vienna, he had a mind to review his Cavalry in the Plain of Tarnovitz,the first City of Silesia, before Count Caraffa, who was sent by the Emperor to receive his Allie at the entrance of his Dominions. The King drew them up in Order of Battle the morning before his March, that the Emperor's Ministers might see the Beauty of his Troops. The Polish Senators, who had there their Troops of Hussars or Pancernes, appear'd at the Head of 'em with all the Warlike Ornaments of the Nation; their Rich Murrions, Gilt Harness, Magnificent Houzes, splendid Coats of Mail, and some of them had Bucklers of great price, for so I think we may call 300 Ducats of Gold for a Buckler of Ozier. It's true they alledge that they are proof against Shot, but for any thing that appears by them, there's nothing to commend them but a pleasant variety of Colours, and a Satin Quilt in the inside. The King who has in the Armorial Bearings of his Houshold a Buckler of the Roman Form, that is to say, long and pointed below, with an Orillon on the upper part, had one of this fashion of Beaten Gold fixed to his Saddle; upon which there was in Bass Relief, the representation of the Battle of Kotchim very well done. That Prince us'd to place the same Buckler, and a Scimiter enriched with Jewels, upon the Table of the Chamber of Audience, on those days when he admitted the Ambassadors of Foreign Princes.

The Poles have a Scimiter longer and heavier than those of the Turks, but don't cut so well, whether the fault be in the Blade or Hand. The Poles endeavour to accustom themselves to the use of this Heavy Weapon, by the continual use of certain Battle Axes of great weight, to break their Arm, as they term it, for the use of the Scimiter. Besides they make it a kind of exercise, and study to accustom themselves to the use of it, by frequent fencing with Clubs, to which their Youth is much addicted. There's constantly to be seen in the Streets of Warsaw and other Cities, but chiefly when the Court is there, Troops of Boys, Servants, and others fighting with Clubs; they challenge those who pass by, and will put Clubs in their hands to oblige them to fight, as Fleurets are presented in a Fencing-Room to the Spectators that come in. This general Custom joyn'd to the Natural Animosity there is betwixt the Poles and Lithuanians, hath given rise to a very bad Custom, which the Publick connives at either from a Principle of Stupidity or Policy, as those of Venice suffer the Quarrels betwixt their Nicolotti and Castellani. During the Diets the Servants or Followers of the Nobility, who are most of them Gentlemen, assemble together according to their Country, take the Field with Drums and Trumpets, take up those they find in the Streets, force them along with them, and fight bloody Battles, tho' only with Clubs, the Conquerors pursue the Conquered, besiege them in the Neighbouring houses, and enter as formally into the Town, as if they were Regular Troops, and this almost every day, having first chosen a Mareschal or President for each Party, which is here an indispensible Custom in Assemblies of all sorts, which may rather be call'd Routs, because of the Confusion that is to be found in those of them that are the most famous and Regular. This Mareschal presupposes that there have been other Lesser Combats, for in order to become Mareschal, he must have conquered all the other Candidates, and the bravest of those Champions. Antipathy and a desire of Conquering, have insensibly rendred those Battles very dangerous; for in 1690. they begun to make use of Fire-Arms, and this Licentiousness rose to that degree of fury, that there was a necessity of sending the Guards to disperse this Rabble, who had made several discharges, kill'd abundance of People, and besieged the House of a Palatin. Those of the Crown distinguish themselves from the Lithuanians by a Handkerchief they put in their Hats instead of a Scarf; and as they are most numerous, they generally come off Masters of the Field at Warsaw, but then the Lithuanians have also their Tour at the Diets held at Grodno in their Country. This is what they call the combats of the Klopeches, or Klopietz, i.e. Boys, which is a Name common to Servants of all sorts.

