Mrs. Mniszkowa

Mrs. Marshalowa Mniszkowa is at times peculiar in her feelings, and at other times comical. She came to Puławy and lamented over herself in front of my husband, falling into despair before him, jumping on herself, accusing herself of having killed her mother, having killed her husband, all for the sorrows of her mother and husband, which she could not soothe. My husband tried by all means to console her and to show that she was, indeed, innocent. Finally, seeing that he could not persuade her otherwise regarding these “murders,” he said to her:

“When neither request nor reason helps, my Lady, I advise you to go to Lablena, accuse yourself, and have your head cut off.”

For anyone who does not know Mrs. Mniszkowa, this may not seem so funny.

The same Mrs. Mniszkowa entrusted me with her daughter, already married, so that I might take her with me to Łańcut. And she obligated me in two matters: to choose a good confessor for her, and to read the most frivolous and immoral poems of Voltaire with her. These two tasks combined made a fine character.