Casimir Britannicus

Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski (1595-1640) was known in his lifetime as the Christian Horace. He was one of the most famous Neo-Latin poets of the Baroque, widely read, commented and translated throughout Europe. He was nominated Poet Laureate by Pope Urban VIII. Sarbiewski was also famous for his studies in rhetoric and critical works such as De perfecta poesi sive Vergilius et Homerus. His Latin poetry was read, translated and imitated also in England, especially from 1640 until the first half of the 19th century. The first edition of Sarbiewski's English translations, by George Hills, was published in 1646. From that time onwards, Sarbiewski was translated by a variety of poets ranging from Hills to such famous authors as Vaughan, Burns and Coleridge. His poetry was universally read in grammar schools and used as a medium of improving the knowledge of Latin during a period exceeding two centuries. Thanks to Sarbiewski, English poets started to imitate Horace, which was an important factor in overcoming the Pindaric tradition. Sarbiewski's oeuvre was also attractive owing to its immersion in various cultural traditions such as Stoicism, Ignatian spirituality, Platonism, and Hermeticism. This revised edition includes all known English translations of Sarbiewski's poems. The texts are accompanied by an introduction presenting the biography and works of Sarbiewski, as well as a short critical analysis of the translations included in the volume.