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asagardenerforPuławy,followedtheatrical
events,visitedartauctions,bookshopsand
Boydell)sShakespeareartgalleryinPallMall.17
InvitationstoballsflowedinandIzabelawas
definitelyindemand,butshefoundtheso-
cietyCdevastatinglyboring,coldandmonot-
onous.)InherownhouseatDoverStreetshe
didawaywithformalityandintroducedan
atmosphereofPolishaffability,butevenher
imaginativereceptionsdidnothingtodimin-
ishhermisery:
Ifeelsadhere,theclimatecontributestothefeel-
ingandmyimaginationdoesnothingtodimin-
ishmymelancholy.Ifamourproprewouldsuffice
Iwouldbesatisfiedhere,but,mydearfriend,it
isalongtimesincethisthingheldanyjoyforme
andreallymyheartisdeadamongallofithere.
Whenpeoplesaythemostflatteringthingstome
myimaginationgoestoWarsawandtoPuławy.)18
Shesufferedcontinuousheadaches,lost
weightandfellintoonelongdepression.As
earlyasAprilCzartoryskaformedjudgments
ontheBritishcharacter;incommonwith
manyvisitors,shemalignedtheweatherand
themanners:
17ForthemostdetailedaccountofCzartoryska)s
stayinEnglandsee:Gołębiowska,WkręguCzartorys-
kich.
18I.Cz.toM.W.,9February(1790),B.Cz.6137.
Ican)tgetusedtoithere,notbecauseIamblind
tothebeautiesandcharmsofthiscountry.On
thecontrary,Iseethemandadmirethem,but
therearetwothingswhichIwillneverbeable
toaccustommyselfto:theclimateandthepeo-
ple.Oneishumidtotheextremeandtheother
isunspeakablycold,oneisbadformyhealth,the
otherisdamagingtomysoul.19
Hercritiqueextendedtothewholewayof
lifeoftheBritisharistocracy:
We,theothers,lacksomeofthese[advantag-
es]butwehavemorejoyinlife,moregaiety,
amuchbetterclimateandaboveallhappinessin
everything,happinesswhichshowsitselfinour
characterandsenseofhumour.Hereboredom
hauntsthetemperament,thelackofgaietyisvery
common,butonceagainProvidencemakesuse
ofitssecret[ways]andtheEnglishdonotreal-
izethattheyareoftenbored.Hegivesthemthe
nationalpridetobelievethatalliswellasitis.20
Shefeltherselfastrangerinaforeignland
andaddressedherselfasanCother,
)eventhough
thiswasherthirdstayinEngland.Thepre-
vioustwotookplacein1768-69and1772-
19I.Cz.toK.D.,London,3April1790,B.Cz.6107.
I.Cz.toM.W.,26March1790,10-11October,Lon-
don,B.Cz.6137.
20I.Cz.toK.D.,London,25May1790,London,
B.Cz.6107.
Insearchof
delightfulprospects...
17
