Adam Stanisław Naruszewicz ( lt, Adomas Naruševičius; 20 October 1733 – 8 July 1796) was a Polish-Lithuanian nobleman, poet, historian, dramatist, translator, publicist,

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

and Roman Catholic bishop. Born in a

szlachta The ''szlachta'' (Polish: endonym, Lithuanian: šlėkta) were the noble estate of the realm in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth who, as a class, had the dominating position in the ...

family, he went on to become a close advisor to the Polish king

Stanisław August Poniatowski Stanisław II August (born Stanisław Antoni Poniatowski; 17 January 1732 – 12 February 1798), known also by his regnal Latin name Stanislaus II Augustus, was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1764 to 1795, and the last monarch ...

, a titular bishop of Smolensk (1775–1790),

bishop of Łuck The Roman Catholic diocese of Lutsk was first established in the 13th century as the diocese of Luceoria (Latin) or Łuck (Polish). After the victory of Napoleon, the diocese was joined with the diocese of Zhytomyr, forming the diocese of Lutzk-Zh ...

(1790–1796), and a member of the government of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth through his seat in the

Permanent Council The Permanent Council () was the highest administrative authority in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth between 1775 and 1789 and the first modern executive government in Europe. As is still typically the case in contemporary parliamentary pol ...

(1781–1786). He has been described as one of the most significant writers of the

Polish Enlightenment The ideas of the Age of Enlightenment in Poland were developed later than in Western Europe, as the Polish bourgeoisie was weaker, and szlachta (nobility) culture (Sarmatism) together with the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth political system (Gol ...

. In his early years he wrote poems and dramas, before focusing on historical research and becoming one of the first modern Polish historians. An author of the seven volumes of '' Historia narodu polskiego'' (''History of the Polish Nation''), a highly influential work on the early Polish

historiography Historiography is the study of the methods of historians in developing history as an academic discipline, and by extension is any body of historical work on a particular subject. The historiography of a specific topic covers how historians ha ...

, he is responsible for popularizing the term "

Piast dynasty The House of Piast was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. The first documented Polish monarch was Duke Mieszko I (c. 930–992). The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of king Casimir III the Great. Branch ...

" for describing the first dynasty of Poland.

Personal life

The Naruszewicz family belonged to the middle class

(Polish-Lithuanian nobility) who held local government offices and had a small estate in Polesie region of the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi-confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Crown of the Kingdom of ...

, where Adam Naruszewicz likely was born. He started his education in a Jesuit school in

Pinsk Pinsk ( be, Пі́нск; russian: Пи́нск ; Polish: Pińsk; ) is a city located in the Brest Region of Belarus, in the Polesia region, at the confluence of the Pina River and the Pripyat River. The region was known as the Marsh of Pinsk a ...

. Naruszewicz joined the

Jesuit Order , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders = ...

on 14 August 1748, and shortly afterward he began studying and from 1753 lecturing in grammar at the

Vilnius University Vilnius University ( lt, Vilniaus universitetas) is a public research university, oldest in the Baltic states and in Northern Europe outside the United Kingdom (or 6th overall following foundations of Oxford, Cambridge, St. Andrews, Glasgow and ...

. He taught rhetoric at the Jesuits' elite boarding university, Collegium Nobilium in Warsaw from 1757. Between around 1758 and 1762 he studied theology at the Collège de la Trinité in

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...

, France. He received the holy orders in the nearby

Vienne Vienne (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Viéne'') is a landlocked department in the French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It takes its name from the river Vienne. It had a population of 438,435 in 2019. During his time in

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...

he visited Germany, Italy and Spain and met the Polish Queen of France,

Marie Leszczyńska Maria Karolina Zofia Felicja Leszczyńska (; ; 23 June 1703 – 24 June 1768), also known as Marie Leczinska, was Queen of France as the wife of King Louis XV from their marriage on 4 September 1725 until her death in 1768. The daughter of Stanis ...

, during an audience at

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, u ...

