Adam Matuszewski Institute for the History of Science Warsaw

Adam Matuszewski Institute for the History of Science Warsaw

Adam Matuszewski
Institute for the History of Science
Warsaw
Poland
Biography of Maciej Gloskowski.
Maciej Głoskowski (b.ca.1590, d. 1658) was born probably at Sowina in Great Poland in the
noble family settled in villages Głoski, Sowina and and Kotarby. In 1623 he accepted the post
of tutor to Jan Schlichting’s (a magistrate of Wschowa) children and soon he was appointed
Schlinting’s deputy in the post of Rafal Leszczynski’s plenipotentiary in Leszno, and also one
of scholars of Leszno Gymnasium. In Leszno Gloskowski was one of the most zealous
advocates of Jan Amos Comenius pedagogical system. In 1629 he imported from Moravian
village Namĕste to Leszno the Czech Brethren’s printing-firm. During the Czech Brethren’s
Synod on 2 January 1631 he participated in efforts for formation the attached to Gymnasium
of Leszno burs for poor students. On 2 July 1633 he had been engaged to the works upon
preparation of new Czech Brethren hymn-book. Since 1636 (or 1639) to 1641 he inhabited in
Holland, where he studied geometry (especially land-surveying), astronomy and military
engineering. As he is not noted in register of Leyden University students may be he went to
School of Military Engineering, where lectured Dutch surveyor Frans van Schooten.
Glosowski’s progress in was noticed by Prince Fridrich Heinrich Oransky who appointed
Gloskowski to a post of tutor in geometry of his son (later Wilhelm II). After his return to
Poland (about 1643) he was appointed to the post of frontier sheriff’s officer of Kalisz
province. In April 1644 the Czech Brethren delegated him to synod of Little Poland Calvinists
in Chmielnik. On 28 August 1645 he took part in Colloquium Charitatiwum in Torun. After
Leszno was destroyed by fire in 1656 Gloskowski moved to Wroclaw. He signed there a flysheet relating to Protestants persecution in Great Poland. Before long he returned to Sowina.
He died in Sowina on 19 February 1658.
Among his works the greatest popularity gained his treatise Geometria peregrinans written in
form of dialogue between two sisters, Arithmetic and Geometry. In this Gloskowski didn’t
mention explicitly his name but included it in anagram:
Auctoris Nomen Anagramaticum
Mathesis Gloriosa sic sat cela Virum, sic canis
SIC GLORIOSA SAT Mathesis sic VIRUM
CELAS fugentem gloriae SIC sat CANIS.
This anagram Karol Estreicher1 as well as Jan Nepomucen Franke and Andrzej Jakubowski2
interpreted as: Matthias Gloscovsci, Camerarius Calissiensis. Gloskowski’s authorship certify
also following assertation of Andrzej Węgierski: Matthias Gloscovius, Camerarius Terrae
Calissiensis, Poeta Latino-Polonus, Oratione prosa edidit Geometriam peregrinantem.3 The
book contains many interesting remarks on the geometry. Author pointed out, that he
managed to calculate the latitude of Międzyrzec, Kalisz and Poznan. As the first he
1
Karol Estreicher: Bibliografia polska. T. 17. Krakow, 1899, p. 188
Jan Nepomucen Franke, Antoni Jakubowski: Maciej Głoskowski, matematyk polski XVII wieku. „Rozprawy i
Sprawozdania z Posiedzeń Wydziału Matematyczno-Przyrodniczego Akademii Umiejętności”. T. 5. Krakow,
1878, p. 130
3
Andrzej Węgierski: Libri quatuor Slavoniae Reformatae. Amsterodami, 1679, (Reprint: Warszawa, 1973), p.
454
2
ascertained the correct latitude of Kalisz – 51o42’. He mentioned also that he was engaged
upon preparation the map of Great Poland. Gloskowski’s engagement on preparation this map
evidences also the recovered by Jan Nepomucen Franke and Antoni Jakubowski, in
Bliotheque National in Paris his correspondence with Jan Heweliusz4. In the letter on 26 Mars
16485 he asked Heweliusz for sending him the telescope in order to enable him to finish the
map of Great Poland on which he had been engaged for the long time. He informed also, that
through the mediation of Comenius, he sent Heweliusz a copy of his Geometria peregrinans.
However not any copy of Gloskowski’s map of Great Poland has remained.