Such is the Order of the Armies of the Republick, who might perhaps be as good as formerly, were they complete, paid, and well entertain'd, but the want of those things hath dissolv'd their Military Discipline, and made the bravest of them indifferent for the Service, which neither desire of Glory, sense of Honour or Duty, have been able to cure. The General Officer, the Collonels and Captains go to the Camp as to an unprofitable Drudgery. Nay, the first do now begin to forbear their attendance without shame, and spend their time at their Country-houses, or at Court. The Subaltern does not begin his March till two months after the time appointed for Rendezvouz, and the Touarizes don't make much more haste, so that the Grand General wearies himself out by staying alone in the Camp waiting for the Troops, and thus is witness to the losing of many opportunities, and sees the best concerted Designs and Enterprizes miscarry by those disorders and unaccountable mismanagements joyn'd with the Natural Carelesness of the Poles, and the Impunity to which they are accustomed. The Palatin of Russia the present Grand General, does indeed begin to make his Authority valued, and to restore Discipline in the Camp, having order'd several People to have their Heads cut off at the Entrance of the Campagne of 1688. He likewise check'd the foolish Pride of the Hussars, by taking away their Lances, arming them with Carbines, and sending them out upon advanc'd Guards and Convoys as Light Horse. This he began in 1689, and if he continue, there may be some hopes of restoring the Ancient Polish Valour; for these Troops are not really bad, but fight in great and small Bodies, as well as those of other Countries, if they be well managed.
They send out for intelligence or discoveries some Cossack Foot, who Lye in Ambuscade one by one in Woods, or hide themselves in a hole that they dig in the ground like Badgers, and flie like Wolves upon any miserable fellow that straggles from the Camp, or on a March, and this Prisoner they call a Tongue, because of his informing them of the State of the Enemies Army. After the Siege of Vienna, I saw one of those Savage Partymen return to the K. with a Turk tied so as a Huntsman does a great Beast, and push him brutishly into the Tent without speaking a word. The K. gave those Cossacks ten Crowns for each Tongue, as they call them; and relied very much upon them for getting such fellows on occasion, as the fittest persons in the Army for that Trade; as to which I cannot omit one particular, which may serve to give the Reader a better Character of those Savage Fellows. A Cossack returned one Evening with a Turk taken in that manner as I have said, threw him into the Kings Tent, just as if one should throw down a Bundle upon the ground, and then went to the Treasurer for his Premium; after which he returned to the Door of the Tent, and thrusting in his head to thank the K. said, John, They have paid me, God restore it thee, and good night.

Their great Parties are usually considerable Detachments, or Entire Brigades of Polish Cavalry. Those Brigades are from 600 to 1000 Men, and are call'd Poulk. Thus all the Gens d'Arms are divided amongst the principal Officers of this Bo∣dy, as is also the rest of the Cavalry, Cossacks, Vallachians, or Poles, whose Poulks are composed of 40 Companies. We must except the Hussars, who don't enter into the Brigades, their Com∣panies serving alone. The Brigadiers of the rest are twice as proud, but nothing braver than the other Officers. I knew one of them call'd Miogensky, that was first Gentleman of the Kings Chamber, and is now Treasurer of the Court, who hearing some Poles returned from France, telling Wonders of the Valour of the Troops of the Kings Houshold, boasted that he would with his Poulk and a hundred Horse only, beat all those Gens d' Arms to pieces. This Bravo said, he never return'd from a Party without putting his Enemy to flight, tho' a whole Garrison, and that he had repulsed the Enemy to the very Gates of Caminieck: Yet never did any Man flie better than this Person and his Brigade, on two occasions, especially at the Town of Eperiez in Hungary, where he was shamefully beat by a Party of Rebels.

I must not forget one Circumstance relating to the Hussars, which is that every Year they had new Lances given them at the beginning of the Campagn; for it was supposed for their Honour, that they had broke those of the preceding Year; and indeed formerly nothing more shameful could befal an Hussar, than to bring back his Lance from an Engagement, and therefore new ones were always carried in Waggons with the Camp to supply those that were broken. At the beginning of each Campagn, when the Captain gave the Hussar, his Lance he used to give him a Present of 100 Crowns with it towards the Charge of the Campagn, besides his Pay from the Republick.

There's another Circumstance no less necessary to be known for the better discovery of the Polish Genius, and their way of making War, viz. that the Hussars Pancernes and other Gens d'Arms who are paid their Winter Quarters in Silver, and have nothing to look for from the place where the Company is Quarter'd, spend that time either at home or at their Captains Court, and leave their Servants only with the Standard. In 1688. the Tartars made an Irruption towards Volhynia, where they forced some Regiments of Foot into places fortified with Pallisado's, and carried off whole Companies of Hussars, as was said in the Gazetts, but 'twas only the Pacolets or Hussars Servants; and besides, there were several Companies, particularly that of the Great Chancellor of Lithuania, which had not above seven or eight Servants at most left to guard the Standard.

Being unwilling to tire the Reader with any more particulars of this nature, I come now to the particular Account of the famous Expedition of Vienna, which was so extraordinary in all its Circumstances, so happy in its Success, so ill disputed by the Turks, and so little expected by the Christians. An Expedition famous for its Event, considerable for the Number of Princes that came thither to put themselves under the Command of the King of Poland, whose great Fame excited a general Curiosity, and laid the Foundation of the Hope of the Empire.