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Count Sobieski, a reforming and conscientious landlord, has been forced out of domestic peace by the Russian invasion of Poland in 1792. His grandson, Thaddeus, is given a packet by his mother which contains the secret history of his birth. It reveals that his mother secretly married an Englishman, Mr Sackville, who abandoned her. Thaddeus, distressed by his English father's dishonourable conduct, resolves to forget him.
Thaddeus leaves for battle and on the way is told a story by his grandfather about how he and General Butzou saved their sovereign from the plot of noble conspirators. The King's carriage was ambushed and the two soldiers fought to protect him. He was carried off, despite their efforts, but persuaded one of the assassins to aid him.
Thaddeus then begins the fight for his country. He saves the life of a young Englishman, Pembroke Somerset, who, taking the Grand Tour, was induced by his tutor to fight for Russia. Somerset accompanies Thaddeus to Villanow to meet the latter's mother. Mr Loftus, Somerset's tutor, asks Somerset not to inform his parents of his location. If he does so, his parents will know that Mr Loftus has erred. Led astray by his passion for the politically inclined widow of Baron Surowkoff, Somerset's tutor has disobeyed their orders by leading him to Poland. Pembroke Somerset departs.
The Russian usurpers enjoy such success that the Polish Diet sign a treaty with Russia. Thaddeus's grandfather is imprisoned and Thaddeus gathers troops together to fight a final time for Poland with Kosciuszko. They liberate Warsaw but General Kosciuszko and Count Sobieski are killed. Thaddeus is defeated at Prague and returns to his palace to defend his mother, only to find her on her deathbed. He leaves Poland for England.
On the voyage, Thaddeus feels his isolation and believes even Pembroke Somerset has abandoned him. In London he is taken to a hotel, where there is much speculation about his identity and where Thaddeus realises the extent of his financial difficulty. He finds a humble room to rent with a pious old lady and changes his name to Mr Constantine to avoid attention.
At his landlady's, he faces new difficulties. He falls ill and runs up expenses, his watch is stolen and he has to go to a pawnbroker's to pay his debts. His landlady's son gets smallpox, Thaddeus nurses him and, after his death, struggles to pay the medical bills. He sells his pistols, seeing at the same time at the pawnbroker's shop a British noblewoman pawning her jewellery to cover her gambling debts.
On his way home, he notices Pembroke Somerset going into a theatre but, despite repeated attempts, cannot contact him. He then meets the valiant General Butzou, begging in the street. He takes him home and cares for him. Butzou tells him of the indignities Poland suffered after his departure. Thaddeus begins working as an artist and sells some drawings. He then saves the Countess of Tinemouth from attack and she becomes his friend. Through her, he meets two rather forward women. The first is the married coquette, Lady Sara, who determines to attract him, but instead falls in love herself. The second is a young woman he tutors in German, Euphemia, a dangerous reader of sentimental novels. Thaddeus begins to suspect that Lady Sara and Euphemia have a romantic interest in him.
Meanwhile, Lady Tinemouth tells Thaddeus her story. Her husband left her for his mistress and then removed her children, bringing her son up to hate her. She unknowingly gives Thaddeus information that makes him think this cruel man is his father. On the way home, distressed from receiving this terrible blow, Thaddeus rescues two children from a fire. Soothed by his benevolent action, he returns to the General.
The next day Miss Mary Beaufort, friend of the Countess and cousin of Pembroke Somerset, defends Thaddeus against the rude gossip of his pupils. Thaddeus and Mary find out that each played a compassionate role at the fire the night before. Love complications continue when the corrupt Earl of Tinemouth decides that his wife is having an affair with Thaddeus. Tinemouth makes her leave London. The Countess discovers that Mary loves Thaddeus. Lady Sara throws herself at Constantine's feet, but he persuades her to return to her husband
However, Thaddeus is soon as worried by money as love. Not paid for his services as German tutor, he is thrown into prison for debt. Mary, discovering his plight, secretly employs her cousin, Pembroke Somerset, to pays his debts. Partly due to Euphemia's allegations, Somerset mistrusts 'Mr Constantine' but does as Mary asks.
Somerset discovers the apparently villainous 'Mr. Constantine' to be none other than his friend, Thaddeus Sobieski. The two quickly surmise that Thaddeus's attempts to contact Somerset were thwarted by Mr Loftus. Somerset then promises Thaddeus help from his father and tells Thaddeus that it was Mary who paid his debts for him. Somerset's father, Sir Robert Somerset, however, commands Somerset to have nothing to do with him.
Somerset, embarrassed, goes to tell Thaddeus the news but cannot see him. His friend is too busy nursing the dying Lady Tinemouth with the help of Dr Cavendish. The next day Pembroke fetches Lady Tinemouth's daughter, Lady Albina, who has been cruelly kept from her. Somerset is told his father is ill and rides to see him.
The Earl of Tinemouth and his son arrive and insult the memory of Lady Tinemouth and Thaddeus by suggesting he is one of many of her lovers. Thaddeus controls the situation. He is told by Somerset that his father forbids their friendship. Thaddeus sets off in the night, determining to go to America.
On the way he falls down apparently dead by the roadside. From there he is rescued by a kind stranger, whom he later discovers is Sir Robert Somerset. A moving interview takes place in which Thaddeus discovers that his father is not the evil Earl, but Sir Robert himself. In his youth, Robert Somerset had formed an attachment which his father looked upon as imprudent. He was therefore sent abroad where he travelled on the Continent with the Earl of Tinemouth (then Mr Stanhope), who had left as the result of a rather less honourable entanglement. The two young men both took the name of Sackville. However, they quickly quarrelled because of Stanhope's dissolute principles. After they quarrelled, Robert kept the assumed name of Sackville. Under this name he married Thaddeus's mother because his father told him the woman he loved was married to his brother. Discovering his father's deceit, he abandoned Thaddeus's mother and left for England, where, in an act of bigamy, he married the object of his choice and fathered Pembroke. Pembroke Somerset is therefore Thaddeus's half-brother. Sir Robert had avoided Thaddeus because of his fear of declaring Pembroke illegitimate. This is resolved, however, since Thaddeus and Pembroke quickly reach an agreement by which Pembroke keeps his name and position and Thaddeus is given one of the family estates. Thaddeus and Mary become engaged, as do Pembroke and Lady Albina.
© 1999 Fiona Price / Sheffield Hallam University
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