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BartłomiejBeniowski,1800-1867
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darknessofmyownsoul/Likeadiamondheldinadirtystone.”
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Beniowski,on
thecontrary,setaboutlearningEnglish(oneofthefewEuropeanlanguageshe
hadnotyetmastered)andsharedwiththehostcommunitytheideasand
aspirationsthathepropoundedanddevelopedinLondonPolishcirclesand
democraticorganisations,ofwhichhewasacommittedandprominentmember
fromearly1836.HewasoneofaverylimitednumberofPolishémigréswho
penetratedBritishsocietyinLondon,andhealsoformedtieswiththeGerman,
FrenchandItalianpoliticalrefugeeswhoincreasinglyflockedtotheBritish
capital.HisfirstBritishcontactswerewiththeMaryleboneRadicals,including
laterChartistactivistslikeHenryVincent.Hissubsequentcommitmentto
Chartismwasacommitmenttointernationalism,butlikeotherexiles,helived-
inawaythatBritisheducatedmiddleclasssympathiserswereonthewhole
unabletodo-ontermsofintimacywithworkingclassLondonersandwas
abletosharetheirspecificgoals.
Energy,determinationandinsouciancemarkedhisprogressalongthisroad.
Weknowthathewastallandgood-looking,atover6feetwellaboveaverage
height.Hewasimpetuousandoutspoken,andhadnopatiencewithwhathe
describedasfihumbug,”awordthatheclaimedtohavelearnedfromLondon
Chartists.Nordidhesufferfoolsgladly.Hehadabitingwitandasenseof
humourwhichdidnothelptoendearhimtohispoliticalopponents.Indeedhe
madeenemiesonallsidesofthepoliticalspectrum.But,alongwith
awillingnesstoplayonemotions,thismadehimasuccessfulpublicoratorin
bothPolishandEnglish.Inmanyways,hisideasandbehaviourbelongedto
alatererathanhisown,andhisPolishcontemporarieswereoftenbitterly
offended,particularlybyhisconsistentlyhostileattitudetoorganisedreligion,
forhewasarationalistandfreethinker.
Beniowski)sLondonlifealsoenablesustoexamineindetailsomeofthe
attitudesofmid-centuryLondonerstoforeignersingeneralandrefugeesin
particular,aswellasobtaininganoutsider)sviewofsocialissuesandpolitical
activityinthecapital.Beforetherecriminationsof1840,heseemstohavebeen
unreservedlywelcomedbyhisBritishworkingclassassociatesandbymany
others,althoughthelimitsoftolerancearefrequentlyexposedbyestablishment
figuresfromLordJohnRusselltoTimesjournalists.ButIthinkwemustalso
acceptthatatthesametime,asaforeigner,hewasnottakenentirelyseriously-
eitherbytheChartistsorbyofficialsofthestate.
Beniowski)slater,post-ChartistlifeinLondonbroughthimbrieffamein
the1840sasthecreatorofamnemonicssystem,whichhetermedphrenotypics,
andasthepatenteeofprintinginnovations,whichbroughthimintocontactwith
granderandmoreself-seekingpoliticiansliketheRightHon.ThomasMilner
GibsonM.P.,orJohnGreeneM.P.oftheIndependentIrishParty.Henever
howeverceasedtoinvolvehimselfinPolishpoliticalmovements.Afterabrief
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AdamMickiewicz,Dziady[Forefathers)Eve],partIII,lines143-144.
