The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-25 00:00:00

MEMOIR OF COUNT VALERIAN KRASINSKI.

Count Valerian Krasinski, one of the most distin-
guished members of the Polish Emigration, who died in
Edinburgh on the morning of the 22d inst., was a native
of the ancient Polish province of White Russia, and
issued from an old and illustrious family, the branch
to which he belonged having at an early period em-
braced the Protestant faith, of which the late count also
was a most fervent adherent. Being endowed with
great natural abilities, which were further developed by
a superior classical education, Count Valerian Krasinski
soon attained to an eminent position in his native coun-
try, and at once put forward that energy of action which
characterised him through life. Having been appointed
chief of the department of the Ministry of Public Instruc-
tion in the kingdom of Poland, charged with the affairs
of the various dissenting religious denominations, he
zealously endeavoured to further true enlightenment
among them ; and among other exertions for this end,
he promoted with indefatigable energy the establishment
of a college at Warsaw for the education of Jewish
Rabbis, an institution from which have since issued
many learned and distinguished individuals. Wishing
to promote enlightenment in his country by the diffusion
of valuable scientific and other works at a cheap rate,
Count Valerian Krasinski was also the first to introduce
stereotype printing in Poland, and in this instance the
benefits bestowed upon the community considerably im-
paired his own fortune, without, however, in any way
abating his zeal for the public good.
On the breaking out of the Polish Insurrection in 1830
Count Valerian Krasinski, whose patriotic sentiments
were fully appreciated by his countrymen, was sent by
the then chief of the national government, Prince Adam
Czartoryski, to England, as a member of the diplomatic
mission despatched from Poland to this country, and he
continued here in this capacity until the fatal catastro-
phe of 1831, when he, with so many others, became a
penniless exile from his country, for which, however, up
to the day of his death, he never ceased to labour. De-
prived of every other means of subsistence, he thence-
forward devoted himself exclusively to those literary
pursuits which had ever been his greatest pleasure, and
which now proved his greatest solace ; and though still
making every effort subservient to the cause of his coun-
try, he soon worked out for himself a distinguished place
among the literati of this country, int he language of which
he wrote. His first venture in the English language was
the translation of a Polish novel, "Sigismund Augustus;
or Poland in the Sixteenth Century," which, having met
with a very favourable reception from the British public,
was followed by an original work of greater pretensions.
This was the "History of the Reformation in Poland,"
which at once established Count Krasinski's reputation
as one of the most eminent historical writers of the day,
and which having subsequently been translated into
German and French acquired for him European re-
nown, and won for him flattering notice from the most
distinguished men of letters in all countries, as well as
from crowned heads, among whom was the late King of
Prussia, who bestowed upon him the gold medal for lite-
rary merit, and did not fear to express to a Polish re-
fugee, in a letter with his autograph signature, his ad-
miration of a work which is not more distinguished for
deep historic research and coacientious sifting of the
truth than it is remarkable kir its patriotic sentiments,
and for the boldness with which the rights and the inde-
pendence of Poland are asserted. But although growing
thus rapidly rich in honours, Count Krasinki's literary
labours failed to secure for him anything like compe-
tence, yet, though often subjected to great privations, he
ever resolutely rejected the most brilliant offers made
to him by Russia, and even declined the more flattering
and honourable overtures made to him by the King of
Prussia, preferring a life of honest, though not painless,
independence ina free country to the golden chains of
the destroyer of his native land, or even the service of a
monarch whose country has borne an unenviable part in
the history of that destruction. The next historical work
that issued from the pen of the deceased nobleman, after
an interval of several years, during which he was a con-
stant contributor to the periodical literature of this coun-
try, was the "Sketch of the Religious History of the Scla-
vonic Nations," a work of rare merit, and which, among
the learned divines of Scotland more especially, met with
due appreciation. However, the stirring time which com-
menced in 1843, and which strengthened the hope of the
eventual restoration of their country,which had ever been
kept alive in the hearts of the Polish exiles, made the
count exchange for a time the pen of the historian for
that of the political pamphleteer, and the result was a
series of pamplets on the Polish and Russian question,
such as Panelavism and Germanism ; Russia and Europe;
Russia, Poland, and Europe ; Opinions of Napoleon the
First regarding Poland. The last three of these bear
upon the subject of the present war, and all give evi-
dence of remarkable political sagacity, and of a pre-
science rare even among routine diplomatists. However,
it is, alas ! but too probable that it was the excitement of
mind kept up by constant occupation with subjects so
near his heart, and with hopes to realise which was the
sole object of his life, that undermined a frame ever very
delicate ; and one of the worthiest and most distinguished
of the last Polish exiles was thus cut off in the very dawn
of a possible new and happier future for his country.
His very last days were employed in correcting the
proofs of a pamphlet entitled "The Polish Question,"
but which he has not lived to see published, and a
"History of Poland," which he had commenced pub-
lishing in monthly numbers, ateo remains unfinished.
On subjects not connected wfth his own country, Count
Krasinski has contributed to English literature a trans-
lation of Calvin's " Treatise on Relics," and several small
works on religious subjects, which, though published
anonymously, had a very extensive circulation.
His high intellectual qualities, his wonderful store of
historic knowledge, and his extraordinary memory, to-
gether with the integrity of his character, the nobility
of his sentiments, the gentleness of his disposition, and
the courtesy and elegance of his manners, rendered
Count Valerian Krasinski ever a welcome guest in all
the most refined circles of London, where he spent the
first 20 years of his exile, and of Edinburgh, where the
last five were passed ; and his death will be wept by
some of the most distinguished individuals, both as to
rank and talent, in this and in other countries, who
counted him among their most valued friends. Most of
all, however, his loss will be felt by the Polish Emigra-
tion, and the more so as following so immediately after
that of M. Adam Mickiewicz, the celebrated Polish
poet, who died a few weeks ago at Constantinople,
whither he had been sent by the French Government on
a very important and delicate mission. A very short
time before his death Count Valerian Krasinski received
a letter from the illustrious chief of the Polish Emigra-
tion, Prince Adam Czartoryski, expressing his thanks
and satisfaction at the great and important services
which the late count did not cease to render to the
cause of his country.