. Upon his return to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, he resumed his position as a lecturer in the Collegium Nobilium, now also teaching French language, poetics, geography and history; in 1767-1768 he held some lectures at the military school, the Corps of Cadets. Naruszewicz was introduced to the Polish king

by Prince

Adam Kazimierz Czartoryski Prince Adam Kazimierz Czartoryski (1 December 1734 – 19 March 1823) was an influential List of Polish people, Polish szlachcic, aristocrat, writer, literary and theater critic, linguist, traveller and statesman. He was a great patron of arts an ...

in 1764. He was the editor of the '—the first Polish literary magazine, published in the years 1770–1777, and a prominent regular at the artistic gatherings, known as the Thursday Lunches, hosted by the king. Also a prolific writer, Naruszewicz received the from the king in 1771—an award in recognition of his literary achievements. Around that time, he was already counted as one of Poniatowski's most vocal supporters, advisors and allies. The Jesuit Order was suppressed in 1773, but the king arranged a number of church positions for Naruszewicz. Initially, he held positions at

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

es. He was appointed

coadjutor bishop A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) is a bishop in the Catholic, Anglican, and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese. The coadjutor (literally, "co ...

in the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Smolensk The Roman Catholic Diocese of Smolensk was a Latin Catholic diocese, founded in 1636 and dissolved in 1818, initially located in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and later on, in Czarist Russia. History The Roman Rite bishopric was establ ...

, and he was consecrated

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

of the

titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbish ...

Emmaus Emmaus (; Greek: Ἐμμαούς, ''Emmaous''; la, Emmaus; , ''Emmaom''; ar, عمواس, ''ʻImwas'') is a town mentioned in the Gospel of Luke of the New Testament. Luke reports that Jesus appeared, after his death and resurrection, before tw ...

on 25 May 1775. He became the diocesan bishop of Smolensk in 1788, and

in 1790. Poniatowski awarded him with the

Order of Saint Stanislaus The Order of Saint Stanislaus ( pl, Order Św. Stanisława Biskupa Męczennika, russian: Орден Святого Станислава), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Ponia ...

in 1776, and the Order of the White Eagle in 1783. Janów Podlaski-grota A Naruszewicza

From 1781 to 1786 he was a member of the

, the highest administrative authority in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and also held the court rank of Great Lithuanian Scribe. As a member of the Senate of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth he participated in the

Great Sejm The Great Sejm, also known as the Four-Year Sejm ( Polish: ''Sejm Wielki'' or ''Sejm Czteroletni''; Lithuanian: ''Didysis seimas'' or ''Ketverių metų seimas'') was a Sejm (parliament) of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that was held in War ...

, aiding Poniatowski's faction's attempts to reform the country. He was a supporter of the

Constitution of 3 May 1791 The Constitution of 3 May 1791,; lt, Gegužės trečiosios konstitucija titled the Governance Act, was a constitution adopted by the Great Sejm ("Four-Year Sejm", meeting in 1788–1792) for the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, a dual mo ...

. and one of the Friends of the Constitution. He acted as the "king's

whip A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...

" in the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

, although he did not play a major role in the parliamentary debates, acting mostly as a writer and organizer. During the first two years of the Great Sejm, he was a disciplined parliamentarian, attending all meetings, and involved in all resolutions submitted to the session. From 1790, however, started to withdraw from political life, and he spent much time at his residence at

Janów Podlaski Janów Podlaski (; be, Янаў Падляскі, Janaŭ Padliaski) is a town in Biała Podlaska County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland, close to the border with Belarus. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina ...

, the seat of the bishops of Łuck. In 1792 he suffered from a heart attack. After the Polish defeat in the Polish–Russian War that year and Poniatowski's enforced entrance to the pro-Russian

Targowica Confederation The Targowica Confederation ( pl, konfederacja targowicka, , lt, Targovicos konfederacija) was a Confederation (Poland), confederation established by Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Polish and Lithuanian magnates on 27 April 1792, in Saint Pe ...

(which Naruszewicz also joined), he withdrew from the political life, not attending the

Grodno Sejm Grodno Sejm ( pl, Sejm grodzieński; be, Гарадзенскі сойм; lt, Gardino seimas) was the last Sejm (session of parliament) of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Grodno Sejm, held in autumn 1793 in Grodno, Grand Duchy of L ...

, and spent his last years at Janów Podlaski. Although his health was failing, he was supportive of the Kościuszko Insurrection, which necessitated him to briefly seek refuge abroad during the conflict. He returned to Janów Podlaski afterwards, where he died on 8 July 1796, shortly after the

Third Partition of Poland The Third Partition of Poland (1795) was the last in a series of the Partitions of Poland–Lithuania and the land of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth among Prussia, the Habsburg monarchy, and the Russian Empire which effectively ended Polish ...

ended the existence of the Commonwealth. He is buried in the .

Works

Naruszewicz was a prolific writer (in both Polish and Latin), beginning his literary career in the late 1740s, with his first published work, a poem dedicated to

Jan Mikołaj Chodkiewicz Count Jan Mikołaj Chodkiewicz (14 December 1738, Gdańsk - 2 February 1781, Chernobyl) was the Starost of Żmudź and Wielona; Count of Szkłów and . Biography His father, , was the Voivode of Brest-Litovsk. In 1757, after completing his s ...

