Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
1.Berdyczów,Wilno,St.Petersburg,1800-1830
51
Kaczkowskitellsusthat,fiitwasimpossiblenottolovesuchanhonestsoul.”
191
OttoŚlizień,whogottoknowhimin1822,saysthateveryonebecamedevoted
tohimbecausehewas,fisincere,polite,forgiving,pleasantandfascinatingin
conversation,”althoughratherpriggish,believingthatfiyoungheartsshouldnot
beempty,thattheyshouldentertainpureplatoniclove;”hisspeechandhabits
werefimodesttotheextentofbeinggirlish;hewouldnottoleratethedouble
entendre.”
192
ThePhilomathswerenotaclandestinesociety;theywereinitially
registeredwiththeRectormagnificusoftheUniversity,andreceivedapproval
fromtheBishop.Theyhoweverdecidedtosetupforwhattodaywewouldcall
outreach,awidergroupingofDisseminators,orpeoplewhoradiatedtheir
influence,andinthespringof1820heldarecruitingdrive.Theyorganised
aMaypicnic,amajówka,andinvitedtoit,inthewordsofIgnacyDomeyko,
fiallthosewhowerebelievedtohavebeenirradiatedbyTomasz[Zan])slove-
allthoseonwhomthePhilomathshadhadtheireyeforsometime.”
193
Beniowski,onhisowntestimony,wasoneoftheyoungmenrecruitedtothe
Disseminators,orashehimselftranslateditintoEnglish,thefiRadiating
Society,”broughtinbyTomaszZan.ItisnotsurprisingthatZanandother
PhilomathshadnoticedBeniowski.Theseyoungmenlivedontopofone
anotherwithinanarrowsocialcircle,andmostofthePhilomathslodged,like
Beniowski,inanetworkofstreetsnottenminutes)walkfromthemain
universitybuildings.In1817,whenBeniowskistartedhisfirstyearatthemedical
faculty,MickiewiczwaslivinginZamkowaonthecornerofBeniowski)s
Skopówka,andthereafterheisknowntohavestayedinnearbyWileńskaandin
thelodgingsneartheCathedralbell-towerofanotherPhilomath,JanCzeczot;
TomaszZanlivedin1819withinthecomplexofuniversitybuildingsbutin1820
movedtoSkopówkawherehelivedforayear;TeodorŁoziński,whowillshortly
enterthestory,lodgedsomewherenearthecornerofSkopówkanotfarfromthe
monasteryoftheBrothersHospitallersofSaintJohnofGod.
194
Beniowski)sobsessivelyhardworkwouldhavebeennoted,evenifasocial
barrierdividedhimfromthePhilomaths,whomightforthemostparthavebeen
poor,butwerewithoutexceptionsonsofthecountrygentry,withfairlystrong
prejudicesagainstotherclassesofsociety.BeniowskiwrotethatZandefended
himagainstbullies:fiheexaltedandprotectedme-Ilovedhimthen-Ideify
himnow;hewasmyrevolutionarygodfather.”
195
Hewenton:
191
KarolKaczkowski,Wspomnienia,op.cit.,vol.I,p.96.
192
OttoŚlizień,fiZpamiętnika,”op.cit.,pp.119-122.
193
ibid.,pp.12-13.
194
ed.MartaZielińska,KorespondencjaFilomatów(1817-1823),Warszawa,1989,
pp.475-476;OttoŚlizień,fiZpamiętnika,”op.cit.,pp.121-122;TomaszKrzywicki,Szlakiem
AdamaMickiewicza,op.cit.,pp.216-219.
195
LondonDemocratno.2,20.IV.1839,p.10,fiThePolishRevolutionbyMajorBeniowski,
no.II.”
