A Versed Account of the Death of Krzysztof Radziwiłł (1585–1640)  from a Home Chronicle (Sylwa) of Andrzej Lubieniecki

The object of this edition is an anonymous verse Relacyja o żałosnym zejściu Oświeconego Książęcia Krzysztofa Radziwiłła, wojew[ody] wileńs[kieg]o, wielkiego hetmana W[ielkiego] Ks[ięstwa] Litewskie[g]o Anno D[omi]ni 164[0] sub persona Amin[tasa] i Dafn[isa] rozmawiających [An account of the lamentable death of His Grace Prince Krzysztof Radziwiłł, the Vilinian Voivode, Great Hetman of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Anno Domini 1640 given by the persons of Amintas and Dafnis talking with each other] preserved in a home chronicle (so-called sylwa) of Andrzej Lubieniecki, today kept in the collection of the Central Library of Rotterdam (manuscript no. 527).
With regard to its genre qualities, the work may be ascribed to funeral pastorals due to its composition, versification and the names of characters referring to Virgil’s bucolics. One of the characters is named Melibeus, which refers to the 1st eclogue of Maron, in which a shepherd going by the same name bids farewell before his departure for banishment, which may have been a parallel of the Hetman’s death. The loss of the Vilnian Voivode is discussed and mourned by Amintas and Dafnis, who were famous in the antique bucolics for their impressive poetical talent. The author freely uses pastoral and mythological motives, joins pagan and Christian religious plots and refers to specific realities and personal details, as well as precisely indicates the geographical location of the shepherds: near to Birż, the ancestral residence of the Radziwiłł family, were Dafnis learned about Radziwiłł’s death at a market.
The work’s title announces the presentation of the death of the Vilnian Voivode, but information about this event are limited only to the time of Krzysztof Radziwiłł’s death and a short mention of the reaction of his closest relatives.
The main part of the work is carmen amoebaeum, that is a song performed alternately by shepherds introduced in the title. The subsequent parts of the song commemorate specific merits of Krzysztof Radziwiłł, chiefly as an engaged patron of Evangelical Protestants, funding Protestant meetinghouses and schools, and caring of his fellow-believers. The main reason of the mourning, however, was the loss of an active advocate of equality of rights irrespectively of creed, who fought for liberties for men of different religions in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Voivode was also praised for his efforts to facilitate peace, which harmonised well with values emphasised in the bucolics.
Apart from the typical pastoral figures, Amintas’ song also quotes mythological characters and fictional motives. The Hetman’s death is here mourned by pagan gods Apollo and Neptune, as well as by Echo and Pan, nymphs, dryads, satyrs, and fauns. Even the nature laments his departure. Dafnis’ song depicts Radziwiłł’s deification on Olympus and provides an account of the meeting of gods, during which they welcome the deceased Hetman in their circle. In Dafnis’ opinion, Radziwiłł deserved this honour most of all due to his religious demeanour, which is confirmed by Piety introduced in the pagan otherworld. The last part of the song presents Melibeus, looking down on the Earth and the relatives he left. The vision of eternal happiness of Radziwiłł is supposed to be a consolation for his grief stricken family and fellow countrymen. In the conclusion of the pastoral (conclusio), Amintas recognizes the agon of the shepherds to be Dafnis’ victory.

The object of this edition is an anonymous verse Relacyja o żałosnym zejściu Oświeconego Książęcia Krzysztofa Radziwiłła, wojew[ody] wileńs[kieg]o, wielkiego hetmana W[ielkiego] Ks[ięstwa] Litewskie[g]o Anno D[omi]ni 164[0] sub persona Amin[tasa] i Dafn[isa] rozmawiających [An account of the lamentable death of His Grace Prince Krzysztof Radziwiłł, the Vilinian Voivode, Great Hetman of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Anno Domini 1640 given by the persons of Amintas and Dafnis talking with each other] preserved in a home chronicle (so-called sylwa) of Andrzej Lubieniecki, today kept in the collection of the Central Library of Rotterdam (manuscript no. 527).

With regard to its genre qualities, the work may be ascribed to funeral pastorals due to its composition, versification and the names of characters referring to Virgil’s bucolics. One of the characters is named Melibeus, which refers to the 1st eclogue of Maron, in which a shepherd going by the same name bids farewell before his departure for banishment, which may have been a parallel of the Hetman’s death. The loss of the Vilnian Voivode is discussed and mourned by Amintas and Dafnis, who were famous in the antique bucolics for their impressive poetical talent. The author freely uses pastoral and mythological motives, joins pagan and Christian religious plots and refers to specific realities and personal details, as well as precisely indicates the geographical location of the shepherds: near to Birż, the ancestral residence of the Radziwiłł family, were Dafnis learned about Radziwiłł’s death at a market.
The work’s title announces the presentation of the death of the Vilnian Voivode, but information about this event are limited only to the time of Krzysztof Radziwiłł’s death and a short mention of the reaction of his closest relatives.
The main part of the work is carmen amoebaeum, that is a song performed alternately by shepherds introduced in the title. The subsequent parts of the song commemorate specific merits of Krzysztof Radziwiłł, chiefly as an engaged patron of Evangelical Protestants, funding Protestant meetinghouses and schools, and caring of his fellow-believers. The main reason of the mourning, however, was the loss of an active advocate of equality of rights irrespectively of creed, who fought for liberties for men of different religions in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Voivode was also praised for his efforts to facilitate peace, which harmonised well with values emphasised in the bucolics.
Apart from the typical pastoral figures, Amintas’ song also quotes mythological characters and fictional motives. The Hetman’s death is here mourned by pagan gods Apollo and Neptune, as well as by Echo and Pan, nymphs, dryads, satyrs, and fauns. Even the nature laments his departure. Dafnis’ song depicts Radziwiłł’s deification on Olympus and provides an account of the meeting of gods, during which they welcome the deceased Hetman in their circle. In Dafnis’ opinion, Radziwiłł deserved this honour most of all due to his religious demeanour, which is confirmed by Piety introduced in the pagan otherworld. The last part of the song presents Melibeus, looking down on the Earth and the relatives he left. The vision of eternal happiness of Radziwiłł is supposed to be a consolation for his grief stricken family and fellow countrymen. In the conclusion of the pastoral (conclusio), Amintas recognizes the agon of the shepherds to be Dafnis’ victory.