e
fit for an unfortunate but patriotic hero than for one who had done
nothing but affect a few tears--for we can hardly doubt that they were
hypocritical--over the misfortunes which he had brought on his country.
The following sentence must have sounded strangely in his mouth:
"_Fecimus quod potuimus, omnia tentavimus, nihil omisimus._" Again, on
May 10th, he absolutely had the audacity to defend his political
conduct, stating that he had always done his duty whenever any business
depended on him.

On May 17th the Diet agreed to Poninski's motion to appoint a commission
that, in conjunction with the three ambassadors, should regulate the
limits of the four countries, and determine upon the changes in the
Polish Government. On the 18th the commissioners were nominated by the
King and Poninski.

Some small remains of liberty lingered even among the commissioners, and
called for fresh threats and violence from the allied powers. At length
they agreed to ratify the treaty of August 5th, and establish a
permanent council in whom the executive power was to be vested. This
council consisted of forty members, and was divided into four
departments, which engrossed every branch of administration. The King
was the nominal president, but the real authority was possessed by the
Russian ambassador. The partition was not fully arranged till 1774, and
then Prussia and Austria began to extend their bounds beyond the agreed
limits. _L'appetit vient en mangeant_, and these encroachments were a
sad augury of future partitions to the Poles.

The indifference with which other states regarded this partition was
indeed surprising. France, in particular, might have been expected to
protest against it; but the imbecility and dotage of Louis XV, and the
weakness of his minister, paid too little attention to the interests of
their own nation to be likely to think of others. They made the most
frivolous excuses, and even had the meanness to attempt to shift the
blame on the shoulders of their ambassador at Vienna, pretending that he
amused himself with hunting instead of politics, and had no knowledge of
the design of partition until it was consummated. Louis contented
himself with saying, with an affectation of rage, "It would not have
happened if Choiseul had been here!" Some few patriots in England
declaimed on the injustice of the proceeding; but the spirit of the
ministry, which was occupied in wrangling with the American colonies
about th