STRIP FROM GOSLAVICE CHRYSOSTOM JAN
MEMORIES
From manuscript published by Jan Czubek
Complete edition
Cracow 1929, published by Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences, pp. XXXIV 635, format: 20.5x14 cm
Pasek wrote down his memoirs towards the end of his life, probably in the years 1690-1695[1]. The manuscript was not published in print until 1836 by Count Edward Raczynski.
The memoirs are divided into two parts. The first part covers the years 1655-1666, with its content covering Pasek's military adventures during the Swedish Deluge (1656), the Rakoczi invasion (1657), the war with Russia (1660-1666) and the Lubomirski's rebellion. It also describes the famous expedition of Polish troops under Czarniecki's command to Denmark (1658/1659). In the first part, the initial pages are missing, so it is difficult to determine from when Pasek spins his memoirs. Since the author wrote down his memoirs towards the end of his life he sometimes gets historical facts wrong or postponed.
The second part of the memoirs covers the years 1667-1688 and describes the life of a landowner, farmer and citizen, which Pasek led as a leaseholder of villages belonging to the Olszów key of the Myszkowski Ordinance, including expeditions with grain to Gdansk or participation in local assemblies. In this section, Pasek omits the more embarrassing facts of his biography, including his conviction to banishment.
The author's memoir narrative includes lyrical verse (e.g., farewell to his beloved horse Deresz), panegyrics extolling victories over the Basia River or at Vienna, letters from Jan II Casimir and Stefan Czarniecki, solemn speeches, excerpts from popular songs, chants, biting lampoons on Lithuanians. Pasek adopted in his account the convention of storytelling narrative with elements of colloquial, figurative language, wove in humor, jokes, rubbishy vocabulary. He often used so-called macaronisms (a mixture of Polish and Latin words and expressions).
It is not without reason that Memoirs was called the epic of Polish Sarmatia.
HARDCOVER FULL LEATHER CONTEMPORARY REFERRING IN STYLE TO THE LUXURIOUS, LUXURIOUS BINDINGS OF THE ERA. COVERS SURROUNDED BY GILDED BORDERS, SPINES WITH RAISED SCROLLS, EMBOSSING AND RICH GILDING. HAND-DYED MARBLED PAPER ON THE ENDPAPERS, ALL CARD TRIMS COLORED IN THE SAME WAY. THE INTERIORS OF THE COVERS FINISHED WITH INTRICATE GILT STENCILING. PUBLISHER'S PRESERVED CARDBOARD COVERS.
BDB-/ publisher's cover after conservation, BEAUTIFUL Pieces
