aly, brought him, in the name of Poland, Sobieski's sword.
It had been preserved at Loreto, whither the deliverer of Vienna had
sent it more than a century ago, after his triumph over the Turks. The
newly founded Republic of Rome presented it to the officers of the
Polish legions in 1798, who destined it for Kosciuszko. "God grant,"
said Kosciuszko, in his letter of acknowledgment to his fellow-Poles,
"that we may lay down our swords together with the sword of Sobieski in
the temple of peace, having won freedom and universal happiness for our
compatriots."[1]

For a while Kosciuszko, continuously corresponding with the French
government, acted more or less as the head of the legions. But when in
October, 1799, the government officially offered him the leadership of
the legions, he refused, for the reason that he saw no sign that France
was prepared to recognize their distinct entity as a Polish national
army, and because he suspected Bonaparte would use them merely as French
regiments--a "corps of mercenaries," as the Polish patriot bitterly
exclaims--for his own ends. He had written--September, 1799--to the
Directory, eloquently reminding France that the Polish legions were
founded to fight for the independence of Poland, and that in the hope of
freedom the Poles had gladly fought "enemies who were, besides their
own, the enemies of freedom," but that their dearest hopes had already
been deceived. "These considerations impel me to beg you to show us some
ray of hope regarding the restoration of independence to our
country."[2] He required guarantees from Bonaparte, and these he never
received.

[Footnote 1: _Letters of Kosciuszko_.]

[Footnote 2: T. Korzon, _Kosciuszko_.]

Young Bonaparte and the Pole met for the first time on the former's
return from his brilliant Egyptian campaign, when he called on
Kosciuszko, Kniaziewicz being also in the room. The interview was brief
and courteous. "I greatly wished," said Napoleon, "to make the
acquaintance of the hero of the North." "And I," replied Kosciuszko, "am
happy to see the conqueror of Europe and the hero of the East." At a
subsequent official banquet at which Kosciuszko was present, some
instinct warned him of the course Napoleon's ambition was to take. "Be
on your guard against that young man," he said on that occasion to
certain members of the French government; and a few days later Napoleon
proclaimed himself First Consul. From that time Kosciuszko began to
wit