In 1643 was published in Leszno the Polish translation of Diego Uffan’s work, entitled:
Archelia albo Artyleria to jest fundamentalna i doskonała informacja o strzelbie i rzeczach do
niej należących6(Archelia or Artillery that is fundamental and perfect information about rifle
and things referring to it) to which was affixed Gloskowski’s Polish verse: Pod szczęśliwym
panowaniem Władysława IV7(Under the fortunate reign of Wladyslaw IV). With great success
met also Gloskowski’s Polish poem Griselida8. It is the poetic translation of one of the stories
included in Giovanni Boccacio’s Dekameron. Very popular in 17th and 18th century was also
Gloskowski’s collection of Polish passion hymns and prayers, entitled Zegarek9 (Watch). To
the interesting Gloskowski’s works belong also his Latin poem Betula10, praising the beauty
of birch.
Bibliography.
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4
Bandtkie J. S.: Historia drukarń w Królestwie Polskim i Wielkim Księstwie Litewskim. T. 1. Kraków
1826, s. 348-349
Bibliografia literatury polskiej „Nowy Korbut”. T. 2. Warszawa, 1964, pp. 197-199
Birkenmajer A.: Głoskowski Maciej. [In]: Polski Słownik Biograficzny. Vol. 8., nr 1/36. Wrocław, 1959,
pp. 114-117;
Bzinkowska J.: Zainteresowania kartograficzne Macieja Głoskowskiego. „Przyjaciel Ludu”, nr 3/4.
Leszno, 1999, pp. 29-32;
(Dickstein) S.: Głoskowski Maciej. [In]: Wielka Encyklopedia. Ilustrowana. Vol. 25. Warszawa, 1900,
pp. 180-181;
Dworzaczkowa J. Bracia czescy w Wielkopolsce w XVI i XVII wieku. Warszawa, 1997, pp. 117 and
others.
Dworzaczkowa J.: Głoskowski Maciej. [In]: Wielkopolski Słownik Biograficzny. Warszawa-Poznań,
1981, pp. 208-209.
Dworzaczkowa J.: Zbór braci czeskich w Karminie. „Odrodzenie i Reformacja w Polsce”. Vol. 13:
1968, pp. 185-198;
Estreicher K. Bibliografia Polska. T. 17. Kraków, 1899, pp. 188-189
Franke. J.N. Jakubowski A: Maciej Głoskowski, matematyk polski XVII wieku. „Rozprawy i
Sprawozdania z Posiedzeń Wydziału Matematyczno-Przyrodniczego Akademii Umiejętności”. T. 5.
Krakow, 1878, pp. 130-14O;
Historia nauki polskiej. Vol. 6. Wrocław, 1974, p. 185;
Kawecka-Gryczowa A.: Z dziejów polskiej książki w okresie Renesansu. Wrocław, 1975, pp. 382 and
others;
Konior A.: Głoskowskiego zachęta do nauki rzeczy rycerskich. „Przyjaciel Ludu” nr ¾. Leszno, 1999,
pp. 32-36;
Kucharzewski F.: O początkach piśmiennictwa technicznego w Polsce. Warszawa, 1900, pp. 33-34;
Łukaszewicz J. O kościołach braci czeskich w dawnej Wielkiejpolsce. Poznań, 1835, pp. 209, 211.
J. N. Franke, A, Jakubowski, op. cit. p. 140
[The letter of Maciej Głoskowski to Jan Heweliusz, 26 III 1648]. Bibliotheque National in Paris. Ms. 10347
6
Diego Uffan: Archelia albo Artiilleria, to jest fundamentalna i doskonała inforormacja o strzelbie i rzeczach do
niej należących. Leszno, 1643.
7
M. Głoskowski: Pod szczęśliwym panowaniem Władysława IV. [In]: D. Uffan: op. cit. f. unbr. 2r. – 5v.
8
M. Głoskowski: Griselida. Leszno 1641,
9
M. Głoskowski: Zegarek albo pamiątka gorzkiej męki i śmierci Zbawiciela naszego Jezusa Pana. Na 24 godzin
rozdzielona. Leszno, (without date)
10
M. Głoskowski: Betula. Lesnae [abort 1638]
5
14 Matuszewski A. Głoskowski Maciej. [In]: Słownik Biograficzny Leszna. Leszno, 2004, pp. 115-117;
15 Matuszewski A.: Odrębność i stereotypowość życia umysłowego w Lesznie w XVII wieku. Leszno, 1998,
pp. 141-145;
16 Matuszewski A.: W kręgu oddziaływania Jana Amosa Komeńskiego. [In]: Jan Amos Komeński dziś i
jutro. Leszno, 1992, pp. 49-63.
17 Nowak T.: Polska technika wojenna XVI – XVIII wieku. Warszawa, 1970;
18 Sipayłło M.: Akta synodów różnowierczych w Polsce. Vol. 4. Warszawa, 1997, p.324;