168 SZLACHTA
ill-starred Barbara Radziwill, queen of Sigismund-August, and cousin to Prince
Mikolaj Krzysztof Radziwill the'Black' (1515-65), Chancellor of Lithuania and
Palatine of Wilno, he was showered with signs of royal favours. As Grand
Hetman of the Lithuanian Army, he distinguished himself in the wars against
Muscovy, and in 1566 succeeded to his cousin's offices. Yet as a Calvinist he
stood aloof from the Roman Catholic establishment, and actively opposed the
Union of Lublin until the very last minute. The splendour of his court rivalled
that of many a sovereign monarch. It duly impressed the English Ambassador
Sir Jerome Horsey, who passed through Lithuania on his way overland to
Moscow:
When I came to Villna the chief citie in Lithuania, I presented myself and letters patients
from the Quen, that declared my titells and what I was, unto the great duke viovode
Ragaville, a prince of great excelencie, prowes and power, and religious protestant; gave
me great respect and good enterteynment; told me, though I had nothing to say to him
from the Quen of England, yet, he did so much honnor and admire her excelent vertus
and graces, he would also hold me in the reputacion of her majesties ambassador; which
was som pollacie that his subjects should think I was to negociate with him. Take me
with him to his church; heard divine service psalms, a sermon, and the sacraments min-
istered according to the reformed churches; whereat his brother cardinal Ragavill, did
murmur. His hightness did invite me to dinner, honored with 50 halberdeers thorow the
cittie: placed gonners and his guard of 500 gentilmen to bring me to his pallace; himself
accompanied with many yonge noblemen, receaved me upon the tarras; brought me into
a very large room where organes and singing was, a long table set with pallentins, lordes
and ladies, himself under a cloth of estate. I was placed before him in the middest of the
table; trompetts sound and kettel droms roared. The first service brought in, ghesters and
poets discourse merely, lowed instruments and safft plaied very musically; a set of
dwarffes men and women finely attired came in with sweet harmony still and mournfull
pieps and songs of art; Davids tymbrils and Arons swett soundinge bells as the termed
them. The varietie made the tyme pleasing and short. His hightness drank for the
Majesty the angelicall Quen of England her health. Strange portraturs, lyons, unicorns,
spread-eagels, swans and other made of suger past, som wines and spicats in their bellies
to draw at, and succets of all sorts cutt owt of their bellies to tast of; every one with his
sylver forcke. To tell of all the order and particuler services, and rarieties grow tedious;
well-feasted, honnored, and much made of, I was conducted to my lodgings in manner
as I was brought. Had my letters pattents, and a gentilman to conduct me thorow his
countrye; with which I toke my leave. Some pastymes with lyons, bulls and bares, straing
to behold, I omytt to recite.^12
Although strictly speaking the szlachta is not to be equated with the landown-
ing class, it is undeniable that the possession of land was their main source of
wealth. In practice, all landowners were not noble, and all noblemen were not
necessarily landowners. But in so far as wealth and nobility were related, the
correlation largely depended on the distribution of landed property.