Krzysztof Warszewicki

Warszewicki was a vocal critic of the system of royal free elections and Golden Freedoms in the Polish Kingdom. He supported strengthening the royal power of that of the nobility. He has been described as one of the most famous writers of the Polish counter-reformation camp. He also supported the idea of a Crusade against the Ottoman Empire. Warszewicki published a number of works, including a work of poetry, and his only work in Polish, Wenecya (1572), a guidebook to Venice; his other works were in Latin. He published his thoughts on diplomacy in De Legatoet Lagatione (1595). His later major work, De optimo statu libertatis (1598), focused on political issues; one of its main themes was the concept of liberty. Those two works have been described as "his two major contributions to Renaissance political literature". Other works of his include Turcicae Quatuordecim (1598) and De Cognitione (1600). Warszewicki also authored five works focused on theological issues: Dialogus de morte (1581), Clypeus spiritualis (1582), De factis et dictis Jesu Christi (1583), Pro Christi fide et Petri sede (1583), and De morte et immortalitate animae (1599). While most of his works were printed and reprinted in Poland and the Holy Roman Empire, some of his works saw reprints as far as Venice, Spain, France, Sweden, and Rome. Both in Poland and abroad, Warszewicki was a respected orator. He spoke at the coronation ceremony of Henry of Valoise in 1574, and, in 1576, gave a funerary oration at the funeral of the Emperor Maximilian II. His funerary oration for the king Stefan Batory (d.1586), Vita, Res Gestae et Obitus Stephani Regis Poloniae, has been described as "very popular". Another royal funeral at which he spoke was that of Catherine of Austria, Queen of Poland (d. 1572). His speech from the Yam-Zapolsky negotiations, Christophori Warszewicii ad Stephanum re gem Poloniae oratio, qua cum Joanne Magno Moscorum duce XV Januarii ad Zapolskiam confectam pacem gratulatur, was quickly reprinted in Poland and Germany. Polish historian Eugeniusz Jarra described Warszewicki as a controversial figure among modern historians, some of whom consider him an influential writer, while others see him as more derivative.