messenger of the queen of arts 86 As he was composing this textbook of rhetoric, St. Stanislaus used the works of many authors. In the preface to editions I and II, he mentioned the following: Cicero, Aristotle, Quintilian, Georgius Trapezuntios, Caussinus, [Cyprian] Soarez, and Lauxminus. Mr. Kupis listed additionally Radau, Kojałowicz, and possibly also Sarbiewski, whom Papczyński himself quoted in the PRA as a “Sarmatian poet.” The fact that PRA was reprinted three times within just a few years and also that Piarist novices in their first and second years learned rhetoric from this book at least until the 19th century, testifies to the high appreciation that the book enjoyed. Stanisław Konarski1 also mentioned it. Noteworthy is that Papczyński — although composing a textbook on rhetoric — spoke about the state of affairs existing in the 17thcentury Republic of Poland and strove to influence the course of events by shaping the minds of his students. Thanks to this, in spite of burdensome rhetorical forms — as they may sometimes seem — we may glimpse the author’s personal views on many issues of the social, political and religious life of that time. Certainly, some of them may seem today somewhat outdated or overly moralizing. And yet, the reflections contained therein are still up-to-date and close to contemporary man. For the needs of English-speaking readers, it was decided to select only a few fragments of that book. The selected ones have the least number of historical and social references to Poland and Europe of the 17th century, but they also treat timeless subjects, as it were, since they directly relate to the Catholic faith, of which St. Stanislaus was an outstanding representative – one who gave personal testimony to his faith. Andrzej Pakuła, MIC 1 Stanisław Konarski, Sch.P. (September 30, 1700–August 3, 1773) was a Polish pedagogue, educational reformer, political writer, poet, dramatist, Piarist priest and precursor of the Enlightenment in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
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