Wespazjan Kochowski

Wespazjan (Vespasian) Kochowski (1633 – 6 June 1700) was one of the most noted historians and poets of Polish Baroque, the most typical representative of the philosophy and literature of Sarmatism.

During the next ten years, he fought as a Polish winged hussar with Cossacks, Muscovy and Swedish (he took part, among others, in the battle of Beresteczko).

His first publication was a poem entitled Kamień świadectwa wielkiego w Koronie Polskiej senatora niewinności (The Stone of Testimony of the Innocence of the Great Senator of Polish Kingdom) in the defence of Jerzy Sebastian Lubomirski.

During that time, Kochowski was involved in political life (regional councils, state parliaments, local offices), gaining large respect among the nobility.

In 1681 Kochowski also wrote two religious poems: Chrystus cierpiący (Suffering Christ), which laments the Passion of Our Lord, and Ogród panieński (Virgin's Garden), which explains the titles of Our Lady.

He also tried to make the national epos, but he managed to write only one canto, edited as Dzieło Boskie albo Pieśni Wiednia wybawionego (The Work of God or Songs of Liberated Vienna, also in 1684.

The last, most original and interesting piece of Kochowski was Trybut należyty wdzięczności wszystkiego dobrego Dawcy, Panu i Bogu albo Psalmodia polska za dobrodziejstwa Boskie dziękująca (The Appropriate Gift of Gratefulness for the Giver of Everything Good, Lord and God, or Polish Psalmody, Thanking for the God's Benefits) from 1695, usually called simply Psalmodia polska (The Polish Psalmody).