THE NOBLE DEMOCRACY 271wickedness did not impress his contemporaries unduly. On the contrary, he was
considered by many to be a champion of liberty. His epitaph, composed by his
neighbour Jan Szczesny Herburt (1567-1616), throbs with outraged virtue:
VIATOR
SI AMICUS ES DOLE, SI INIMICUS SPECTA, SI NEUTRUS MIRARE
RERUM HUMANARUM CASUM ET OCCASUM.
STANISLAS STADNICKI DE ZMIGROD
HAERES IN LANCUT, CAPITANEUS ZYGWULTENSIS,
HIC QUIESCIT
ANIMO INVICTO, GENTE NOBILISSIMA, COGNATIONE PLURIMA
AFFINITATE INFINITA, FORA OPTIMA, IGENIO
PRAESTANTISSIMO,
OPIBUS MAXIMUS,
HIC TALIS AC TANTUS LIBERTANS STUDIOSISSIMUS AMATOR.
O PATRIA, SI TU BELLATOREM HUNC, VIRUM AD RES
GERENDAS
PRO TE ADMISSES, ILLE TIBI ORNAMENTO ET EMOLUMENTO
SI QUIS UNQUAM, DUBITO PROCUL FUISSET.
O NUMEN DIVINUM, VIOLENTIAE IMPIETATIS VINDES,
O SACROSANCTAE PATRIAE LEGES,
O LIBERTAS VIOLATA ET PROSTRATA,
VOS VOCO ET INVOCO
ANNA DE ZIEMACICE CONIUNX ET AMICI POSUERUNT.*
The reader must surely wonder whether he is faced with an expression of
genuine grief, or of social satire.Traveller!
Grieve if you are a friend; observe, if you are an enemy;
If neither, marvel, at the fall and ruin of human affairs.
Stanislas Stadnicki of Zmigrod,
Heir to Lancut, Captain of Zygwult lies here,
Invincible in spirit, most noble by birth, endowed with numerous
kindred
And countless relations; supreme in beauty, outstanding in talent,
Great in deeds,
The incomparable and most diligent lover of liberty.
O Fatherland! If you take this warrior, this man of action,
To yourself, he will be an ornament and an advantage for you,
As I doubt anyone was before.
O Divine will, avenger of violence and treason!
O sacred laws of the Fatherland!
O Liberty, ravished and overthrown!
I appeal, and entreat you.
Anna of Ziemacice, his wife, and his friends laid (this stone).^22