before they
could acquire any influence consistent with the spirit in which they
were founded. To the talents and firmness of Stanislaus Konarski,
himself a Piarist, the Polish literary historians ascribe the
principal merits of the final victory of his order. His endeavours
indeed were favoured by a combination of fortunate circumstances.
Literature and the fine arts found a friend and protector in a gifted
and accomplished king, and in several high-minded noblemen of even
more than regal authority. But the period of pedantry, perversion of
taste, and deficiency of true criticism, had already lasted more than
a hundred and thirty years. There was much to be done to cleanse the
beds in the garden of literature from all the weeds which had
luxuriated there, and to fertilize a soil which had so long lain
fallow. The details of these endeavours belong however to the
following period.

To the character of the theological literature of this age, we have
above alluded. Among the Protestant writers were Andrew and Adalbert
Wengierski. The works of the latter gave occasion to the polemical
discussions of the Jesuit Poszakowski, himself the author of a history
of the Lutheran and of the Calvinistic creed, and of several other
books. Other works on subjects of theology and education, or
collections of sermons and devotional exercises, were published by the
Jesuits Szczaniecki, Koialowicz, Sapecki, Poninski, Zulkicwski, and
others; and the Piarists Gutowski, Wysocki, Rosolecki, and others. The
Jesuit Niesiecki wrote a comprehensive biblio-biographical work of
great merit, which is considered as one of the best sources for the
inquirer in Polish history and literature.[39] Another Jesuit, Wiiuk
Koialowicz, translated Tacitus' Annals into Polish, and wrote in Latin
a history of Lithuania. Knapski, also a Jesuit, published a large
dictionary or "Thesaurus," which is still highly esteemed.
Luhienski, archbishop of Gnesen, wrote in 1740 the first detailed
geography in the Polish language. One of the most productive writers
on various subjects of theology, history, and politics, was
Starowolski, who died in 1656. Fourteen of his forty-seven works are
written in Polish, the rest in Latin. We mention further, as
geographical and historical writers of some merit, the Piarist Kola,
professor Saltszewicz, Chodkicwicz, Niemir and Chwalkowski; and as a
distinguished mathematician and scholar of general information,
Broscius.

We conclude