159 End of 1637

I decided to withdraw from political life for some time, but I continued to perform the duties of the voivode and Hetman, especially since they did not require any effort from me. Over 90% of Podolia was my land and my word was the law... as a Hetman guarding the south-eastern border, I had nothing to do either, or almost nothing... Two three times a month, I went to the garrison in Kamieniec Podolski to organize their supplies, trainings and made sure that they received their money on time.

So I used this time to write articles for the newspaper, I also started correspondence with Jan Hevelius, Otto von Guericke and Descartes, although the latter had not yet written back to my letter... but Hevelius turned out to be an interesting partner in conversations, especially when they concerned astronomy... while von Guericke, in kind words, wrote back that he knew my works, experiments and achievements, but he did not want to correspond with me, and the reason for this was the massacres that I perpetrated in the empire... I never understood people who couldn't separate private life from work.

Due to illness and Sveta, I have neglected many of my responsibilities, and one such thing was the army I ordered to train in the winter, though naming them an army was... a more appropriate term for them was a well-trained reserve or militia. The reports that I received from Rotmistrz Czarniecki showed that, apart from a few minor incidents, the training of these people proceeded without any major problems. Only the high consumption of gunpowder was disturbing, but you cannot make olmet without breaking a few eggs, and I had to bear some costs...On the other hand, the more trained and familiar with weapons they are, the better their accuracy will be on the battlefield.

Two months later, Wroński returned to Jazłowiec, due to Sveta's death, I ordered him to stay longer in Rome so that he could keep an eye on Piotr and prevent him from committing any foolishness... I just hoped that his character would be more like his mother... young adolescent boy, away from home with a lot of pocket money... maybe in his case the apple would fall far from the apple tree.

"On the news of his mother's death, Peter asked the Cardinal Barberini for help in organizing a mass for his mother's soul in St. Peter's Basilica, which was impossible, only after the appropriate donation, the mass was held, not at the main altar, but in one of the aisles." (Wroński)

I sometimes wonder if Luther was right after all, but the truth is that nepotism, bribes, corruption and abuse were present in every religion.

"How's his life? Any difficulties? Problems? Things to watch out for?" (MC)

"I did not notice anything like that, Cardinal Barberini is very helpful, it is also helpful that Piotr has the status of Prince of the Reich." (Wroński)

"Piotr hasn't picked up any bad habits?" (MC)

"No, after my departure, he moved to the quarters in the seminary. Although he has one expensive taste, coffee... one more thing, I looked for what the Lord wanted in Rome and other cities, but without success, but I managed to buy one painting supposedly it represents the mistress of one of the Sforza." (Wroński)

It wasn't anything important, actually it was quite stupid... I just wanted to satisfy my vanity and have a few works by Leonard da Vinci, I was not an art connoisseur, but I had read a lot about da Vinci in my past life. From what Wroński said, he probably managed to buy "La Belle Ferronière" a painting of Ludovico Sforza's mistress... It's a pity he didn't buy the "Mona Lisa".

My life became boring and monotone... and surprisingly that suited me. I got up in the morning, did an hour-long training, went back to the castle for breakfast, then worked until lunch, and after lunch I spent an hour in the library with Katarzyna... I still couldn't get used to the idea of ​​being a father, but a promise is a promise. Then I went back to work until dinner... and so almost every day.

Galina kept me company every night, but our relationship with each day was less and less intimate, and I just didn't like sleeping alone and waking up alone.

At the beginning of July 1637, a royal messenger came to Jazłowiec with an invitation to the wedding of King Władysław and Princess Cecilia Renata, daughter of Emperor Ferdinand II... interestingly, the wedding was to take place in Vienna in the form of per procura, which meant that the king would not be present at his wedding, and instead of him and on his behalf, his brother Jan Kazimierz would swear a marriage oath... I did not intend to participate in it, I did not like the Habsburgs or the Vasa, and the fact that Cecilia Renata was a better queen than her husband was king did not change anything.

I called to Wroński's office and commissioned him to prepare a wedding gift... a silver cradle. It is not my fault that the gift will hardly be used, the first son of the king will die at the age of seven, the daughter a month after birth, and his third child will be born dead... and the next day the Queen will die.

I was also happy that the king provoked the indignation of the nobility, the coronation of the new queen took place in Warsaw, which was a breach of the tradition that all coronations must take place in Krakow... and this tradition was followed for the last 317 years.

Summer turned to fall and fall to winter, and my life hasn't changed even an iota.