, debuting in 1756, followed by his first research pamphlet a year later. He wrote

ode An ode (from grc, ᾠδή, ōdḗ) is a type of lyric poetry. Odes are elaborately structured poems praising or glorifying an event or individual, describing nature intellectually as well as emotionally. A classic ode is structured in three majo ...

idyll An idyll (, ; from Greek , ''eidullion'', "short poem"; occasionally spelt ''idyl'' in American English) is a short poem, descriptive of rustic life, written in the style of Theocritus' short pastoral poems, the ''Idylls'' (Εἰδύλλια). U ...

satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming ...

fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic (paranormal), magic, incantation, enchantments, and mythical ...

epigram An epigram is a brief, interesting, memorable, and sometimes surprising or satirical statement. The word is derived from the Greek "inscription" from "to write on, to inscribe", and the literary device has been employed for over two mille ...

s, and

rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...

poems; many of those were praising Poniatowski, although those

panegyric A panegyric ( or ) is a formal public speech or written verse, delivered in high praise of a person or thing. The original panegyrics were speeches delivered at public events in ancient Athens. Etymology The word originated as a compound of grc, ...

works are rarely considered his best. He also wrote a tame

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

, aimed at the youth, ''Gwido, hrabia Blezu'' (1770). He also was active as a publisher and as a translator of Latin and French works into Polish—he translated works of authors such as

Anacreon Anacreon (; grc-gre, Ἀνακρέων ὁ Τήϊος; BC) was a Greek lyric poet, notable for his drinking songs and erotic poems. Later Greeks included him in the canonical list of Nine Lyric Poets. Anacreon wrote all of his poetry in the ...

Horace Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 – 27 November 8 BC), known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). The rhetorician Quintilian regarded his ' ...

Tacitus Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historiography, Roman historians by modern scholars. The surviving portions of his t ...

, as well as modern Latin-writing authors such as Pole

Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski (in Latin, ''Matthias Casimirus Sarbievius''; Lithuanian: ''Motiejus Kazimieras Sarbievijus''; Sarbiewo, Poland, 24 February 1595 Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski's biography by Mirosław Korolko in: – 2 April 1640, Wars ...

and Swiss

Salomon Gessner Salomon Gessner (1730–1788) was a Swiss painter, graphic artist, government official, newspaper publisher and poet; best known in the latter instance for his ''Idylls''. Biography His father, Hans Konrad Gessner (1696–1775), was a printer, ...

. He was the first person to translate the works of Tacitus to Polish. In his later life, he moved away from writing fiction, focusing on historical research. His historical works include a monography on

hetman ( uk, гетьман, translit=het'man) is a political title from Central and Eastern Europe, historically assigned to military commanders. Used by the Czechs in Bohemia since the 15th century. It was the title of the second-highest military co ...

Jan Karol Chodkiewicz Jan Karol Chodkiewicz ( lt, Jonas Karolis Chodkevičius, be, Ян Караль Хадкевіч ; 1561 – 24 September 1621) was a military commander of the Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army, who was from 1601 Field Hetman of Lithuania, and from ...

(published in 1781) and over 130 shorter biographies of other notable individuals. Chodkiewicz's biography was his first published work extensively based on archival records. His works also include political pamphlets in support of Poniatowski's faction, mostly focused on the subject of

political history Political history is the narrative and survey of political events, ideas, movements, organs of government, voters, parties and leaders. It is closely related to other fields of history, including diplomatic history, constitutional history, social ...

with implications for the modern era. His historical research culminated in the seven volumes of '' Historia narodu polskiego'' ("History of the Polish Nation"), mostly written in the years 1776–1779 and published in the subsequent decades. This ambitious project, inspired by the works of

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his ...

, the first modern attempt to compile a comprehensive

history of Poland The history of Poland spans over a thousand years, from medieval tribes, Christianization and monarchy; through Poland's Golden Age, expansionism and becoming one of the largest European powers; to its collapse and partitions, two world wars, ...

, was unfinished, as Naruszewicz only completed the volumes covering Polish history up to the end of the

in the 14th century. With his growing involvement in the political life, Naruszewicz's historical research mostly stopped by late 1780s; however until early 1790s he was compiling historical documents, known as ' ("Naruszewicz's Folders"). Although unpublished during his life, they later became a valuable archive to future historians, containing well organized documents, including copies of now-lost texts.

