MARIANS IN 1670-1788 146 the hopes placed in him, gained widespread recognition and acceptance when a general calm settled in the country from 1736 onward.21 Over time, he even gained increasing popularity. Memoirist Jan Chryzostom Pasek expressed an exceptionally positive opinion of him: “Poland never had, and will never have, such a good, splendid, and generous king as Augustus III; and so unfortunate for the Poles that they did not allow him to do anything good for the country, constantly disrupting the Sejm, blaming the innocent king for all the disorder and chaos that ensued.”22 This description has a considerable amount of truth because corrupt magnate factions and the bribed gentry sabotaged reform efforts undertaken by reformist factions and the king himself. Out of the fifteen Sejms held during the reign of King Augustus III, only one was successful; all the others were disrupted through the use of the destructive liberum veto.23 The gentry, in turn, viewed the king with sentiment because he never contemplated violating their golden freedom: “He benevolently patronized the prosperity of magnates and gentry, ensuring them the opportunity to enjoy all the pleasures of life and absolving them from any worry about the safety and future of the nation.”24 The times of Augustus III marked a period of prolonged peace, only disrupted by the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763).25 Many historians, however, accused the king of taking little interest in Poland and gave him the derogatory title “the great parasite of the state.” During the thirty years of his rule, he stayed only twenty-four months within the Commonwealth’s borders, visiting it only when forced and leaving his favorite Dresden reluctantly.26 The Saxon times marked not only the political decline of the Commonwealth but also the decline of culture and education, a lack of enlightened thought, constant feasting, alcoholism, and backwardness among the 21 W. Czapliński, Zarys dziejów, pp. 332-333. 22 Józef Andrzej Gierowski, August III, w: Poczet królów, s. 433. 23 W. Czapliński, Zarys dziejów, p. 335. 24 Ibid, p. 333. 25 The Seven Years’ War (1756-1763) was a global conflict involving Great Britain, France, Austria, Russia, Sweden, Saxony, and Spain. The battles took place in Europe, North America, and India. Although Poland maintained neutrality, significant damage was inflicted on its territories by passing and stationed foreign armies. Over a million people lost their lives during the war. After the war, Great Britain, Prussia, and Russia solidified their positions as major powers. See: Emanuel Rostworowski, Historia powszechna, Warszawa 1984, pp. 508-514. 26 A. Zamoyski, Własną drogą, p. 215; J. A. Gierowski, August III, in: Poczet królów, pp. 433, 440.
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