The main aim of the paper is to address the question of whether Mikołaj of Błonie (before 1400 – ca. 1448), a Polish doctor of canon law, was a supporter of the conciliarist movement. In the first half of the 15th century, the most prominent representatives of Poland’s intellectual elite were conciliarists. Initially, the Polish elite were moderately sympathetic towards conciliarism, but with the development of the situation during the Council of Basel (1431–1449), radical solutions started to be favoured.

This article analyzes selected fragments from two works by Mikołaj of Błonie in the broader context of the conciliarist discussion in order to determine to what extent the contemporary situation and the preacher’s personal opinion could be reflected in the preaching and pastoral texts. These texts are Tractatus sacerdotalis de sacramentis (known as Sacramentale), a pastoral manual written around 1430, prepared for the lower clergy, and two collections of sermons – de tempore and de sanctis – also intended for use by lower clergy and uneducated audiences, written probably around 1438. Mikołaj of Błonie strongly postulated the need for reforms of the Church in membris while maintaining great caution in formulating conclusions regarding the reform in capite. His approach to power in the Church places him more on the side of the papists, although in his texts one can see a distant echo of the writings of Jean Gerson, Stanisław of Skarbimierz, and the discussions by Polish theologians and decreeists. Mikołaj’s conservativeness can be explained in many ways: the preacher’s personal views, the specific purpose of the texts, which did not provide space for ecclesiological discussion, and the context of polemics with the Hussites as well as the need to

strengthen papal authority.

Osualdus de Lasko (OFM Obs, ca. 1450–1511) composed two sermon collections, which were published in print at the end of the fifteenth and the beginning of the sixteenth centuries. However, the readers of his books did not know the name of the author, who was only introduced as “quodam frater hungarus ordinis minorum de observantia”. This paper considers this option for anonymity as a premise for further investigating Osualdus’ identity as an author of sermons and as a preacher, intending to answer questions such as: How is Osualdus presenting or representing himself as an author/preacher? For what reasons and purpose did he compile these sermon collections? How were his homiletic works related to real preaching? Which was his ideal of a preacher? How relevant are the Franciscan affiliation and Hungarian origins for his identity? Grounded on the idea that the author is embedded in his text, this essay explores the prologues of Osualdus’ works and three of his sermons that discuss precisely about preaching’s agents, role, and beneficiaries. The analysis emphasizes that Osvalus’ vision of the ideal preacher and self-representation as author of sermons is shaped by Franciscan concepts of humility, renunciation and imitatio Christi.

Anonymity is also presented as a possible sign of humbleness, in the spirit of Franciscan values. Similarly, his understanding of the goal of spreading the Word of God follows the mission of the Friars Minor in general, and their actions in Hungary in particular: fighting heterodox beliefs, converting heretics and schismatic, defending and strengthening faith at the margins of Christendom. Osualdus’ concern for the catechization of simple people might have also been a consequence of the local experience of Franciscans and their contact with the peasantry in their rural convents. The paper concludes that in Osualdus’ case anonymity is not intended to hide or disguise his identity, which is clearly defined around the two elements used as a signature: the Hungarian origins and the Franciscan affiliation. His authority as a preacher and author of sermons resided in his special commission as a member of the Order of Friars Minor and his messages were mainly intended for the local public and for the safeguard of his homeland. The name of the author/preacher was most probably known to his primary audience. Only for the distant readers of his texts the author became anonymous, but they were made aware of the essential components of its identity, representative for the content as well.

The Swedish Deluge in the Letters of Johan Ekeblad

Courtier, cavalry captain and diplomat Johan Ekeblad (1629–1697) was considered one of the most outstanding Swedish epistolographers of the 17th century. The main aim of the article is to discuss the significance of his rich correspondence and to present some examples of it translated from Swedish into Polish. Ekeblad’s letters are considered by Swedish historians and literary scholars to be a very important source for studies on the modern mentality of the Swedish nobility.

A small part of the correspondence concerns Ekeblad’ participation in the activities of the Swedish army on the territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1656. At that time it was already clear that the Commonwealth would not be easily invaded. The letters present a picture of the Swedish army, everyday life, fears and expectations from the perspective of a well-connected officer. The article contains an analysis of the threads taken up in these statements.

Two Penelopes: Ovid’s Heroides and Its Two Imitations: Andrzej Krzycki and Baldassare Castiglione’s Epistolatory Elegies

The article presents a bilingual (Latin with a Polish translation) edition of two Neo-Latin imitations of Ovid’s Heroides, preceded by an introduction and provided with a philological and historical commentary. Both poems were written in the first twenty years of the 16th century. The author of the first one is Andrzej Krzycki (Cricius, 1482–1537), who at the time of composing the poem was the secretary of the first wife of Sigismund the Old, Barbara Zapolya. As the queen’s secretary, Krzycki was responsible for the stylistic aspect of her letters, which made it all the easier for him to create a fictional epistolary elegy on her behalf. The elegy commemorates the victorious battle for the Polish-Lithuanian army with the Grand Duchy of Moscow at Orsha (1514). For the poet it was also an opportunity to praise the invincible king and his army.

The author of the second elegy is Baldassare Castiglione (1478–1529), known as the author of Il libro del Cortegiano. He wrote a poetic letter on behalf of his wife, Ippolita Torelli, who was waiting for her husband’s return from Rome. Both authors not only refer to the situation of Penelope in Ovid’s first heroide, but also use Ovid’s other letters of heroines and their neo-Latin imitations. Castiglione also evokes one of Propertius’ elegies (IV 3), which seems to be a “proto-heroide”. Krzycki’s “Penelope” seems to be psychologically less complex, while its Italian counterpart consciously employs allusions, rhetorical games and omissions. Both display a wide range of feelings from despair and sadness to hope, and express deep affection for their husbands. The introduction places the poems in their historical and literary contexts, underlining especially Ovid’s Heroides influence on European Renaissance literature. The commentary indicates some similia and explains many details related to the circumstances of creating these works.