eed of proof. But who could
describe that wondrous blending of loving strength and lovable weakness
of a true woman's character? You feel its beauty and sublimity, and if
you attempt to give words to your feeling you produce a caricature.

The three sisters of Frederick all manifested more or less a taste
for literature. The two elder sisters, Louisa (who married Professor
Jedrzejewicz, and died in 1855) and Isabella (who married Anton
Barcinski--first inspector of schools, and subsequently director of
steam navigation on the Vistula--and died in 1881), wrote together for
the improvement of the working classes. The former contributed now and
then, also after her marriage, articles to periodicals on the education
of the young. Emilia, the youngest sister, who died at the early age of
fourteen (in 1827), translated, conjointly with her sister Isabella,
the educational tales of the German author Salzmann, and her poetical
efforts held out much promise for the future.

CHAPTER II

FREDERICK'S FIRST MUSICAL INSTRUCTION AND MUSIC-MASTER, ADALBERT
ZYWNY.--HIS DEBUT AND SUCCESS AS A PIANIST.--HIS EARLY INTRODUCTION INTO
ARISTOCRATIC SOCIETY AND CONSTANT INTERCOURSE WITH THE ARISTOCRACY.--HIS
FIRST COMPOSITIONS.--HIS STUDIES AND MASTER IN HARMONY, COUNTERPOINT,
AND COMPOSITION, JOSEPH ELSNER.

OUR little friend, who, as we have seen, at first took up a hostile
attitude towards music--for his passionate utterances, albeit
inarticulate, cannot well be interpreted as expressions of satisfaction
or approval--came before long under her mighty sway. The pianoforte
threw a spell over him, and, attracting him more and more, inspired
him with such a fondness as to induce his parents to provide him,
notwithstanding his tender age, with an instructor. To lessen the
awfulness of the proceeding, it was arranged that one of the elder
sisters should join him in his lessons. The first and only pianoforte
teacher of him who in the course of time became one of the greatest and
most original masters of this instrument, deserves some attention from
us. Adalbert Zywny [FOOTNOTE: This is the usual spelling of the name,
which, as the reader will see further on, its possessor wrote Ziwny.
Liszt calls him Zywna.], a native of Bohemia, born in 1756, came to
Poland, according to Albert Sowinski (Les musiciens polonais et slaves),
during the reign of Stanislas Augustus Poniatowski (1764--1795), and
after staying for some time as pianist at