Significance

He is described by D.R. Woolf as "one of the founders of the

", and by Barbara Wolska as "one of the most significant poets of the Polish Enlightenment", and the most significant poet associated with the Poniatowski's political faction. saw him as the leading Polish literary figure of the early Enlightenment, before that position was taken over by

Ignacy Krasicki Ignacy Błażej Franciszek Krasicki (3 February 173514 March 1801), from 1766 Prince-Bishop of Warmia (in German, ''Ermland'') and from 1795 Archbishop of Gniezno (thus, Primate of Poland), was Poland's leading Enlightenment poet"Ignacy Krasic ...

. His literary work has been described by Wolskaand Platt as fitting in the spirit of

The Enlightenment The Age of Enlightenment or the Enlightenment; german: Aufklärung, "Enlightenment"; it, L'Illuminismo, "Enlightenment"; pl, Oświecenie, "Enlightenment"; pt, Iluminismo, "Enlightenment"; es, La Ilustración, "Enlightenment" was an intel ...

, although formally—through their form and language—still displaying many similarities to the styles of the previous era (baroque, classicism, sentimentalism and rococo). Naruszewicz has been credited by them with initiating a number of changes in the style of Polish literature and being one of the Polish originators of the novelty of the Enlightenment ideas expressed in poetry. His works have inspired a number of following writers. According to

Norman Davies Ivor Norman Richard Davies (born 8 June 1939) is a Welsh-Polish historian, known for his publications on the history of Europe, Poland and the United Kingdom. He has a special interest in Central and Eastern Europe and is UNESCO Professor at ...

and John D. Stanley, Naruszewicz has also been named among the first modern Polish historians. In particular, he was also the first modern historian who used the term

for describing the first dynasty of Poland, popularizing it in the subsequent historiography. According to Platt, he was the most significant Polish historian until

Joachim Lelewel Joachim Lelewel (22 March 1786 – 29 May 1861) was a Polish historian, geographer, bibliographer, polyglot and politician. Life Born in Warsaw to a Polonized German family, Lelewel was educated at the Imperial University of Vilna, where in 18 ...

. In Polish historiography, there is a distinction between the "Naruszewicz school", supporting monarchy and strong central power, and the more liberal-republican "Lelewel school". Just like his literary work, his historical research and writings have been influenced by the philosophy of Enlightenment, this is visible both in his methodology and philosophy (adhering to concepts such as

didacticism Didacticism is a philosophy that emphasizes instructional and informative qualities in literature, art, and design. In art, design, architecture, and landscape, didacticism is an emerging conceptual approach that is driven by the urgent need to ...

empiricism In philosophy, empiricism is an epistemological theory that holds that knowledge or justification comes only or primarily from sensory experience. It is one of several views within epistemology, along with rationalism and skepticism. Empir ...

humanitarianism Humanitarianism is an active belief in the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve the conditions of humanity for moral, altruistic, and emotional ...

pragmatism Pragmatism is a philosophical tradition that considers words and thought as tools and instruments for prediction, problem solving, and action, and rejects the idea that the function of thought is to describe, represent, or mirror reality. ...

, scepticism about tradition,

secularism Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on Secularity, secular, Naturalism (philosophy), naturalistic considerations. Secularism is most commonly defined as the Separation of church and state, separation of relig ...

, and

utilitarianism In ethical philosophy, utilitarianism is a family of normative ethical theories that prescribe actions that maximize happiness and well-being for all affected individuals. Although different varieties of utilitarianism admit different charact ...

), his

vernacular A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...

writing style, and his goals, such as his emphasis on studying domestic politics, endorsing a strong monarchy, and a pride in national accomplishments (including his support for the usage of Polish language in literature).John D. Stanley praised him for his "enormous respect for truth", visible in his methodology, full of critical analysis - including discussion of contradictory accounts, and extensive and detailed references to sources.

Awards

* (1771) *

(11 V 1776) *Knight of the Order of the White Eagle (1783)

Notes

a. His exact birthplace is unknown. He was christened in near Pinsk.

References

External links

Bishop Adam Stanisław Naruszewicz, S.J. at catholic-hierarchy.org
*Adam Stanisław Naruszewicz
Poezje zebrane
Vol. 3. Ed. Barbara Wolska. Warszawa 2012. {{DEFAULTSORT:Naruszewicz, Adam Ecclesiastical senators of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth 1733 births 1796 deaths Writers from Pinsk 18th-century Polish nobility Bishops of Smolensk 18th-century Polish Jesuits Polish poets 18th-century Polish historians Polish male non-fiction writers Polish publicists 18th-century Polish–Lithuanian dramatists and playwrights Polish male dramatists and playwrights Catholic poets Targowica confederates Polish male poets 18th-century male writers Members of the Great Sejm Polish translators Clergy from Pinsk