The count now rallied his distracted faculties, and making a stand,
with the general and his three Poles, they compelled this merciless
detachment to seek refuge among the arcades of the building.
Butzou would not allow his young lord to follow in that direction,
but hurried him across the park. He looked back, however; a column of
fire issued from the south towers. Thaddeus sighed, as if his life
were in that sigh, "All is indeed over;" and pressing his hand to his
forehead, in that attitude followed the steps of the general towards
the Vistula.
The wind being very high, the flame soon spread itself over the roof
of the palace, and catching at every combustible in its way, the
invaders became so terrified at the quick progress of fire which
threatened to consume themselves as well as their plunder, that they
quitted the spot with precipitation. Decrying the count and his
soldiers at a short distance, they directed their motions to that
point. Speedily confronting the brave fugitives, they blocked up a
bridge by a file of men with fixed pikes, and not only menaced the
Polanders as they advanced, but derided their means of resistance.
Sobieski, indifferent alike to danger and to insults, stopped short
to the left, and followed by his friends, plunged into the stream,
amidst a shower of musket-balls from the enemy. After hard buffeting
with the torrent, he at last reached the opposite bank, and was
assisted from the river by some of the weeping inhabitants of Warsaw,
who had been watching the expiring ashes of Praga, and the flames
then devouring the boasted towers of Villanow.
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