Eylau: Precis Des Travaux de la Grande Armée
The Petition of François Narocki
François Ignace Narocki, born in Witki, close to Wilna, is the son of Joseph and Anne Narocki; he is of a noble family, and embraced in his youth the call of arms. He belonged to the confederation of Bar, was made prisoner by the Russians, and was led off to Kasan. Having lost the little fortune that he had, he was consigned to agriculture, and was employed as a farmer of the estate of a priest; and married in his first wedding at the age 70 years, and had four children in this marriage. At 86 years, he married a second woman, and had six children of whom all of them died; there remains to him only the last son of his first wife. The King of Prussia, in consideration of his great age, had granted to him a pension of 24 Polish guilders per month, making 14 liv. 8 pennies of France. He is not prone to any infirmity, still encloses a good memory, and speaks the Latin language with an extreme facility; and quotes the classic authors with spirit and appropriately. The petition, whose translation is attached, is entirely written by his hand the character in is very firm and very readable.
Petition.
LORD, my extracted date of baptism was the year 1690, therefore I am now 117 years old.
I still remember the battle of Vienna, and the times of Jean Sobieski.
I believed that they would never be reproduced, but undoubtedly I even less expected to see again the century of Alexander.
My old age won me the benefits of all the sovereigns that have been here, and I claim those of Grand-Napoleon, are in my more time honored age, beyond the state to work.
Live, Lord, as long a time as me; your glory does not need any, but the happiness of mankind requires it.
Signed, NAROCKI.
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